Hey there super sober heroes. It's your host sober Steve, the podcast guy. Here with another special bonus episode for you. I hinted at it recently, but I had the opportunity at a huge community queer event to get the chance to interview people about what diversity means to them. And so, while it's not specifically sober, so I'm not using this as a Thursday episode where I promise that you get sober stories. Every Thursday, you will still get that Thursday. This coming Thursday with Alex. From LGBTQ mindfulness and it's going to be an amazing episode. But in the meantime, you get the chance to hear what diversity needs to a whole bunch of queer people. And it's really awesome and inspiring and uplifting. And it's short. This should be a really quick. 11 12, 13 minute episode, just filling your cup a little bit with some gratitude about the diversity in our community. And even though you might not be in my local community of Sarasota, I feel like this is a great representation of what diversity means to the queer community right now, as a snapshot in 2024 in general. Now as you're listening, my friends, please keep in mind that this wasn't a huge auditorium with hundreds of people. And you might not be able to hear that because of the podcasting magic that I worked, but because of all the. Magic that it took, it was a very powerful spell that was required to mute. Hundreds of people talking in the background and at times performers performing in the background. Working that magic did a times. Affect the integrity of people's voices. So if you know the person and they don't necessarily sound specifically like they always do, or if one or two of the words sound a little bit funny. Please just have some grace, because this was an amazing event with a lot of great shares in a very loud space. And in order to enjoy it properly, I feel like this is the best. Listening experience for you? The listeners. I love so well. So enjoy, and I will see you on Thursday for our normal episodes. Starting us off is my pastor, pastor Dan from harvest. Here we go. Hi, I'm Logan. Diversity, to me, is A little bit of everybody. It's just who you are and your uniqueness makes you, you, and people should love you for who you are. There's no need to ignore people or forget people. Just treat them like you want to be treated. Treat yourself with love. Treat them with love. I run a podcast about love. Living with an Alcoholic, it's called Living with an Alcoholic, if you ever want to check me out, learn a little bit of diversity about that. Take care of yourselves. I'm Tom Edwards, Sarasota County School Board Member. What diversity means to me is leveraging everyone to their highest values and optimizing their strengths so they feel welcome and included. It's an order to form a more perfect union. My name is Merle. And when I think of diversity, I think of the divine. I'm a nature girl. And anytime I go out into nature, diversity is so clearly God's idea. All the colors, all the different types of birds, the different types of trees, the textures. I'm always inspired by diversity in nature. To me, diversity is all about inclusion and representation. So, I grew up not really seeing a lot of people that look like me being represented in movies and media and, and all of the things, even, even cartoons growing up. And now seeing as, as the world is kind of understanding that diversity means I, I really appreciate the inclusion that I'm seeing, and it's really healing my inner child. So diversity to me means representation, and representation matters. And diversity to me means I realize my place in the universe. And I guess I appreciate yours too. So I enjoy getting as many perspectives as possible. My name is Tim Stork and I run 180 Skate, a skateboard outreach to diversity for me is including everybody and just getting everybody out there together and showing people that everyone is loved and that's what we try to do through skateboarding. My name is Emily Deming. I'm a clinical psychologist who works a lot with families and helping people in the LGBTQ community just understand what it means to be them and embrace all the wonderful things. And so I think diversity just really means to me that we are all different and you don't have to understand deeply what everyone else's differences are, but loving and accepting that there is beauty in difference. Hi, my name is Dr. Essence Rivers. As a psychologist, that is biracial, chronically male, has ADHD, and is part of the LGBTQ plus community. For me, diversity means that I don't have to choose which identity I want to share with people or pilot it, but that I can show it with my full self, with all of my identities, and that I still matter, and that I don't need to be ashamed but that I can really celebrate the parts of me that make me different. And now I get to take joy in helping other people do that as well, through ADHD coaching and mentoring. So, diversity is important for me to get to know people, and to love people. for their cool sounds, but also to experience it my name is Ben Jewell Clocker, and I'm the Learning and Engagement Director for Embracing Our Differences in Sarasota, Florida. And diversity to me means welcoming everyone to the table, even if you don't agree with one another, even if you don't have the same beliefs, don't come from the same place. You welcome everyone to the table and agree to disagree, but still find a common respect for everyone. Hi, this is Stephen Martin Bennett. And for me, diversity isn't just about accepting our differences. It's really about embracing our differences and uplifting those that are different than we are. And it's those differences that really make this world so fascinating because who wants to be normal, be different, be you. Hi, this is Tony Kennedy, the writer and creator of What's Poppin Penny podcast. And what does diversity mean to you is the question being asked today. Diversity means to me, taking what you were nurtured in and loving yourself for the person that you are, and then extending that love to others, regardless of their background, ethnicity, or religion. Coming together is what diversity is all about to me. My name is Lady J, owner of LJ of M production in Sarasota, Florida, and diversity, what this means to me the definition is the practice or quality of improving or involving people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds and of different genders, sexual orientations equality and diversity should be supported for their own sake. What this means to me, We're all raised in the environmental and societal conditions that we have been. So, that's what we know. Sometimes it's hard to wrap your mind around other than what you know to be true. This can only be a learning opportunity to explore that which you might not know or be familiar with, but to come from a place of wanting to include others experiences as they know them, and accept as you would like to be accepted. So there we go. That is what diversity means to the people who attended this year as diverse Fest, 20, 24 at the harvest and Sarasota the best church ever. So if you'd like to get involved in next year's diverse, fast, or get involved with our community, you can check the harvest at every Sunday. And if listening to this, you've gotten the podcast bug, or if you participated and you want more of it, just be aware that in addition to having my gay, queer and sober podcast, I also have. My podcasting and bad-ass podcast outright now. With podcasting tips and tricks as well as ways that I can help coach people through podcasting that you could find over@sobersteve.com. So if you're a listener of podcasts, you love podcasts, and you're interested in getting your own started. I can help you along the way, visit sober Steve for more information on that. But until then, Just to stay sober and I'll see you Thursday for a normal episode friends.