Activism Beyond the Parade: Power, Science & Queer Leadership with Harvey Kennedy-Pitt

“Activism is not all placards and parades.”
– Harvey Kennedy-Pitt

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In this episode of Living Queer, Erwin de Leon sits down with Harvey Kennedy-Pitt, scientist, global public health practitioner, and founder of Unstukk, for a conversation about power, queer identity, and the evolving nature of activism.

Harvey shares how his consultancy blends public health principles with biomimetics, learning from nature’s resilience to help people and organizations “get unstuck.” From butterflies to tardigrades, he explores how transformation, adaptation, and diversity are already modeled in the natural world.

But the conversation quickly turns political. Drawing on his work in global health and LGBTQ+ advocacy, Harvey reframes the current backlash against queer and trans communities as a struggle over power: who holds it, how it is weaponized, and how marginalized groups are used as pawns in broader political games. He also speaks candidly about minority stress, activist burnout, and the need for strategic, sustainable forms of engagement.

At its heart, this episode asks: What does it mean to take up space and to use your voice in a moment defined by fear and manipulation?

TL;DR

• Nature offers models of resilience, diversity, and renewal

• LGBTQ+ identity can foster creative, critical thinking in science and leadership

• Anti-trans backlash is fundamentally about power, not identity

• Disaggregating LGBTQ+ health data is essential

• Minority stress has real biological consequences

• Activism must be strategic to avoid burnout