Welcome to Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage: Real Stories of Identity & Acceptance

Welcome to Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage: Real Stories of Identity & Acceptance

Author: Rick Koonce September 7, 2025 Duration: 1:16

Have you ever wondered what courage looks like in the LGBTQ+ community? In my podcast series, Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage, I share the powerful, authentic stories of individuals and families navigating the complex issues of sexual orientation, gender identity, self acceptance, and human love. From coming out journeys and gender transitions to parents learning how to support their children, these intimate conversations reveal the strength it takes for all of us to live and love authentically.


I'm your host, Rick Koonce. With decades of experience as a journalist and interviewer, I'm here to share stories that will educate, inspire, and remind you that none of us walks this path of life alone.


So today, I'm asking you to subscribe to Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage wherever you listen to podcasts and and join us in celebrating the bravery it takes to live your truth and life authentically.


Hosted by Rick Koonce, Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage: Real Stories of Identity & Acceptance is built around intimate, unscripted conversations that go beyond headlines. This podcast lives in the personal moments-the difficult family dinner, the quiet realization, the supportive friend’s first question. You’ll hear directly from LGBTQ+ individuals, their parents, siblings, and allies, sharing narratives that are less about grand declarations and more about the daily, nuanced journey toward living authentically. The stories encompass coming out, gender transition, and the complex, ongoing search for belonging, offering a raw and moving look at what courage actually sounds like in real time. Produced by Huntington Northstar Productions in partnership with PFLAG Cape Cod, each episode functions as a personal audio journal, focusing on a single portrait where vulnerability and strength are inseparable. Listening feels like being invited into a deeply meaningful, private conversation that highlights our shared humanity. The collective result is a powerful and necessary tapestry of voices that celebrates resilience while honestly examining the challenges within families and communities. Tune in for a series that connects through specificity, where every story adds a vital thread to the broader fabric of human experience.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 56

Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage: Real Stories of Identity & Acceptance
Podcast Episodes
Loving in Secret: Felice Cohen on Coming Out Through Memoir (Encore) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:40
In this deeply moving encore episode of Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage, host Rick Koonce sits down with author Felice Cohen to explore love, secrecy, identity, and healing through storytelling. Felice shares the story behind…
Katherine Zappone on Love, Loss, and Ireland's LGBTQ Transformation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:05
In this powerful episode of Profiles in LGBTQ Courage, host Rick Koonce sits down with trailblazing Irish leader and LGBTQ advocate Katherine Zappone to explore her extraordinary journey through love, loss, politics, and…
Julia Cumes on Photography as a Force for Social Change [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:26
In this episode, host Rick Koonce interviews award-winning photojournalist Julia Cumes, whose work shines a light on marginalized communities around the world. Born and raised in apartheid-era South Africa, Julia witness…
Teen Activist Bradley Forcier on Courage, Politics & Pride [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:25
In this episode of Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage, host Rick Koonce sits down with 16-year-old activist and student Bradley Forcier, whose story is both inspiring and timely. Bradley, a rising junior at Falmouth Academy, sha…
From Cape Cod Roots to State Senate: Julian Cyr's Story [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:20
In this episode of Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage, I sit down with Massachusetts State Senator Julian Cyr, who represents Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket. Julian shares his powerful journey of growing up as a youn…