By Jaime Herndon

Some of you may remember Ash Beckham from her viral TEDxBoulder Talk on pancakes and coming out of your closet – whatever that means for you, e.g. telling someone you have cancer, or telling someone you love them, or telling someone you're gay. Well, Ash is back, and this time, sharing a powerful TEDxBoulder Talk from an aunt’s perspective.

Ash took her niece to a toy store to see Frozen’s Anna and Elsa, an event where kids meet their beloved princess heroes (or trademark-safe similar princesses), get posters signed and pictures taken together. But when Aunt Ash gets to the front of the line with her niece on her shoulders, the toy store clerk asks the little girl if she wants to get her picture with the princesses taken with her dad, clearly mistaking Ash for a man.

Ash is faced with a question: In this very moment, should she be the aunt, or the advocate?

Watch Ash Beckham's TEDx Talk here:



We can be role models and educators for our nieces and nephews, without sacrificing our familial role. We can show the children and teens in our lives that it’s okay to be complex and ever-changing human beings, while standing up for what’s right and what we believe in.

Photo: Ash Beckham / TEDxBoulder
Published: December 10, 2014