Loving in Secret: Felice Cohen on Coming Out Through Memoir (Encore)
Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage: Real Stories of Identity & Acceptance
Release Date: 01/16/2026
David Bermudez Remembers What It Was Really Like Inside the Stonewall Uprising (Encore)
Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage: Real Stories of Identity & Acceptance
In this encore of the powerful Stonewall edition of Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage, host Rick Koonce sits down with David Bermudez, a firsthand witness to the 1969 Stonewall Uprising. David shares a vivid, deeply personal account of what it was like to be inside the Stonewall Inn when police raided the bar, igniting a rebellion that would change the course of LGBTQ+ history. Through David’s memories, listeners are taken back to a time when being gay meant living under constant threat—of arrest, public exposure, violence, and loss of livelihood. He describes the fear, the brutality, and...
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Loving in Secret: Felice Cohen on Coming Out Through Memoir (Encore)
Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage: Real Stories of Identity & Acceptance
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 her memoir Half In, which chronicles her nine-year, deeply intimate relationship with a woman 34 years older—her first experience of true love—at a time when she was still discovering her sexuality and sense of self. What began as a secret May-December affair became a formative coming-of-age experience that shaped Felice’s understanding of intimacy, fear, and emotional...
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Lori Duron on What It Means to Truly Support a Gender-Nonconforming Child (Encore)
Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage: Real Stories of Identity & Acceptance
In this encore episode of Profiles in LGBTQ Courage, host Rick Koonce sits down with author and advocate Lori Duron, creator of the widely read blog Raising My Rainbow and author of the book of the same name. In the interview, originally released in February 2021, Lori shares the deeply personal and courageous journey of raising her gender-creative son, CJ, in a world that often struggles to understand difference. From CJ’s early love of Barbie dolls and princess dresses to navigating schools, healthcare systems, and public judgment, Lori reflects on how parenting a gender-nonconforming...
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Katherine Zappone on Love, Loss, and Ireland’s LGBTQ Transformation
Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage: Real Stories of Identity & Acceptance
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 social change. Born in Seattle and later becoming an Irish citizen through her marriage to Ann Louise Gilligan, Katherine reflects on how their partnership sparked one of Ireland’s most transformative human rights movements. Together, they helped catalyze the landmark 2015 referendum that legalized same-sex marriage by popular vote—an unprecedented achievement in a deeply...
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Julia Cumes on Photography as a Force for Social Change
Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage: Real Stories of Identity & Acceptance
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 witnessed the power of images to expose truth and inspire change. Her career has been shaped by a commitment to social justice and storytelling through the lens of her camera. Julia shares how her projects—from documenting Cape Cod’s transgender community to capturing the stories of immigrants, women in India’s Devadasi system, and Hawaii’s cowboys—help challenge...
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Safeguarding Kids Online and Offline: A Courageous Conversation with Jacob Stapledon
Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage: Real Stories of Identity & Acceptance
Child abuse remains one of the most urgent and under-recognized crises facing families today. In this powerful episode of Profiles in LGBTQ Courage, host Rick Koonce speaks with Jacob Stapledon, Community Engagement and Education Manager at Children s Cove, a child advocacy center on Cape Cod. Together, they shed light on the staggering reality of abuse, why LGBTQ youth are disproportionately affected, and the critical role that community members can play in protecting children. Jacob shares sobering statistics, including the fact that 90% of children are abused by someone they know, and that...
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Teen Activist Bradley Forcier on Courage, Politics & Pride
Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage: Real Stories of Identity & Acceptance
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, shares how coming out at age 12 sparked his passion for advocacy, community involvement, and political engagement. From leading in his school’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance to starting the process of launching a local chapter of the ACLU, Bradley is already creating meaningful change. He opens up about navigating high school as a young gay man, supporting transgender friends,...
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Welcome to Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage: Real Stories of Identity & Acceptance
Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage: Real Stories of Identity & Acceptance
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...
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From Cape Cod Roots to State Senate: Julian Cyr’s Story
Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage: Real Stories of Identity & Acceptance
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 young gay man on the Outer Cape, finding his voice through activism, and ultimately stepping into leadership to serve his community. We talk about how his early experiences shaped his commitment to public service, the lessons he learned from the AIDS epidemic, and why authenticity is a core value in both politics and personal life. Julian also opens up about the pressing issues...
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Interview with Finn Allen (Wanda Mae) | Ep #45
Profiles in LGBTQ+ Courage: Real Stories of Identity & Acceptance
Finn Allen (formerly Wanda Mae). Wanda Mae was a little girl raised in a household with an alcoholic mother, an abusive father, and two sisters. She never felt “at home” in her female body, even though at an early age she excelled at sports and was a stand-out school athlete. From the age of 4 or 5, Wanda Mae felt like a boy, not a girl. But in her childhood, she didn’t have a lot of time to dwell on all that. And there was nobody to talk to about her shame, discomfort, and confusion. At home, after her father left, Wanda Mae was beaten by her mother and her boyfriend, before...
info_outlineIn 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 her memoir Half In, which chronicles her nine-year, deeply intimate relationship with a woman 34 years older—her first experience of true love—at a time when she was still discovering her sexuality and sense of self.
What began as a secret May-December affair became a formative coming-of-age experience that shaped Felice’s understanding of intimacy, fear, and emotional risk. In conversation with Rick, she reflects on the power of writing as a tool for grief, self-acceptance, and liberation, and how bringing her story out of the shadows allowed her to finally be “all in” with life and love. Felice also speaks candidly about bisexual identity, family acceptance, and the long-term impact of loving while closeted.
This episode is a powerful testament to the courage it takes to examine our past honestly and to release shame in order to make room for love again.
Key takeaways:
- Why secrecy can shape — and limit — emotional intimacy
- How writing can become a form of healing and self-reclamation
- What it means to move from being “half in” to fully open to love
More About Felice Cohen:
- Website: https://www.felicecohen.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/felicecohenauthor
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/felicecohen90/
- Substack: https://felicecohen.substack.com/
- Books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0045EEHMO/allbooks
Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their own journeys and reach out for connection, support, or conversation sparked by this episode.
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