We are delighted to share this special GSBA Member Spotlight article, guest-written by Steve Petersen, founder of Bursting Through. Steve has been a dedicated GSBA member since 2023, and is an inspiring advocate for change through storytelling and community building:

I am Steve Petersen, founder of Bursting Through and a proud GSBA member. Bursting Through is a social change movement for Allies and the Queer Community, creating change through the power of storytelling and community building.

Over the past three years, I have written and published over 60 personal, powerful, and life-changing allyship stories. Now, it’s time to share these important stories on a larger scale. I am thrilled to announce that my book, Allyship Awakenings, is ready for publication!

Allyship Awakenings tells the real, relatable, and rarely told stories of LGBTQ+ allyship. Each chapter shares a heartfelt hero’s journey that expands definitions of love, strengthens connections, and fosters personal growth.

This book is crucial because allyship is a principal part of the LGBTQ+ experience, but the ally’s voice is rarely heard. When allies are invited into the conversation, it is typically to educate them about the LGBTQ+ community. Allyship education is fundamental but is not final.

Allyship Awakenings awakens allies to the power of their voices in creating the loving, accepting, and inclusive world we all want. It meets allies in their living rooms, not a classroom. Each chapter reflects a deeply personal experience and offers new ways of connecting, thinking, and showing up for those we love.

This book is also important because 45% of all books on current book ban lists are written by or about LGBTQ+ people. Now more than ever, it is essential to get powerful and positive books about the Queer experience into the world.

To get Allyship Awakenings published and distributed, I need your help. The publishing industry looks at social media following numbers to gauge the marketability of books, and first-time authors face extra scrutiny.

This is the industry standard and how book publishers ensure they have a viable product and can make a profit. This is where you come in.

I need to grow my LinkedIn network to move to the next step with the publisher. If you believe in the power of storytelling and the importance of Allyship and would like to see my work in print, please click here to follow me on LinkedIn.

Your support is much appreciated. Every new account that follows me helps move Allyship Awakenings one step closer to getting into bookstores everywhere.

Lastly, if you know others interested in supporting and someday reading Allyship Awakenings, please share this information and ask them to follow me on LinkedIn.

Thank you,

Steve Petersen
Founder, Bursting Through