PRIDE SHOW with Ben Greene - on How to Make New Friendships, Finding Joy & Whimsy, & Pride in 2026

HAPPY PRIDE! This is the last episode before we take our summer break, and I couldn’t be more excited to share this one with you. It’s perfect for Pride, perfect for summer, perfect for friendship, and perfect for you! In this episode, Ben and I talk about how happiness is different from joy, but joy is what keeps us going, why you should fight in a British accent, whimsy, new friendship, Pride as a mile marker, and how we’re navigating our budding new friendship. After coming out at 15 in a small town, Ben Greene has devoted his career to spreading empathy, education, and storytelling around the trans experience. Whether it's for NASA, Johnson & Johnson, or over 200 PFLAG chapters, Ben leads with joy. He is the author of the Substack "Good Queer News", as well as the book "My Child is Trans, Now What? A Joy Centered Approach to Support". He has been nominated for a GLAAD media award and is passionate about leading with joy and educating others from a place of compassion—no matter where they’re starting from. In this episode, we get curious about: -How pride is a mile marker that we have the honor of passing by -Why you should fight in a British accent -Concrete ways to bring more whimsy into your life -How he and I are navigating our own new friendship -Ben’s brilliant two similarities tip on where to find new friends -Why you may not always be able to choose happiness, but you can always choose joy -And how we stay hopeful in these trying times Links Good Queer News: https://www.goodqueernews.com/ Ben on IG:   / pseudo.bro   Aidan on IG:   / aidanwharton   Getting Close on IG:   / aidanwharton   Chapters (00:00) Celebrating Pride and Connection (02:49) The Meaning of Pride (06:00) Joy vs. Happiness (08:48) Joy as a Tool for Resistance (11:58) Building Connections and Community (14:46) Navigating Vulnerability and Earnestness (18:01) Creating Whimsy in Relationships (29:35) Habit Stacking with Joy (34:23) The Paradox of Choice (38:56) Finding Hope in Despair (45:55) Embracing Discomfort for Growth (52:50) The Power of Community and Change