Twin Cities Pride Amplified

Twin Cities Pride Amplified

Twin Cities Pride Amplified is a program dedicated to all things LGBTQIA+ community, both here in the Twin Cities area, and beyond. Hosted by TC Pride’s Executive Director Andi Otto and Executive Assistant Rina Heisel, no topic is off limits as we discuss queer rights, culture, health, and events taking place around the metro area. Pride is more than just a weekend in June; the LGBTQIA+ community deserves celebration, elevation, and support all year, so tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest community and TC Pride news. Allies are always encouraged to tune in!

Episodes

Twin Cities Pride Amplified – Ep. 98: Turkey Trots, Guide Dogs, and the Evolution of Pride

December 8, 2025 • 45 mins
Andi Otto, Rina Heisel, and Kelsey Alto kick things off with a hilarious “guide dog” mishap and a chaotic turkey trot story before pivoting to a thoughtful discussion on the evolution of Pride over the last two decades. The trio explores generational shifts in LGBTQ+ identity and the financial realities facing Gen Z, highlighting how…
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Twin Cities Pride Amplified – Ep. 97: Can You See Yourself in This Space?

November 24, 2025 • 45 mins
Hosts Andi Otto, Rina Heisel, and Kelsey Alto discuss the “wild” political climate, from the Supreme Court’s recent marriage equality decision to divisive online tactics. Andi shares an “Andi Talk” from a recent conference, sparking a deep conversation on what makes a space truly inclusive for the LGBTQ+ community and allies. They argue that true…
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Twin Cities Pride Amplified – Ep. 96: The Reality of Being Trans

November 17, 2025 • 45 mins
Join hosts Andi Otto, Rina Heisel, and Kelsey Alto for a powerful discussion on Trans Day of Remembrance and the violence facing the trans community. Andi shares a raw, personal story about the harassment he recently faced for wearing a “Protect Trans Kids” shirt, illustrating the daily anxieties trans people navigate even in supposed “refuge”…
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Twin Cities Pride Amplified – Ep. 95: How One Call Became 3,200 Pounds of Food

November 10, 2025 • 45 mins
Andi Otto, Rina Heisel, and Kelsey Alto get real about the heavy emotional toll of the current political climate and the recent government shutdown. They share the powerful, personal story of how TC Pride’s “Trunk or Treat” event unexpectedly transformed into a massive impromptu food drive. It all started with a single, desperate phone call…
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Twin Cities Pride Amplified – Ep. 94: The Unsinkable Ship of Navigating Mental Health

November 3, 2025 • 45 mins
Hosts Andi Otto, Kelsey Alto, and Rina Heisel get real about the mental health struggles hitting the LGBTQIA+ community and the heavy emotional toll of the current political environment. They discuss how crucial organizations like Twin Cities Pride are for providing community and support, especially with all the legal and legislative attacks targeting queer and…
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Twin Cities Pride Amplified – Ep. 93: Culture, Advocacy, and Community w/ Terresa Hardaway

October 27, 2025 • 45 mins
Terresa Hardaway, who owns Black Garnet Books and is the Creative Director of Blackbird Revolt, joins hosts Andi Otto, Kelsey Alto, and Rina Heisel to chat about everything she does as an educator, designer, and business owner. Her work focuses on centering Black, queer, and marginalized voices in the fight for social justice and cultural…
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Twin Cities Pride Amplified – Ep. 92: The Unsinkable Ship of Navigating Mental Health

October 22, 2025 • 45 mins
Hosts Andi Otto, Kelsey Alto, and Rina Heisel get real about the mental health struggles hitting the LGBTQIA+ community and the heavy emotional toll of the current political environment. They discuss how crucial organizations like Twin Cities Pride are for providing community and support, especially with all the legal and legislative attacks targeting queer and…
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Twin Cities Pride Amplified – Ep. 91: Highlighting Trans Northland

October 20, 2025 • 45 mins
This week Andi Otto and Rina Heisel are joined by Sean Hayes, executive director of Trans Northland. They talk about the challenges rural communities face, the influx of people coming in from out of state seeking refuge, and how Trans Northland is working on building communities that are safe, inclusive and interconnected.
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Twin Cities Pride Amplified – Ep. 90: Reflecting on Andi’s Time as Executive Director

October 13, 2025 • 45 mins
Kelsey Alto, the director of programming for Twin Cities Pride, returns to host this week’s show. We had so much fun talking about Andi Otto’s life that we decided to have one more episode on Andi! This time we reflect on Andi‘s last three years as executive director of Twin Cities Pride. What do a…
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Twin Cities Pride Amplified – Ep. 89: Getting to Know Andi Otto (Part 2 of 2)

October 6, 2025 • 45 mins
This week Kelsey Alto takes over the show once again as she continues her conversation with TC Pride executive director Andi Otto. What do drag kings, the Burnsville Mall food court and frosted cookies have in common? Find out this week as dive into the story of Andi’s life!
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Twin Cities Pride Amplified – Ep. 88: Getting to Know Andi Otto (Part 1 of 2)

September 29, 2025 • 44 mins
This week Kelsey Alto takes over the show as our usual host, Andi Otto, will be in the hot seat! You’ll get to learn a lot more about Andi, including his journey from lesbian to wife to Mom to trans Dad.
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Twin Cities Pride Amplified – Ep. 87: Dr. Kade Goepferd on LGBTQ Youth and Back to School

September 22, 2025 • 36 mins
This week Andi and Rina are joined by Dr. Kade Goepferd, the Chief Education Officer and the past Chief of Staff for Children’s Minnesota, the Medical Director of Children’s Minnesota Gender Health Program and a pediatrician in the Children’s Minneapolis Primary Care clinic. We talk about what going back to school means for LGBTQ youth,…
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Twin Cities Pride Amplified – Ep. 86: Hannah Wydeven of Solcana Fitness

September 15, 2025 • 44 mins
This week Andi and Rina get to know Hannah Wydeven, owner of Solcana Fitness in Minneapolis. Solcana is a queer owned, women owned gym designed for all body types. We’ll talk to Hannah about the inspiration behind the gym, their amazing drop dead lift gorgeous event and how you can get involved.
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Twin Cities Pride Amplified – Ep. 85: Being LGBTQ in the Current Cultural Climate

September 8, 2025 • 45 mins
This week Andi Otto gets real about the concerns of the LGBTQ community. Andi shares his perspective on what it’s like to live as a trans person right now, from something simple as taking his kids back to school to attending the State Fair. We’ll also talk about what we can do as a community…
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Twin Cities Pride Amplified – Ep. 84: Fall 2025 at the Pride Cultural Arts Center

August 30, 2025 • 44 mins
Andi Otto and Rina Heisel are joined by Dobbs DeCorsey, the Director of the Pride Cultural Arts Center. We’ll chat with Dobbs about all the great things happening at the PCAC, what to expect if you stop by for a visit, and how you can get involved.
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Twin Cities Pride Amplified – Ep. 83: Back to School Tips with Tara Martini

August 25, 2025 • 35 mins
It’s back to school time! Andi and Rina are joined by Tara Martini of Becoming Together Therapy and Wellness. While it can be exciting, back to school can also bring stress and anxiety, especially for LGBTQ+ students and families. We’ll share tips for smoother transitions to school, how parents can help ease anxiety and ways…
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Twin Cities Pride Amplified – Ep. 82: Hannah Edwards with Transforming Families

August 18, 2025 • 44 mins
This week Andi and Rina are joined by Hannah Edwards, executive director of Transforming Families. This incredible Minnesota non profit is doing some great work with transgender, gender non-conforming and questioning youth along with their families. We’ll talk about their monthly gatherings, upcoming events and support that they offer in Minnesota.
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Twin Cities Pride Amplified – Ep. 81: Rainbow Collective for Change

August 11, 2025 • 45 mins
This week Andi Otto and Rina Heisel welcome back Anne Sutkowi-Hemstreet, the founder and director of Rainbow Collective for Change (https://www.rainbowcollectiveforchange.org/), a Twin Cities organziation looking to help connect Rainbow families from allover the area, from rainbow play dates, workshops the new book mobile and more!
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Twin Cities Pride Amplified – Ep. 80: TC Pride’s Upcoming Fall Events

August 2, 2025 • 45 mins
Andi and Rina are joined by TC Pride’s Director of Programming, Kelsey Alto. Kelsey will tell us all about the great programming coming up this fall as we continue to celebtrate our community. Fall programming includes the career fair, book fair, Trunk or Treat, the epic rainbow wardrobe open house and more!
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Twin Cities Pride Amplified – Ep. 79: (Encore) Remembering Minnesota LGBTQ+ Legend Julie Daffyd

July 28, 2025 • 44 mins
As many of you know, we lost a trans icon and trailblazer in Minnesota recently, Julie Daffyd. In her honor, we’re replaying a conversation we had with Julie on April 13, 2024.  
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