Rather than keep everything he's learned to himself, James founded First Breath Fertility Consulting, turning his own family-building challenges into education, resources, and community for others navigating the same path.
Because building a queer family is hard enough. We shouldn't have to figure it all out alone.

Topics: LGBTQ parenting, gay dads, queer family building, foster care, independent surrogacy, fertility clinics, egg donation, surrogacy costs, fertility support.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)/ Resources Mentioned
James Gaeta is the founder of First Breath Fertility Consulting, where he provides fertility doula support, family-building education, and practical guidance for intended parents, particularly LGBTQ families.

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The hosts of Gaytriarchs, David F.M. Vaughn and Gavin Lodge, join Jaimie for a hilarious, unfiltered conversation about raising kids, surviving modern parenting, and why even LGBTQ+ spaces aren't immune to patriarchy.

Fresh off their delightfully chaotic live event with Gays With Kids, the three parents get into everything from screen-time battles and teenage independence to the impossible expectations placed on today's parents. Plus, why does everything default to male, and why are we all so terrified to let our kids do the things we did at their age?

It's a whole lot of laughs, a little righteous feminist rage, and a reminder that none of us really knows what we're doing. And maybe that's okay.

Topics: LGBTQ parenting, queer families, gay dads, lesbian moms, screen time and kids, parenting teenagers, childhood independence, modern parenting, gender stereotypes, patriarchy, misogyny, parenting expectations

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)/ Resources Mentioned

David F.M. Vaughn and Gavin Lodge are the hosts of Gaytriarchs, a hilariously unfiltered comedy podcast about gay dads, parenting, pop culture, and the absurdities of family life.

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This week on The Queer Family Podcast, Jaimie Kelton welcomes HIV advocates Masonia Traylor, founder of Lady Burgundy, and Jerrell Hartnett of GLAAD for an eye-opening conversation about HIV awareness, sexual health education, and raising informed, empowered children.

Through their lived experiences with HIV, Masonia and Jerrell challenge common misconceptions, explain HIV testing and prevention, discuss U=U (undetectable equals untransmittable), and explore why HIV stigma continues despite decades of medical progress.

The conversation also tackles HIV criminalization, pregnancy, bodily autonomy, medical self-advocacy, and the importance of age-appropriate conversations with children. Plus, a powerful connection between HIV stigma, anti-LGBTQ bullying, and Spirit Day reminds families that supporting LGBTQ youth requires action all year long.

Because raising informed, compassionate children starts with being willing to learn alongside them.

Topics: HIV awareness, HIV stigma, HIV and AIDS, LGBTQ parenting, queer families, sexual health education, HIV testing, HIV prevention, U=U, bodily autonomy, medical self-advocacy, HIV and pregnancy, LGBTQ youth, Spirit Day, LGBTQ bullying.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)/ Resources Mentioned

Masonia Traylor is an Emmy-nominated producer, mother of two, HIV advocate, and founder and executive director of Lady Burgundy, a nonprofit serving women and youth across the southeastern United States through HIV prevention and intervention. Living with HIV for 16 years, Masonia has spent much of that time publicly sharing her experience and advocating for better education, resources, and support.

Jerrell Hartnett is Associate Director of Education and Advocacy at GLAAD and lead author of the organization's 2026 HIV Stigma Report. Living with HIV for 13 years, Jerrell combines personal experience with research and media advocacy to challenge misinformation, increase visibility, and help reshape the public conversation about HIV.

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🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

GLAAD — HIV advocacy, media representation, and LGBTQ inclusion

Spirit Day — Resources for supporting LGBTQ youth

2026 HIV Stigma Report

CDC HIV Resources — HIV testing, prevention, and treatment information

HIV.gov — Information about HIV and U=U

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Jaimie is joined by her wife, Anne, for a candid, funny, and occasionally heated conversation about a surprising new chapter in their family's donor-conception journey. What started as a simple question about their daughter's medical history led to something neither of them anticipated: their sperm donor's phone number and an open invitation to reach out.

But just because they can contact him, does that mean they should? Jaimie and Anne have different feelings about it, and their kids have opinions of their own.

Plus, the two moms take on misogyny, school dress codes, victim-blaming, and what it means to raise a daughter and a son in a world still steeped in patriarchy.

It's a little family update, a little feminist rant, and a very real look at how LGBTQ+ families continue to evolve long after the kids arrive.

Topics: Donor conception, LGBTQ families, lesbian parenting, sperm donors, donor siblings, Open ID donors, donor-conceived children, medical history, two-mom families, misogyny, school dress codes, parenting, consent

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From receiving a call about a newborn with less than a day's notice to navigating adoption during a global pandemic, Kevin opens up about the emotional realities of foster-to-adopt parenting, the importance of biological family connections, and the challenges of raising Black children in a transracial adoptive family.

He also explores the isolation of gay fatherhood, the importance of LGBTQ+ parenting communities, and why he believes his family came together exactly as it was meant to.

Topics: gay dads, LGBTQ families, foster care, foster-to-adopt, adoption, transracial adoption, biological siblings, queer parenting, gay fatherhood, LGBTQ family building

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)/ Resources Mentioned

Dr. Kevin Nadal is a psychologist, professor, author, and father of three. His work explores the intersections of psychology, social justice, and identity, with books addressing queer psychology, microaggressions, Filipino American psychology, and Asian American psychology. His latest creative venture is Nothing but Net, a queer romance novel that combines basketball, love, and psychology.

Kevin lives in Harlem, New York, with his husband and their three children, all adopted through the New York City foster care system.

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The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

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Jaimie and B.J. talk about queer family building, birth trauma, feeding, advocacy, inclusive language, and why LGBTQ+ people deserve healthcare that sees and respects who they actually are.

Topics: LGBTQ families, queer parenting, lesbian parenting, queer family building, donor conception, sperm donation, pregnancy, hyperemesis gravidarum, birth trauma, breastfeeding, chestfeeding, lactation, doulas, inclusive healthcare, LGBTQ healthcare, nonbinary birth, gender-affirming care

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)/ Resources Mentioned

B.J. Woodstein is a writer, translator, former academic, LGBTQ+ specialist doula, lactation consultant, counselor, and bibliotherapist. She lives in the UK with her wife and their two children.

B.J. is also the author of We’re Here: A Practical Guide to Becoming an LGBTQ+ Parent, which combines practical family-building information with the experiences of LGBTQ+ parents, as well as Be Fruitful, which focuses on family building in the Jewish community.

She also co-runs Queer Wayfinder, which offers counseling, coaching, and bibliotherapy for LGBTQ+ people.

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🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

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Sydney and Gina knew they wanted to build a family—and they knew, as a lesbian couple, it would take planning. What they didn’t expect was a stage-three endometriosis diagnosis right as they began trying to conceive.

In this episode, they walk Jaimie through their queer fertility journey: choosing a known sperm donor, navigating the legal agreements, three failed IUIs, the emotional and financial toll of fertility treatment, and finally moving to IVF. They also talk about grieving differently as partners, advocating for yourself in the medical system, and what it means to parent without a genetic connection.

Their experience ultimately inspired them to create WeFertility, an app designed to help people manage the paperwork, appointments, finances, and endless logistics of family building.

A candid conversation about queer parenting, LGBTQ families, IVF, known donors, endometriosis, and finding something meaningful on the other side of a difficult fertility journey.

Topics: queer parenting, LGBTQ families, lesbian parenting, queer family building, IVF, IUI, known sperm donors, fertility treatment, endometriosis, donor conception, LGBTQ parenting

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🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

WeFertility - the app designed to help people manage the paperwork, appointments, finances, and endless logistics of family building.

WeFertility Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wefertilityapp

WeFertility TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wefertilityapp?_r=1&_t=ZP-99ePpNsDHEU

WeFertility Website: https://wefertilityapp.com

Gina Brickey Instagram: @ginabrickey_

Sydney Brickey Instagram: @sydneybrickey94

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🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

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Then listening to this podcast helped Meghan realize there might be another possibility.

Now they're raising their three-year-old son, Nova, with another baby on the way. They share a fertility journey that included IUIs, miscarriage, IVF, and an unexpected final vial from their dibling community.

Erika also opens up about navigating pregnancy as a butch woman—and discovering that carrying a baby didn't make her feel less connected to her identity. Quite the opposite.

As Erika puts it: “I think pregnancy is so butch.”

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• You don’t have to have always dreamed of parenthood to become a deeply intentional parent.
• Queer family building often means staying open when the path looks nothing like the one you planned.
• Parenthood can crack you open—and give you the chance to break old cycles.
• Pregnancy doesn’t have to be inherently feminine. Erika found it could actually deepen her connection to her butch identity.
• Fertility loss can bring grief, compassion, and a new understanding of just how complex these journeys can be.
• Representation matters. Sometimes seeing another queer family is what makes imagining your own possible.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)

Meghan and Erika are a queer couple and parents to three-year-old Nova, with their second child on the way. Erika, a proud butch woman, is currently pregnant with their second child and hopes that sharing her experience can offer representation for other butch people considering pregnancy.

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

Meghan and Erika on Instagram - Follow along on their journey

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🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 

🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

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Kaelyn, known online as one half of @kaelynandveronica, joins Jaimie to share how she and her wife found their way to parenthood by doing what so many LGBTQ+ families do: looking to the families who had done it before them.

Kaelyn shares the emotional—and sometimes surprising—process of choosing a sperm donor, two years of fertility treatments before becoming pregnant with their daughter Rosie, and why having donor siblings has become such a meaningful part of their family's story. She also opens up about Veronica's experience as the non-biological mom, raising Rosie with an open understanding of donor conception, and how postpartum depression is shaping their conversations about having another child.

Plus, why Kaelyn says if she could have dinner with anyone, she'd choose Rosie's donor—just so she could say thank you.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• There is no single “right” way to build an LGBTQ+ family.
• Queer families often become roadmaps for the families coming behind them.
• Biology doesn't determine the depth of a parent-child bond.
• Being open about donor conception gives kids the language to understand their own stories.
• Taking care of the parent matters, too—especially when considering another pregnancy after postpartum depression.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)

Kaelyn is a social media manager, content creator, wife to Veronica, and mom to their almost-three-year-old daughter, Rosie. Through @kaelynandveronica, she shares their life as a two-mom family, from donor conception and fertility to parenting and LGBTQ+ family life. Her work also focuses on helping others navigate family building and showing more of the many ways families can be created.

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🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

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LGBTQ+ family law attorney Rachel Levy joins Jaimie to break down the legal steps queer and trans families should know about—from confirmatory and second-parent adoption to donor agreements, estate planning, healthcare decisions, name changes, gender markers, and more.

Rachel explains why being listed on your child's birth certificate may not be enough to establish parental rights, what families using known donors should put in writing, and why finding an attorney who actually understands LGBTQ+ family law matters.

They also dig into the realities facing trans adults and parents of trans kids right now, including name changes, document updates, privacy and safety concerns, and the enormous differences in protections from state to state. And while the political climate can feel terrifying, Rachel offers an important reminder: frightening headlines don't always tell the whole legal story, and meaningful protections for LGBTQ+ families are still advancing at the state level.

This episode isn't about panic. It's about knowing your rights, asking the right questions, and taking the extra steps that can help protect the people you love.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• A birth certificate may not be enough to establish parental rights.
• Confirmatory adoption can offer important legal protection.
• Put known-donor agreements in writing.
• Estate planning is essential for LGBTQ+ families.
• Find an LGBTQ+-competent lawyer who practices in your state.
• Parents of trans kids should understand name-change and gender-marker laws.
• LGBTQ+ protections vary significantly from state to state.
• Scary headlines don’t always reflect what’s actually happening legally.
• There’s no single “right” way for LGBTQ+ and trans people to navigate safety.
• The Uniform Parentage Act could help standardize protections across states.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)

Rachel Levy is an attorney with Jerner Law Group, an LGBTQ+ family law firm based in Philadelphia. Her practice focuses on adoption and assisted reproductive technology (ART), estate planning, family building, and transgender legal issues, including name changes and legal affirmation. Rachel is passionate about helping LGBTQ+ families understand their rights and take the legal steps needed to protect themselves and their children.

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

Website: www.jernerlaw.com

Jerner Law’s LGBTQ+ Resources Hub: www.jernerlaw.com/lgbtq-resources/

Instagram: @jernerlawgroup

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🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

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Vikram Kolmannskog is a psychotherapist, writer, and dad raising his four-year-old son with his husband, Daniel, and their son's mother, Cecilia. From finding each other through a queer family forum to navigating home insemination, biology, and the realities of three-parent co-parenting, their path to family is anything but traditional.

Vikram and Jaimie talk about the messy reality of parenting, biological vs. non-biological connection, the pressure to identify the "real" dad, and the deeply ingrained gender roles that still tell us mothers should nurture while fathers should provide.

It's a conversation about rupture and repair, challenging the rules we've inherited, and what queer families can teach us about what really makes someone a parent.

Because family isn't biology. It's love, commitment—and sometimes a whole lot of mess.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Why Vikram and Daniel chose intentional co-parenting
• Finding their child's mother through a queer family forum
• The very queer logistics of making a baby together
• Navigating three-parent co-parenting when reality didn't match the plan
• Biology, non-biological parenting, and the idea of the "real" parent
• Why their family kept biological paternity private for the first year
• The gendered expectations placed on mothers and fathers
• Breastfeeding, formula, and the pressure placed on parents
• How therapy helped their family move through conflict and repair
• Why "messy" has become one of Vikram's favorite words for parenting

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)

Vikram Kolmannskog is the author of Reflections on Parenting from a Gestalt Therapist Father: Life with Leo, a personal exploration of his first years of parenthood.

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

Vikram’s Website

Vikram’s Instagram

Vikram’s Book 

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🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 

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🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

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Reid joins Jaimie to talk about finding the language to understand yourself, becoming the therapist he once needed, and why younger generations give him hope. They also explore chosen family, the power of representation, and what Reid calls the most important relationship he ever found—the one with himself.

It's a conversation about identity, belonging, empathy, and the gift of becoming who you are.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Representation gives us the language to understand ourselves.
• There's no one "right" way—or timeline—to know who you are.
• Believe people when they tell you who they are.
• Sometimes the most important relationship is the one you build with yourself.
• Our identities can be gifts, not burdens.
• Chosen family can change—and save—lives.
• Younger generations aren't creating new identities; they have more freedom to name what's always existed.
• Progress isn't linear, but Reid's 50+ years in the community give him real hope for what's ahead.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)

Reid Vanderburgh is a retired therapist, author, trans elder, and longtime LGBTQ+ advocate who transitioned more than 30 years ago. After his own experience with therapists who didn't understand what he was going through, Reid became one of the early openly trans therapists dedicated to serving the trans community, working with hundreds of clients throughout his career. He's also an author, longtime member of the Portland Gay Men's Chorus, stepfather, and proud chosen grandfather.

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

https://reidvanderburgh.com/

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🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sometimes it's about healing the person who became one.

This week, Jaimie sits down with Bronwin Parks and Elinor Svoboda, hosts of the Late in 88 podcast, to explore the "baby gay" still living inside all of us. Together they unpack growing up queer in the 80s and 90s, the importance of queer history, how today's political attacks echo the past, and why doing our own healing helps us raise more confident, resilient kids.

Whether you're a parent or simply someone still unlearning shame, this conversation is a reminder that our stories—and our history—matter.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Healing ourselves is part of raising healthy kids.
• Queer history helps us understand ourselves—and how far we've come.
• We all have an inner "baby gay" who deserves compassion.
• Simply living authentically can change hearts and minds.
• Community and representation matter for every generation.
• The world we're creating for our kids starts with how we show up today.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)

Bronwin Parks and Elinor Svoboda are lifelong friends and the hosts of Late in 88, a podcast that explores queer history through the lens of their own childhoods growing up in conservative Alberta during the late 1980s and 1990s. Blending personal storytelling with queer history, child psychology, and cultural context, they invite listeners to reconnect with—and heal—their own "baby gay."

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

Website: https://latein88.com/

Late in 88 Social Media

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/late.in.88/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@late.in.88

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Late.in.88

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🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

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🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

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After losing her mother to cancer at just six years old, Melissa was raised by her father and his lifelong partner, Ken, throughout the 1970s and 80s, long before LGBTQ+ families had visibility or legal protections.

In this heartfelt conversation, Melissa shares what it was like growing up in a loving home while her dads remained largely closeted, why their relationship wasn't something anyone talked about, and how she eventually came to understand the extraordinary family she'd always had.

Together, Jaimie and Melissa explore what children actually need to thrive, how family is built through consistency and love—not gender—and why representation matters so deeply for the next generation.

They also discuss second-parent adoption before it even had a name, coming out as the child of queer parents, and the lasting impact of growing up in a home filled with safety, joy, and unconditional love.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Love—not gender—is what makes a family.
• Children don't need a "perfect" family; they need to feel safe, loved, and significant.
• Melissa's childhood offers a rare look at queer family life decades before marriage equality.
• Second-parent adoption existed long before it became common because queer families have always found ways to protect each other.
• Growing up with queer parents gave Melissa a broader understanding of love, acceptance, and family.
• Visibility matters because children of LGBTQ+ parents shouldn't have to carry shame or secrecy about the people they love.
• Even in difficult historical moments, queer families have always existed—and have always been raising wonderful kids.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)

Melissa Pas Blake is a clinical hypnotherapist, heart-healing practitioner, and Parkinson's wellness specialist. Raised by her father and his lifelong partner after losing her mother to cancer at age six, Melissa brings the unique perspective of someone who grew up in a loving gay household during the 1970s and 80s. Today, she helps others heal emotional wounds while sharing her family's story to inspire and support LGBTQ+ families everywhere.

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

Instagram: @pasitivesolutions/

LinkedIn: Melissa Pas Blake https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissablake2/

Website: pasitivesolutions.com

https://pasitivesolutions.com/homecoming/

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🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 

🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

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This week, we're unpacking the history of "lesbian bed death"—where the term came from, why many researchers now reject it, and whether it's time for queer women to reclaim it altogether. We talk about intimacy, consent, long-term relationships, aging, emotional connection, and why comparing queer relationships to heteronormative standards misses the point entirely.

Whether you're in a decades-long partnership or just moved in together, this is one of our most thoughtful (and funniest) Tea Time conversations yet.

Why You'll Love This Episode

This isn't just a conversation about sex—it's a conversation about how queer relationships are often misunderstood. Jaimie and Dianni challenge decades of assumptions, share personal experiences from opposite ends of long-term relationships, and ultimately ask a bigger question: What if we've been measuring intimacy all wrong?

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• The surprising (and problematic) origins of the term "lesbian bed death."
• Why measuring queer relationships through a heteronormative lens misses the point.
• How consent, changing bodies, and life stages naturally affect intimacy.
• Why emotional intimacy often looks different in queer relationships.
• Jaimie's case for reclaiming "lesbian bed death" as something empowering instead of shameful.
• A thoughtful discussion about comparing relationships—and why frequency isn't the same as satisfaction.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)

Dianni is Jaimie’s friend, fellow queer human, and co-host of Tea Time with Jaimie & Dianni, a short-form bonus series featuring casual, unfiltered conversations about their very different queer little lives. Together, they spill the tea on what’s happening behind the scenes, compare notes across generations and life stages, and talk about the things that don’t always make it into a regular episode of The Queer Family Podcast.

Funny, curious, and always ready to ask the follow-up question, Dianni helps turn Tea Time into the kind of conversation that feels like eavesdropping on two friends catching up.

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🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?

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🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Dianni Hall 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 

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🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this special Tea Time episode, Jaimie sits down with her pal Dianni for an honest conversation about what comes next for her family after a year and a half of chemotherapy, surgeries, radiation, targeted treatment, and caregiving.

Jaimie talks about how cancer changed their family, what it was like watching their children navigate the journey, rebuilding intimacy after illness, and the unexpected routines that helped her stay grounded through it all.

It's a quieter, more vulnerable conversation than usual—one about hope, healing, and finding your way forward after surviving something life-changing

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Anne reaches the end of her cancer treatment journey.
• What healing looks like after months of surviving.
• How caregiving changes a marriage.
• Supporting children through a parent's illness.
• Finding routines that provide comfort during difficult seasons.
• Holding onto tenderness after trauma.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)

Dianni is Jaimie’s friend, fellow queer human, and co-host of Tea Time with Jaimie & Dianni, a short-form bonus series featuring casual, unfiltered conversations about their very different queer little lives. Together, they spill the tea on what’s happening behind the scenes, compare notes across generations and life stages, and talk about the things that don’t always make it into a regular episode of The Queer Family Podcast.

Funny, curious, and always ready to ask the follow-up question, Dianni helps turn Tea Time into the kind of conversation that feels like eavesdropping on two friends catching up.

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🎧 Loved this episode?

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🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?

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🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 

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🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

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In this special preview of Tea Time with Jaimie & Dianni, Jaimie is spilling the tea on podcast guest pet peeves, the secret ways she can tell whether someone pitching themselves for the show has actually listened, and what happens when people come on with an agenda of their own.

Yes, there are secret tests. Yes, Jaimie knows when you’ve only watched a few social clips. And yes… she has feelings. 😬

This is just a preview. Listen to the full episode—and binge more short, fun, unfiltered Tea Time with Jaimie & Dianni episodes—on the exclusive subscriber feed or Patreon.

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This week, the tea is hot. ☕️

Jaimie and Dianni are pulling back the curtain on what really happens behind the scenes of The Queer Family Podcast—from the secret ways Jaimie can tell whether a potential guest has actually listened to the show to people who come on just to push their wares, and one particularly frustrating mansplaining interview.

Jaimie opens up about what it takes to produce the show, why she feels so protective of her audience, and what happens when a guest confidently pushes back with information she knows isn’t right.

Plus: the very specific question hiding in Jaimie’s guest questionnaire that tells her almost everything she needs to know. 👀

Short, messy, unfiltered, and a little feisty. Just how Tea Time should be.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Jaimie has a few sneaky ways of figuring out whether potential guests have actually listened to The Queer Family Podcast.
• A great pitch doesn’t always mean someone understands the show—or the assignment.
• Behind every episode is a lot of time, care, research, and money, which makes it especially frustrating when guests show up unprepared.
• Jaimie shares what happens when a guest confidently pushes back with information she knows isn’t right.
• Protecting the audience sometimes means challenging misinformation, even when it creates an uncomfortable moment.
• The heart of The Queer Family Podcast will always be everyday LGBTQIA+ families sharing stories that deserve to be heard.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)

Dianni is Jaimie’s friend, fellow queer human, and co-host of Tea Time with Jaimie & Dianni, a short-form bonus series featuring casual, unfiltered conversations about their very different queer little lives. Together, they spill the tea on what’s happening behind the scenes, compare notes across generations and life stages, and talk about the things that don’t always make it into a regular episode of The Queer Family Podcast.

Funny, curious, and always ready to ask the follow-up question, Dianni helps turn Tea Time into the kind of conversation that feels like eavesdropping on two friends catching up.

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🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

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In this moving conversation, they share how they fell in love in college while Marilyn was in a relationship with a man, why they spent years hiding their relationship, and how military policies, religion, fear, and the threat of losing their children shaped every decision they made.

Despite every obstacle, they quietly built a family together, raised two daughters, became grandparents, and eventually found the courage to tell the world the truth about their love.

This episode is a powerful reminder that Pride exists because generations before us fought simply to love openly. Wilma and Marilyn's story is one of resilience, sacrifice, family, and a love that never let go.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Love can survive extraordinary circumstances when rooted in commitment.
• LGBTQ elders paved the way for the freedoms many queer families experience today.
• Family building doesn't always follow traditional paths.
• Living authentically sometimes takes decades—and that's okay.
• Protecting children often meant remaining closeted for older generations.
• Representation matters at every age.
• Pride is both a celebration and a remembrance of those who couldn't safely live out loud.
• 
  

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s) Wilma and Marilyn, known online as @therainbowaunties_, are authors, content creators, grandparents, and longtime advocates for LGBTQ visibility. Together for more than forty years, they share stories about love, aging, family, and queer history with warmth, humor, and honesty. Through their social media and their memoir, From Pain to Love: Our Journey Outside the Rainbow, they remind people of every generation that it's never too late to live authentically.

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsors

California Cryobank Use code QUEERFAM26 for a free level 3 subscription to their donor catalogue!

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🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 

🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Calypso shares how one embryo became one pregnancy, the health challenges that changed their plans, and the lessons they learned about resilience, trust, and queer family building along the way.

It's a hopeful, honest conversation about what it takes to create a family—and why sometimes the path that unfolds isn't the one you originally planned.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Family building rarely goes according to plan—but that doesn't mean it won't work out.
• Queer people often rely on community, shared stories, and online creators as our version of "the birds and the bees."
• Fertility journeys can uncover important health information that impacts far more than family building.
• Choosing a donor is deeply personal, and there is no one right way to do it.
• Known donors, anonymous donors, and everything in between can be beautiful paths to parenthood.
• IVF involves far more waiting, uncertainty, and emotional ups and downs than most people realize.
• Sometimes the hardest part of family building is adapting when the original plan changes.
• Being in a queer relationship can create opportunities for flexibility and choice that don't always exist in heterosexual fertility journeys.
• One embryo really can be enough.
• Sharing our stories helps the next family feel a little less alone.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)

Calypso Barnum-Bobb is a queer creator, storyteller, and founder of Mother Calypso, a platform documenting her and her wife Nat's journey to parenthood. Through honest and heartfelt content, she shares the realities of queer family building, fertility treatment, donor conception, and the emotional highs and lows that come with creating a family.

Based in London, Calypso is also the co-founder of People Like Us Retreats, which creates transformative retreat experiences for queer women, trans, and non-binary people around the world. Her work centers on visibility, community, and helping LGBTQIA+ people feel less alone in their journeys.

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsors

California Cryobank Use code QUEERFAM26 for a free level 3 subscription to their donor catalogue!

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

• https://www.instagram.com/mothercalypso/
• https://www.wearepeoplelikeus.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/peoplelikeusretreats/
• https://www.youtube.com/@mothercalypso

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🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?

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🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 

🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Raised in conservative Mormon families, both men spent years trying to reconcile their faith with their sexuality. In this episode, they share how they met while still closeted, fell in love while trying to "find wives," navigated coming out, left the LDS church, and eventually built their family through surrogacy.

They also open up about pregnancy loss, the emotional realities of family building, and the unforgettable moment they learned they weren't having one baby—or even two—but triplets.

It's a beautiful conversation about faith, love, resilience, and creating the family you once thought was impossible.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Growing up Mormon and realizing they were gay
• Meeting on Grindr while trying to "find wives"
• The pressure of faith, repentance, and belonging
• Coming out to their families
• Leaving the LDS church together
• Building careers with family as the goal
• Choosing an egg donor and creating embryos
• Pregnancy loss and the emotional toll of surrogacy
• The shocking ultrasound that revealed triplets
• Raising triplets as gay dads
• How they talk to their children about surrogacy and donor conception
• Breaking cycles of shame and creating a different future for their kids

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)

Jake and Sean are Utah-based dads to triplets, former Mormons, real estate professionals, and LGBTQ+ family advocates. Through their social media platform, @daddiestothree, they share the joys, challenges, and everyday realities of raising triplets while helping normalize queer families for millions of viewers. Their story of faith, love, surrogacy, and parenthood has inspired families around the world..

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsors

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🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com

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🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?

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🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 

🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this candid conversation, Jaimie sits down with returning guest and friend José Rolón (NYC Gay Dad) to talk about parenting preteens and teenagers as LGBTQ+ parents. From puberty and emotional regulation to first crushes, social media, and navigating the outside world's assumptions about queer families, this episode explores what changes—and what stays the same—as our kids get older.

Jaimie and José share honest stories about raising confident kids, keeping communication open during the middle school years, helping children navigate questions about their families, and finding humor in the chaos of parenting adolescents. They also discuss what it's like when your family exists in the public eye and how to empower kids to feel proud of who they are and where they come from.

Because it turns out building the family was only the beginning.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Why puberty can feel like a return to your child's toddler years.
• How queer parents can keep communication open as kids become more independent.
• Helping children navigate questions and assumptions about LGBTQ+ families.
• What happens when your family's story exists publicly online.
• Why humor can be one of the most powerful parenting tools.
• Raising confident kids who are proud of their families.
• The challenge of balancing protection and independence during the tween and teen years.
• José's surprisingly satisfying take on raising a straight son as a gay dad.
• Why connection often happens during activities—not formal sit-down conversations.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)

José Rolón is the creator of NYC Gay Dad, an author, advocate, and one of the most recognizable voices in LGBTQ+ parenting. As a father of three teenagers, José has spent years sharing the realities of queer family life, fatherhood, and raising confident, compassionate children. He is also Jaimie's co-host on Love, Take Two, the podcast celebrating life's second acts and proving that sometimes the sequel really is better than the original.

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsors

California Cryobank Use code QUEERFAM26 for a free level 3 subscription to their donor catalogue!

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

• Love, Take Two
• 
  

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🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?

Drop a comment, DM us, or email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com—we love hearing your stories!

🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 

🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Drawing from decades of experience in reproductive medicine, Lisa shares what research reveals about communication openness, why honesty with donor-conceived children matters so deeply, and how LGBTQ+ families have helped shape the conversation around intentional parenting.

The conversation explores internalized homophobia, non-biological parenting, genetics, identity, and the fears many queer parents quietly carry. It is an affirming and thoughtful discussion about trust, openness, and the many valid ways families are created.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Why communication openness matters more than donor openness
• The importance of talking to donor-conceived children early and often
• How queer families helped shape donor conception research
• Internalized homophobia and the pressure queer parents put on themselves
• Why there is no “right” way to build a family
• The emotional differences between queer and non-queer family building journeys
• How intentionality impacts LGBTQ+ parenting
• Why honesty builds trust in donor-conceived families

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)

Lisa Schuman is a therapist, author, adoption and donor conception expert, and the founder of the Center for Family Building. She is the co-author of Building Your Family: The Complete Guide to Donor Conception and host of the podcast Building Your Family with Lisa Schuman. Lisa has spent decades helping individuals and couples navigate infertility, donor conception, adoption, and the emotional complexities of family building.

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsors

California Cryobank Use code QUEERFAM26 for a free level 3 subscription to their donor catalogue!

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

• Lisa’s website: The Center For Family Building
• https://familybuilding.net/

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🎧 Loved this episode?

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🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?

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🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 

🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

They also discuss:

• LGBTQIA+ family building
• Donor conception
• Non-biological parenting
• Infertility in queer families
• The emotional realities of donor conception
• Bonding with children as a non-bio parent
• Queer parenting and intentionality
• Talking to kids about donor conception
• Humor and normalization in queer households
• The current political climate for LGBTQIA+ families
• Trans rights and queer community solidarity
• Second-parent adoption and legal protections

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Queer families are some of the most intentional families out there.
• The emotional realities of non-bio parenting deserve to be talked about openly and without shame.
• Infertility can impact queer families too — and it can feel incredibly isolating without representation.
• Biological connection does not define the strength of a parent-child bond.
• Bonding with a child is not always instant, even for biological parents.
• Humor can be a powerful tool for normalizing donor conception and queer family structures for kids.
• Representation and storytelling matter deeply for LGBTQIA+ people navigating family building.
• Today’s political climate is creating real fear for many LGBTQIA+ families, especially trans and nonbinary people.
• Legal protections like second-parent adoption remain critically important.
• Pride is not just celebration — it is resilience, visibility, advocacy, and community care.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)

Lisa Schuman is a therapist, author, adoption and donor conception expert, and the founder of the Center for Family Building. She is the co-author of Building Your Family: The Complete Guide to Donor Conception and host of the podcast Building Your Family with Lisa Schuman. Lisa has spent decades helping individuals and couples navigate infertility, donor conception, adoption, and the emotional complexities of family building.

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsors

California Cryobank Use code QUEERFAM26 for a free level 3 subscription to their donor catalogue!

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

• Lisa’s website: The Center For Family Building
• https://familybuilding.net/

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com

🎧 Loved this episode?

Support The Queer Family Podcast on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and help keep these stories alive!

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🔗 redcircle.com/thequeerfamilypodcast/exclusive-content

🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?

Drop a comment, DM us, or email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com—we love hearing your stories!

🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 

🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

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Jake shares why he chose to pause testosterone and create embryos years before meeting Hannah, while Hannah opens up about transitioning while serving in the British Army and believing she’d never experience love or parenthood. Together, they talk about finding each other, navigating surrogacy as a trans couple, becoming parents during the height of the COVID lockdowns, and the powerful realization that biology is only one small piece of what makes a family.

They also discuss:

• trans fertility and preserving options for future parenthood
• why queer families are often forced to have “the big conversations” early
• the emotional realities of non-biological parenthood
• parenting through fear, uncertainty, and a global pandemic
• the importance of representation and telling joyful trans family stories
• their new children’s book, The Silly Frilly Dress

This conversation is funny, emotional, deeply affirming, and a reminder that queer families don’t just exist — we thrive.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Queer family building requires extraordinary intentionality
• Fertility preservation can create future possibilities for trans people
• Non-biological parenthood is every bit as real and powerful
• Surrogates are truly life-changing partners in queer family creation
• The “instant bond” narrative around parenthood can be harmful
• Representation matters — especially joyful trans family representation
• Kids thrive when they’re allowed to express themselves authentically

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)

Jake Graf is a filmmaker, writer, actor, and director based in London. A longtime advocate for trans visibility and LGBTQ+ families, Jake has worked extensively in film and television and is passionate about telling authentic queer stories.

Hannah Graf is a former British Army officer, public speaker, and advocate for trans inclusion. After becoming one of the first openly trans officers in the British Army, Hannah has used her platform to champion visibility, inclusion, and family representation.

Together, Jake and Hannah are parents to two daughters and co-authors of the children’s book The Silly Frilly Dress, a story about self-expression, identity, and allowing kids to be exactly who they are.

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsors

California Cryobank Use code QUEERFAM26 for a free level 3 subscription to their donor catalogue!

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

• Hannah on Instagram
• Jake on Instagram
• Order The Silly Frilly Dress in the US
• Order The Silly Frilly Dress in the UK

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🎧 Loved this episode?

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🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?

Drop a comment, DM us, or email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com—we love hearing your stories!

🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 

🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Vanessa and Jory share how growing up religious shaped their experiences with internalized homophobia and delayed coming out.
• The couple discusses falling in love after meeting in college — despite both initially trying to avoid their attraction to women.
• They open up about coming out to family members, navigating acceptance, and the emotional impact of feeling like they might lose family relationships.
• Vanessa and Jory explain how they built their family through known donor conception and later expanded their family through reciprocal IVF.
• The conversation explores the unique emotional realities of non-bio parenting in queer families, including fears around bonding and identity.
• Vanessa shares the painful assumptions strangers made about her relationship to her son because she is Mexican and her son is white with red hair.
• They discuss how little information and representation existed for LGBTQ+ families when they first started trying to conceive in 2015.
• The episode highlights the intentionality, resilience, and complexity that often comes with queer family building.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)

Vanessa and Jory are the creators behind @modernfamilynextdoor where they share the realities of raising a queer family online with honesty, humor, and heart. Through their content, Vanessa and Jory have become a source of visibility and representation for other LGBTQ+ families navigating similar journeys.

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsors

California Cryobank Use code QUEERFAM26 for a free level 3 subscription to their donor catalogue!

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🎧 Loved this episode?

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🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?

Drop a comment, DM us, or email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com—we love hearing your stories!

🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The couple opens up about meeting as lesbians before both later coming out as trans, deciding who would carry, stopping testosterone to conceive, navigating failed IUIs, finding the right donor, and ultimately becoming pregnant through IVF.

They also discuss trans visibility, redefining masculinity, pregnancy dysphoria, chest feeding, queer travel, and what it means to raise a child in today’s political climate. It’s a deeply honest, funny, and hopeful conversation about intentional parenthood and building a family on your own terms.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Chase and Oliver met as lesbians before both later coming out as trans and eventually beginning their journey to parenthood together.
• The couple shares what it was like for Oliver to stop testosterone in order to conceive and navigate pregnancy as a trans man.
• After multiple failed IUIs with a sperm bank donor, they ultimately conceived through IVF using a different donor.
• The episode explores the emotional complexity of donor selection, queer family building, and the intentionality required to create LGBTQ families.
• Chase and Oliver open up about redefining masculinity, fatherhood, and what being “real dads” means to them.
• They discuss pregnancy dysphoria, reconnecting with the body, and the importance of visible trans parent representation.
• Throughout the conversation, the couple reflects on how queer and trans self-discovery has prepared them to raise a child with empathy, acceptance, and authenticity.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)

Chase and Oliver are trans dads, content creators, and queer travel advocates based in the Chicago area who document LGBTQ-friendly destinations and community spaces through their platform, @explorewithchase. In this episode, they share their journey to parenthood — from transitioning together after first meeting as lesbians, to navigating donor conception, IVF, pregnancy after testosterone, and what it means to redefine fatherhood and masculinity as they prepare to welcome their first child.

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsors

California Cryobank Use code QUEERFAM26 for a free level 3 subscription to their donor catalogue!

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

• @explorewithchase on all social media platforms

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com

🎧 Loved this episode?

Support The Queer Family Podcast on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and help keep these stories alive!

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🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?

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🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 

🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our websit

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dianni is spiraling a little… because she and her girlfriend are talking about moving in together. 😅

In this Tea Time episode, Jaimie and Dianni get real about lesbian U-Hauling, commitment anxiety, ADHD messiness, relationship fears, and what actually happens when your life starts getting more serious.

From clutter fights and “where does this belong?” energy to deeper conversations about intimacy, long-term partnership, and building a life together, this episode is basically queer couples therapy… but funny.

Also: Jaimie accidentally becomes the queer fairy godmother again.

Tea Time with Jaimie & Dianni is our new Patreon bonus series — and for the next two weeks, we’re giving everyone a free taste before these episodes disappear behind the paywall on June 1st.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Why moving in together can feel exciting and terrifying at the same time
• The difference between avoidant attachment and classic lesbian U-Hauling
• ADHD habits, clutter, and the fights couples actually have
• Why relationships aren’t always romance and butterflies
• How partnership becomes teamwork during real life challenges
• The “you done with this?” strategy for cohabitation survival
• Why love often looks like learning each other’s weirdest habits

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🎧 Loved this episode?

Support The Queer Family Podcast on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and help keep these stories alive!

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🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?

Drop a comment, DM us, or email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com—we love hearing your stories!

🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Co-Produced by Jaimie Kelton & Dianni Hall 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 

🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to Tea Time with Jaimie & Dianni — a brand new bonus series from The Queer Family Podcast.

For the next two weeks leading up to the Pride Extravaganza, we’re giving listeners a free taste of the Patreon-exclusive chaos before these episodes disappear behind the paywall on June 1st.

In this first episode, Jaimie gives us a brutally honest recap of the recent gay family cruise she went on. From lesbian vs. gay boy energy to cruise culture, parenting exhaustion, queer community dynamics, and all the chaos in between — nothing is off limits.

This episode is free on the main feed for a limited time before the series moves exclusively to Patreon on June 1st.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Jaimie shares her honest experience attending a gay family cruise.
• The episode explores differences between lesbian and gay male social culture.
• Jaimie reflects on parenting exhaustion versus child-free queer life.
• Dianni and Jaimie discuss queer community spaces and generational differences.

• The new Tea Time series will move exclusively to Patreon after June 1st.

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com

🎧 Loved this episode?

Support The Queer Family Podcast on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and help keep these stories alive!

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🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?

Drop a comment, DM us, or email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com—we love hearing your stories!

🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Co-Produced by Jaimie Kelton & Dianni Hall 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 

🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Zach Wahls—author, advocate, and Iowa State Senator—first made national headlines as a teenager when he spoke out in support of his two moms during a marriage equality hearing. The moment went viral and helped shift the conversation around LGBTQ+ families.

But this conversation goes far beyond that speech.

Zach shares what it was really like growing up with two moms in the Midwest—from navigating homophobia in school to the fear of speaking up, including the moment he stayed silent as a kid and how that experience shaped his path into advocacy.

The conversation also explores the intentionality behind queer family building, how parents can support their kids in finding their own voice (without forcing them into advocacy), and what it means to grow up in a family that’s often politicized.

Now running for U.S. Senate, Zach also speaks to what’s at stake in the current political moment—and why this fight still matters.

This episode is about courage, timing, and finding your voice—when you’re ready.

If this conversation resonates with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it—and don’t forget to follow, rate, and review The Queer Family Podcast to help more families find these stories.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Growing up with two moms wasn’t the hardest part—navigating the world’s reaction was
• The moment Zach didn’t speak up—and how it shaped his future advocacy
• Why intentional parenting is a defining trait in queer families
• How to support kids in advocating for themselves—without forcing them into it
• What’s at stake politically right now for LGBTQ families and beyond
• Why finding your voice is a process—not a requirement

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)

Zach Wahls is an Iowa State Senator, author, and nationally recognized advocate for LGBTQ+ families. Raised by two moms, he first gained national attention for his viral 2011 testimony in support of marriage equality. Today, he continues his advocacy through public service and is currently running for the U.S. Senate.

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

• Website: https://zachwahls.com/

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com

🎧 Loved this episode?

Support The Queer Family Podcast on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and help keep these stories alive!

OR become a paid subscriber through our RedCircle page for bonus episodes and one-time or recurring donations:

🔗 redcircle.com/thequeerfamilypodcast/exclusive-content

🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?

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🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Co-Produced by Jaimie Kelton & Dianni Hall 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 

🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

From an unexpected first pregnancy that challenged how others saw their queerness, to navigating single parenthood, to falling in love with their transmasculine partner and building their second child through reciprocal IVF—this story is complex, resilient, and deeply honest.

We unpack what it means to feel “not queer enough,” the emotional toll of fertility journeys, and how to stay connected to your partner through identity shifts and everything that comes with building a family.

Kaya also shares their decision to use a known donor, how they talk to their kids about their origin stories, and why their family is preparing to leave the U.S. in search of safety and alignment.

This is a conversation about redefining family, reclaiming identity, and choosing your path—even when it doesn’t fit into anyone else’s box.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Identity isn’t always linear—especially within the queer community
• Experiencing both external and internalized gatekeeping around queerness
• Becoming a parent while navigating a major identity shift
• Building a relationship while already parenting a young child
• A partner’s gender transition within the relationship
• Reciprocal IVF (RIVF) with a trans partner and the physical/emotional toll
• Fertility struggles, miscarriage, and the impact on relationships
• Choosing and navigating a known donor relationship
• Raising kids with open, age-appropriate conversations about their origin stories
• Using books and language to normalize queer family building
• The importance of staying connected as a couple during TTC and parenting
• Making the decision to leave the U.S. for safety and alignment as a queer family

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)

Kaya Colin (she/they) is a queer, non-binary therapist, couples coach, and founder of The Relational Compass. With over 15 years of clinical experience, Kaya specializes in helping couples navigate transitions, connection, and communication through a neuroscience-informed, relational approach.

They are a parent of two and bring both professional expertise and lived experience to their work—particularly when it comes to relationships, identity, and family building within the LGBTQ+ community.

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

• Website: https://therelationalcompass.com
• Instagram: @therelationalcompass

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com

🎧 Loved this episode?

Support The Queer Family Podcast on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and help keep these stories alive!

OR become a paid subscriber through our RedCircle page for bonus episodes and one-time or recurring donations:

🔗 redcircle.com/thequeerfamilypodcast/exclusive-content

🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?

Drop a comment, DM us, or email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com—we love hearing your stories!

🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Co-Produced by Jaimie Kelton & Dianni Hall 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 

🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week, we’re talking to Phil and Jonathan—two dads who spent three years in the adoption process before realizing it might not be how they’d build their family.

We get into everything: the waiting, the emotional toll, the near misses, and what it’s like navigating a system that isn’t exactly built for queer families.

And then—everything shifted.

From choosing an egg donor to an unexpected offer from a best friend to become their gestational carrier, their story is a powerful reminder that queer family building rarely follows a straight line.

We also talk about what it really means to intentionally choose parenthood as a queer couple—and how different that process is from the “let’s see what happens” approach many straight couples get to take.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure about your path to parenthood… this episode is for you.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Queer parenthood is never accidental—it’s intentional, emotional, and often nonlinear.
• And sometimes, the path that doesn’t work out is the one that leads you exactly where you were meant to go.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)

Phil is an eight-time published author who writes queer young adult and middle grade fiction, as well as children’s books—including Little Golden Book biographies of icons like Billy Porter, Judy Garland, and Liza Minnelli.

Jonathan is a luxury wedding planner based in New York City, where he works with couples to create intentional, high-end celebrations that reflect who they are.

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

• Phil Stamper (Author)
• Jonathan (Wedding Planner)

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com

🎧 Loved this episode?

Support The Queer Family Podcast on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and help keep these stories alive!

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🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?

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🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Co-Produced by Jaimie Kelton & Dianni Hall 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 

🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We talk about LGBTQ parenting, intentional relationships, and what it means to build a life outside the traditional path—plus the very real questions that come up when you’re part of LGBTQ families thinking about the future.

This is one of those gay podcast stories that is equal parts hilarious, chaotic, and deeply honest.

Biggest Takeaway? When you don’t have a blueprint, you get to build your life on purpose.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Queer parenting starts long before kids—it begins with intentional conversations about the life you want to build
• LGBTQ families often approach relationships differently because there’s no default path to follow
• Coming out isn’t always a clean story—sometimes you get found out and have to figure it out from there
• Internalized shame can take years to unpack, even after you’ve accepted your identity
• Meeting the right partner can completely shift your perspective on marriage and kids
• There are many paths to queer family building—adoption, foster care, donor conception—and none are one-size-fits-all
• Known donors can offer connection and openness, but come with their own complexities
• Not everyone in LGBTQ parenting wants to carry—and that’s valid
• Generational differences are real—Gen Z is approaching queerness and LGBTQ family life with more openness and fluidity
• When you live outside the norm, you’re forced to ask deeper questions—and that can lead to more intentional, aligned lives

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)

Dianni Hall is a queer Latina, podcast producer, and former full-time traveler who spent six years backpacking around the world. She previously hosted the podcast While She’s Away, where she shared stories of solo female and queer travel. She now works behind the scenes on The Queer Family Podcast and Love, Take Two—and is officially stepping out from behind the curtain.

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

• Dianni’s podcast While She’s Away

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com

🎧 Loved this episode?

Support The Queer Family Podcast on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and help keep these stories alive!

OR become a paid subscriber through our RedCircle page for bonus episodes and one-time or recurring donations:

🔗 redcircle.com/thequeerfamilypodcast/exclusive-content

🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?

Drop a comment, DM us, or email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com—we love hearing your stories!

🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Co-produced by Jaimie Kelton & Dianni Hall 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We talk about LGBTQ+ families, donor conception, and parenting in the LGBTQ+ community—plus the real LGBTQ+ family challenges that come with raising kids in today’s political climate.

This is one of those gay podcast stories that holds both the deeply personal and the very real.

Biggest Takeaway? Raise good kids. Stay engaged. Be a Care Bear.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Queer family building is complex—and every path (IVF, donor conception, etc.) comes with real decisions and emotions
• Non-bio parenting doesn’t mean a weaker bond—connection is built through showing up every day
• Talking to kids about their origin story early and honestly makes it feel normal, not scary
• IVF is intense—physically, emotionally, and mentally (and we don’t talk about that enough)
• What’s happening politically right now is not business as usual—and it’s okay to name that
• You don’t need to be a policy expert to understand what’s going on or to care about it
• Staying engaged can look like small, everyday actions—not just big, loud ones
• Community care and showing up for each other matter more than ever
• Raising kind, confident, informed kids is a radical act right now
• We’ve navigated hard things before as queer families—and we know how to keep going

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)

Robin Maril is a law professor, former Human Rights Campaign attorney, and host of A Queer Guide to Saving Democracy. She lives in Portland with her wife and their two kids and has spent her career working on LGBTQ+ rights and policy.

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsors

Be Parent Surrogacy Be Parent oversees the creation of family through surrogacy and IVF, from the very beginning, extending support even well after birth. Mention The Queer Family Podcast to receive $2000 of your treatment! 

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

• Robin’s website: https://queerguidetodemocracy.com/

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com

🎧 Loved this episode?

Support The Queer Family Podcast on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and help keep these stories alive!

OR become a paid subscriber through our RedCircle page for bonus episodes and one-time or recurring donations:

🔗 redcircle.com/thequeerfamilypodcast/exclusive-content

🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?

Drop a comment, DM us, or email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com—we love hearing your stories!

🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When a scheduled guest wasn’t ready to share their story, Jaimie and her wife Anne stepped in for an impromptu, unfiltered check-in on their own lives. Recorded in the middle of family chaos (kids awake past bedtime, dog whining, one shared mic…), this episode is exactly what queer family life actually looks like behind the scenes.

They open up about Anne’s breast cancer journey—from diagnosis in December 2024 through chemo, surgery, radiation, and ongoing targeted treatment—and where things stand now: finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

It’s honest, messy, funny, and full of love—the kind of conversation that reminds you you’re not alone in the hard stuff.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Anne’s cancer journey and what the last year+ has really been like
• “Honey badger” energy vs. what chemo actually does to a body
• What targeted treatment is—and why they’re still in it
• Seeing the light at the end of a very long road
• Marking milestones (even imperfect ones)
• 
  

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsors

Be Parent Surrogacy Be Parent oversees the creation of family through surrogacy and IVF, from the very beginning, extending support even well after birth. Mention The Queer Family Podcast to receive $2000 of your treatment! 

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com

🎧 Loved this episode?

Support The Queer Family Podcast on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and help keep these stories alive!

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🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?

Drop a comment, DM us, or email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com—we love hearing your stories!

🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jameel shares the emotional realities of fostering, the challenges of navigating agencies as a queer couple, and the moment they met their son, Jacob, who would eventually become their forever child. Together, they explore the complexities of trauma-informed parenting, open communication, and raising kids with confidence and self-awareness.

The conversation also dives into how queer parents challenge societal norms, why representation matters, and how intentional parenting can shape the next generation.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Foster care is deeply rewarding—but emotionally complex and unpredictable
• Reunification is always the goal, even when it’s hard for foster parents
• Trauma-informed parenting requires patience, education, and self-reflection
• Kids don’t need secrecy—they need honesty and age-appropriate truth
• Queer families often model intentional parenting in powerful ways
• Representation and conversation help normalize all family structures
• Parenting is less about control—and more about understanding

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s) Jameel Mayers is the host of Fathernetics, a podcast exploring fatherhood through real, honest conversations with dads from all walks of life. Through his platform, he highlights diverse parenting journeys—including adoption, surrogacy, and fostering—while building community and connection among intentional parents.

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsors

Be Parent Surrogacy Be Parent oversees the creation of family through surrogacy and IVF, from the very beginning, extending support even well after birth. Mention The Queer Family Podcast to receive $2000 of your treatment! 

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

• Fathernetics

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com

🎧 Loved this episode?

Support The Queer Family Podcast on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and help keep these stories alive!

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🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?

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🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

They share the emotional and financial realities of IVF, choosing an egg donor, and waiting to be matched with a surrogate, along with the surprising lessons they learned along the way — including letting go of assumptions and expanding what family can look like.

A thoughtful, honest conversation about queer family building, intention, and hope.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• You don’t need to have everything figured out before taking the first step toward parenthood
• Surrogacy is complex, emotional, and often far more expensive than expected
• Approaching family building through a human rights lens can lead to more intentional, ethical decisions
• The process of choosing an egg donor can feel overwhelming and deeply personal
• Matching with a surrogate can take time — and requires patience and trust
• Assumptions about people or places don’t always reflect reality
• Queer family building often expands the meaning of family in beautiful and unexpected ways
• Even when the path feels uncertain, hope and community matter

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s) Daniel Berezowsky is a human rights practitioner, writer, and soon-to-be dad who is documenting his journey to parenthood with his husband through his platform, Two Dads to Be. Originally from Mexico and now living in New York City, Daniel brings a thoughtful, human rights-centered approach to family building — asking not just how to become a parent, but how to do it with care, intention, and respect for everyone involved.

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsors

Be Parent Surrogacy Be Parent oversees the creation of family through surrogacy and IVF, from the very beginning, extending support even well after birth. Mention The Queer Family Podcast to receive $2000 of your treatment! 

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

• Daniel’s Substack: Two Dads to Be → https://twodadstobe.com
• Organization mentioned: Men Having Babies → https://www.menhavingbabies.org https://berezowsky.substack.com/p/danny-and-jaimes-ultimate-surrogacy 
• Egg bank mentioned: Everie Egg Bank

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com

🎧 Loved this episode?

Support The Queer Family Podcast on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and help keep these stories alive!

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🔗 redcircle.com/thequeerfamilypodcast/exclusive-content

🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?

Drop a comment, DM us, or email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com—we love hearing your stories!

🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s a conversation about identity, reinvention, grief, freedom, LGBTQ family experiences, and what it means to finally build a life that feels aligned. TJ shares how the 2016 election marked the beginning of a deep unraveling of the “American dream” he thought he was supposed to want — and how that unraveling eventually led him, his husband, and his daughter Opal to a more peaceful, affirming life abroad.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Sometimes the life that looks “right” from the outside isn’t the life that fits.
• Coming out later in life can be painful, liberating, and deeply clarifying.
• Divorce does not have to mean destruction; it can lead to a different kind of family.
• Queer and trans safety isn’t theoretical — it shapes daily life, choices, and futures.
• The feeling of betrayal many LGBTQ+ people experienced after the 2016 election was real and lasting.
• Finding a place where your family can relax, be seen, and be safe can change everything.
• Reinvention is possible, even after years of living for everyone else.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)

TJ Shimeld is an author, speaker, life coach, and real estate investor currently living in Spain with his husband and daughter. After years of living a life that looked like the “American dream” from the outside, TJ chose a radically different path — one centered on authenticity, healing, and freedom. Today, he helps others navigate transformation, reinvention, and possibility.

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsors

Be Parent Surrogacy Be Parent oversees the creation of family through surrogacy and IVF, from the very beginning, extending support even well after birth. Mention The Queer Family Podcast to receive $2000 of your treatment! 

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com

🎧 Loved this episode?

Support The Queer Family Podcast on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and help keep these stories alive!

OR become a paid subscriber through our RedCircle page for bonus episodes and one-time or recurring donations:

🔗 redcircle.com/thequeerfamilypodcast/exclusive-content

🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?

Drop a comment, DM us, or email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com—we love hearing your stories!

🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Alexander shares how he and his husband chose an egg donor, what surprised them most about the surrogacy process, and why so much of queer family building comes down to preparation, paperwork, and knowing the laws in the right states at the right time. They also get into parentage orders, second-parent adoption, and just how complicated the legal side of having a baby the queer way can be.

It’s a conversation full of practical insight, real-life experience, and a powerful reminder that LGBTQ+ parents are some of the most intentional parents out there.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Surrogacy is often far more complicated than intended parents expect.
• The process is not always linear. Many parts need to happen in parallel.
• Choosing an egg donor can feel overwhelming, but medical history matters most.
• A strong surrogate match can make all the difference.
• Parentage orders are incredibly important for protecting queer families.
• The laws that matter may not just be the laws in your home state.
• A surrogate’s location, travel plans, and delivery state can all affect legal outcomes.
• Surrogacy agreements are highly detailed because they account for nearly every possible scenario.
• LGBTQ+ parents go through enormous effort and intention to build their families.
• Legal guidance is not optional when it comes to surrogacy.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)

Alexander Paykin is a New York-based attorney and founder of Paykin Law. A gay dad through surrogacy, he brings both legal expertise and personal experience to conversations about the complexities of queer family building.

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsors

Be Parent Surrogacy Be Parent oversees the creation of family through surrogacy and IVF, from the very beginning, extending support even well after birth. Mention The Queer Family Podcast to receive $2000 of your treatment! 

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

• Illume Fertility (formerly RMA of Connecticut)The fertility clinic Alexander and his husband used for their egg donor and IVF process.
• Equality for Children / LGBTQ Parent Legal Protections (general concept discussed)While not named as a specific organization in the episode, Alexander and Jaimie discussed legal protections like parentage orders and second-parent adoption, which vary by state. Listeners are encouraged to research the laws in their state and consult a family-building attorney.

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com

🎧 Loved this episode?

Support The Queer Family Podcast on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and help keep these stories alive!

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🔗 redcircle.com/thequeerfamilypodcast/exclusive-content

🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?

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🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We also talk about raising a donor-conceived toddler with openness from day one, why donor conception is a “muscle” you build with practice (and books), and the moment their two-year-old asked a question that proved it was all starting to click: “Were you there?” Plus: PCOS, the IUI-to-IVF pivot, ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), a successful transfer, and what they’re considering as they think about baby #2.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• How a platonic co-parent conversation turned into a relationship — and then a baby plan
• The unique decisions that come up when one partner is trans and family-building involves donor conception
• Robert’s reflections on fertility preservation and “keeping doors open” for other trans folks
• Donor search strategy: face match tools, narrowing choices, and selecting for emotional health
• Why they chose a non–ID disclosure donor — and how they plan to support their child’s autonomy later
• How to talk to kids early (and why it’s not always “organic” at first)
• The “dibling” community question — and what privacy preferences can mean for connection
• PCOS + OHSS + IVF details: egg retrieval numbers, embryo count, and transfer outcome
• Looking ahead: embryos on ice and the hope for a second child

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)

Robert (a trans dad) and Shannon (a cis mom) built their family through donor conception and IVF after years of friendship turned fast-tracked love story. They’re now raising their donor-conceived daughter with openness, intention, and a shared commitment to happiness above all.

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsors

Be Parent Surrogacy Be Parent oversees the creation of family through surrogacy and IVF, from the very beginning, extending support even well after birth. Mention The Queer Family Podcast to receive $2000 of your treatment! 

🏳️‍🌈 Book with GWK's Spring Break Cruise Vacation! Join Jaimie and her family (and other LGBTQIA+ families) on a 3 night cruise in the Bahamas. Be sure to mention that you heard about it here! Click that link ➡️ https://travelbrilliant.net/mbg/gwk-spring-break-2026

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🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

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They also talk about approaching donor conception transparency from day one (including Sarah writing her kids a personalized storybook before they were even born), and how puzzles became an unexpected antidote to doomscrolling during politically heavy times — eventually inspiring Artfelt, a puzzle company that commissions and pays LGBTQ+ and BIPOC artists.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Queer infertility can feel uniquely isolating. Sarah names the specific “outside looking in” feeling—then adds the extra layer of navigating it as a queer couple.
• Sometimes the plan changes completely. When neither Sarah nor Beth could use their own eggs, they adapted—ending up with “double donor” twins.
• Tell the story early, then keep updating it. Sarah shares how she introduced their origin story in toddlerhood and revisited it as her kids matured and could understand more.
• Shame-proofing helps everything else. When donor conception is normalized from the start, it creates a foundation for honest conversations later (hello, puberty, consent, all of it).
• Small rituals can be resistance. A puzzle on the table became a way to reconnect as a family, step away from the news cycle, and create something tangible together.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)

Sarah Julian is the founder of Artfelt Puzzles, a jigsaw puzzle company that commissions and pays LGBTQ+ and BIPOC artists exclusively, combining art, community, and action by putting money directly back into artists’ hands through licensing and revenue share.

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsors

Be Parent Surrogacy Be Parent oversees the creation of family through surrogacy and IVF, from the very beginning, extending support even well after birth. Mention The Queer Family Podcast to receive $2000 of your treatment! 

🏳️‍🌈 Book with GWK's Spring Break Cruise Vacation! Join Jaimie and her family (and other LGBTQIA+ families) on a 3 night cruise in the Bahamas. Be sure to mention that you heard about it here! Click that link ➡️ https://travelbrilliant.net/mbg/gwk-spring-break-2026/

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

• Love, Take Two (with José Rolón / NYC Gay Dad) Subscribe on your favorite podcast app and on YouTube now!
• ArtFelt Puzzles

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🎧 Loved this episode?

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🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?

Drop a comment, DM us, or email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com—we love hearing your stories!

🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Creative projects can be relationship glue. Hilde describes the podcast as a refuge—an art space where family conflict didn’t enter, even during hard parenting seasons.
• Kids can be your best collaborators. Hilde’s children didn’t just listen—they became the “writer’s room,” tracking plot threads, character arcs, and story logic.
• Queer joy + safety can coexist in kids’ media. Hilde talks about balancing being proudly out with creating art that can still reach kids living in conservative homes where “queer” content is policed.
• Representation isn’t always loud. Sometimes queerness that unfolds slowly (and isn’t “on the cover”) is exactly what helps certain kids find themselves safely.
• Family can stay family after divorce. Hilde emphasizes an amicable separation and a “split but still connected” family model that includes her ex as family.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s) Hilde Festering is a children’s writer and storyteller, and the creator of the all-ages “barnyard gothic” podcast The Goat American Novel. Built with an ensemble of family voice actors—including her kids, siblings, ex-husband, girlfriend, and more—the project became both an epic storytelling experiment and a creative family tradition that supported connection through major transitions.

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsors

Be Parent Surrogacy Be Parent oversees the creation of family through surrogacy and IVF, from the very beginning, extending support even well after birth. Mention The Queer Family Podcast to receive $2000 of your treatment! 

🏳️‍🌈 Book with GWK's Spring Break Cruise Vacation! Join Jaimie and her family (and other LGBTQIA+ families) on a 3 night cruise in the Bahamas. Be sure to mention that you heard about it here! Click that link ➡️ https://travelbrilliant.net/mbg/gwk-spring-break-2026/

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

• Love, Take Two (with José Rolón / NYC Gay Dad) Subscribe on your favorite podcast app and on YouTube now!
• Podcast: The Goat American Novel 
• Medium: Hilde Festerling 

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🎧 Loved this episode?

Support The Queer Family Podcast on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and help keep these stories alive!

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🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?

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🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lex knew she wanted to be a mom from the jump—and at 22, she got pregnant (the gay way) right after college… with sperm her parents literally bought as a graduation gift. From there, the story only gets bigger: twins, more pregnancies, co-parenting across households, a queer Brady Bunch era, and hard-earned reflections on what helps queer relationships survive the parenting years.

Also: Jaimie forgets to hit record (again), records with a sick kid at home (again), and we all learn why favorite animals are somehow always in donor profiles… but braces aren’t.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Lex’s “elevator pitch”: 7 kids, ages 8–23, “made in all sorts of lesbian ways”
• Coming out at 15 and never being “in the closet”
• The grief of not being able to “mix genes” with a partner
• Getting pregnant at 22 (with twins!) right after college
• Choosing a donor in the “primitive sperm bank era” (no adult photos, no audio, limited info)
• Donor selection logic: “No economics majors” + vote-by-friends method
• The reality of IUI timing with frozen sperm + why monitoring/trigger shots can matter
• Selling leftover vials… then scrambling to get one vial back for a partner pregnancy
• Miscarriage + ectopic pregnancy + emergency surgery and the emotional fallout
• IVF in Massachusetts and how coverage can change the equation
• Blending a family: “queer Brady Bunch… without Alice”
• Lex’s take on lesbian divorce rates, division of labor, identity as “mom,” and protecting the relationship during parenting

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsors

Be Parent Surrogacy Be Parent oversees the creation of family through surrogacy and IVF, from the very beginning, extending support even well after birth. Mention The Queer Family Podcast to receive $2000 of your treatment!

🏳️‍🌈 Book with GWK's Spring Break Cruise Vacation! Join Jaimie and her family (and other LGBTQIA+ families) on a 3 night cruise in the Bahamas. Be sure to mention that you heard about it here! Click that link ➡️ https://travelbrilliant.net/mbg/gwk-spring-break-2026/

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

• Love, Take Two (with José Rolón / NYC Gay Dad) Subscribe on your favorite podcast app and on YouTube now!
• Lex’s family documentary (award-winning) Password: foxes

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com

🎧 Loved this episode?

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🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?

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🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book ]

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here.

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when two podcast hosts try to record an announcement without supervision… this is it.

💖 About Love, Take Two

Love, Take Two is a conversation-driven podcast about second acts, fresh starts, and the unexpected turns that lead us exactly where we’re meant to be.

From breakups to breakthroughs.

From setbacks to comebacks.

From “this didn’t go how I planned” to “this is better than I imagined.”

There’s a comma in the title on purpose — Love, take two — like a love letter from your present self to your past self, reminding you that it gets better.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Why Love, Take Two exists — and why now
• Building a podcast in studio (and learning as we go)
• Why we decided to just do the thing instead of waiting for “perfect”
• Scrapping episodes, re-recording intros, and trusting the process
• The creative magic (and danger 😅) of two hosts who work the same way
• Why second acts aren’t failures — they’re evolutions

• How this show is a breath of fresh air in heavy times

🏳️‍🌈 Guests Featured in Season One of Love, Take Two

Season One is stacked with artists, creatives, and cultural icons who’ve lived their own “take two” moments, including:

• Dominique Jackson 
• Dana golderg
• Lena Hall 
• Drew Droege 
• Jeremy Crittendon
• Jesus Martinez 
• Jonathan Greg
• Sophie B hawkins
• Alexis Bittar
• Morena Baccarin
• Lamar Dawson 

…and more.

💬 Final Note

This episode is messy. It’s heartfelt. It’s very on-brand for two people building something new in real time. If you’ve ever questioned whether it’s “too late” to start over — this show (and this bonus ep) is for you.

Love,

Take Two 💖

🎧 Loved this episode? Support The Queer Family Podcast on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and help keep these stories alive!

OR become a paid subscriber through our RedCircle page for bonus episodes and one-time or recurring donations:🔗 redcircle.com/thequeerfamilypodcast/exclusive-content

🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you? Drop a comment, DM us, or email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com—we love hearing your stories!

🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect! Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jaimie Kelton 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

ARCHIVED EPISODE:

Marie Newman isn’t just an advocate—she’s a fighter. As a former Congresswoman from Illinois, she took on big fights for LGBTQ+ rights, healthcare equity, gun reform, and more. But her mission became personal when her daughter came out as transgender, propelling her even deeper into the fight for equality. In this episode, Marie shares her unexpected path to Congress, the struggles of passing meaningful legislation, and why she refuses to back down—even as anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric ramps up across the U.S. and beyond. She also opens up about her family’s journey, the reality of raising a trans child in today’s political climate, and what we can all do to push back against the attacks on our rights. 🔥 Nobody is coming to save us—we have to be the ones to step up. 🔥 🏳️‍🌈

⁠🏳️‍🌈 Loved this episode? Support The Queer Family Podcast on Patreon for exclusive bonus content & help keep these stories alive!

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways 🏳️‍🌈

✔️ How Marie’s fight for LGBTQ+ rights began—and why she made it her mission

]✔️ Her journey to Congress & the challenges of passing real change ✔️ Raising a trans child & navigating the medical & legal system

✔️ The dangerous rollback of trans rights & DEI policies

✔️ How to get involved and push back against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation

🏳️‍🌈About The Guest(s)🏳️‍🌈 Marie Newman is a former U.S. Congresswoman from Illinois who built a career fighting for marginalized communities. Before politics, she worked in marketing, anti-bullying activism, and women’s rights advocacy. She’s also the author of A Life Made From Scratch, a powerful memoir about her journey. As the mother of a trans daughter, Marie has dedicated her career to creating a more inclusive world. 📖 Preorder her book, "A Life Made From Scratch," here

🏳️‍🌈🎧 Loved this episode? Leave a review & support The Queer Family Podcast on Patreon for exclusive bonus content!

🏳️‍🌈 💬 What resonated most with you? Drop a comment, DM us, or email at thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com—we love hearing your stories!

🏳️‍🌈 📲 Let’s Connect! Follow us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈🎥 Watch & Listen: 📺 Watch full video episodes on YouTube

📖 Order the #ITOCT book on Amazon, IndieBound, or Audible

🎶 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🎵 Theme song by: Tiffany Topol 🎨 Logo art by: Daneen Stevenato 🛍️

🏳️‍🌈Put your activism into action 🗳️ Vote, donate, and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights 📢 Call your representatives—let them know we won’t stand for discrimination 💡 Educate yourself & others on policies affecting our community History is watching. What we do now matters. The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. While we chat with amazing organizations, The Queer Family Podcast isn’t responsible for any decisions or actions taken by listeners based on the content of the show. Always consult with a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Shawndeez's journey of self-discovery highlights the complexities of growing up queer and trans in a conservative environment and the subsequent path to embracing their true identity.
• The decision to pursue reciprocal IVF, where Shawndeez provided the egg and their partner carried the pregnancy, underlines the diverse ways queer families can come about.
• Shawndeez emphasizes the importance of having supportive medical professionals and a spiritually-driven mindset during their transition and fertility process.
• Discussions about the emotional work that comes with navigating a trans child's experience, particularly for cisgender and heterosexual parents, underscore the need for understanding and open communication within families.
• Shawndeez's current work focuses on helping parents of trans children embrace and understand their child's identity, advocating for compassion and unconditional love.

🏳️‍🌈 About the Guest(s)🏳️‍🌈

With a PhD in Gender Studies from UCLA, Shawndeez is not only thoroughly literate in topics surrounding gender and sexuality but also applies this knowledge to real-world contexts. As a trans-parent who has navigated personal and social transformations, Shawndeez now dedicates a significant portion of their work to supporting parents of trans children, helping to bridge gaps in understanding and fostering love and acceptance within families.

If you loved this conversation, share it with someone who needs it — especially a parent, grandparent, or loved one who’s trying to learn how to better support the trans young person in their life. And if you want to support the show, check out the Patreon: patreon.com/thequeerfamilypodcast.

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsors!

🏳️‍🌈 Book with GWK's Spring Break Cruise Vacation! Join Jaimie and her family (and other LGBTQIA+ families) on a 3 night cruise in the Bahamas. Be sure to mention that you heard about it here! Click that link ➡️ https://travelbrilliant.net/mbg/gwk-spring-break-2026/

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

• Queer midwife Marea Goodman's virtual community: Pregnant Together
• Shawndeez on Instagram- @drshawndeez
• Shawndeez’s website: https://www.shawndeez.com/

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com

🎧 Loved this episode?

Support The Queer Family Podcast on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and help keep these stories alive!

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🔗 redcircle.com/thequeerfamilypodcast/exclusive-content

🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?

Drop a comment, DM us, or email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com—we love hearing your stories!

🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!

Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

At eight months pregnant, Ranae von Meding learned a shocking truth: after the birth of her child, her wife Audrey would not be legally recognized as a parent under Irish law—even though they were married, and even though Audrey is the genetic parent.

In this archival episode (recorded in 2020), Ranae shares how she and Audrey built their family through reciprocal IVF abroad, the exhausting workarounds required when care isn’t fully accessible at home, and why Irish law has left many LGBTQ+ families in precarious legal territory. She also explains what it looks like to fight back—through advocacy, organizing, and Equality for Children, a campaign centered on one core message: this is about children’s rights.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Marriage equality doesn’t automatically mean parental equality. In Ireland, being legally married doesn’t guarantee both parents are recognized when it comes to children.
• In many cases, the birth parent is the only legal parent. Even when the non-birth parent is genetically related (using their eggs), they may still have zero legal status.
• Reciprocal IVF wasn’t accessible in Ireland at the time. Ranae and Audrey had to travel abroad (Spain and Portugal), navigate complex logistics, and coordinate care at home without local fertility support.
• New legislation was coming—but only for a narrow group. The criteria described would exclude many families, including Ranae’s.
• Their legal action aims to amend their children’s birth certificates. The case isn’t about money—it’s about recognition and rights.
• A court win could create momentum and pressure. Even if it doesn’t instantly change the law for everyone, it could force the government to respond faster and set a path others can follow.
• Equality for Children became a real movement—fast. Within 24 hours of a community “call to action,” the group had a name, a website, branding support, and a public launch strategy.
• This advocacy is powered by parenting. Ranae describes the specific kind of relentless strength that shows up when the stakes are your kids.

🏳️‍🌈 About the Guest(s)🏳️‍🌈

• Robin Hopkins — original co-host of If These Ovaries Could Talk and interviewer for this episode.
• Ranae (Renee) von Meding is a Dublin-based writer, blogger, and LGBTQ+ family advocate. She and her wife Audrey are raising their children and are the founders/organizers behind Equality for Children, a campaign pushing for full legal recognition and protections for children of LGBTQ+ parents in Ireland.

🗂️ Archival Note

This episode was originally released under the show’s former name. Audio quality, sponsor ads, and cultural context reflect the time in which it was recorded.

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🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

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Family Equality

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