In The Den with Mama Dragons

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The outcome of the recent presidential election has left many of us reeling and feeling concern for our LGBTQ+ community, especially for our queer children. Many of us in the Mama Dragons community are already feeling the impact as our children share with us their fears and real-life interactions at school, work, and in the community. So, what can we do? This week In the Den, Sara meets with Allen Morris from The National LGBTQ Task Force to talk about actions we can take right now to protect our children and their futures.

Special Guest: Allen Morris 

Allen (he/his/gladiator) was born and raised in Beaumont, TX. Graduate of Regent University School of Law (M.A.) and Grand Canyon University (B.S.), Allen is a Policy and Government Affairs gladiator with over a decade of broad-based public policy, immigration, criminal, and human rights experience across the legal, corporate, government, and non-profit sectors.

Allen’s primary goal is collaborating with leaders to implement substantive change to ensure legislation that serves all in need of protection and permanent solutions is achieved. Allen brings an upbeat, positive perspective into the role of being a fearless advocate for directly impacted and historically marginalized people who are often silenced and pushed to the side. In his free time, he likes to watch space/NASA documentaries, The Golden Girls, and cuddling on the couch with his fur son.

Links from the Show:

• The Task Force Action Fund: https://www.thetaskforceactionfund.org/ 
• Find Allen here: https://www.thetaskforce.org/people/allen-morris/ 
• The Task Force History: https://www.thetaskforce.org/about/history/ 
• Support the Task Force: https://www.thetaskforceactionfund.org/take-action/support-us/ 
• Get Involved with the Task Force here: https://www.thetaskforce.org/get-involved/ 
• Join Mama Dragons here: www.mamadragons.org 

In the Den is made possible by generous donors like you. Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today at www.mamadragons.org. 

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In the Den with Mama Dragons is entering a new era! After almost two years, our original host Jen is passing the hosting microphone on to another amazing Mama Dragon who will take the lead. Our new host is Sara LaWall. Sara has guest-hosted several episodes in the past and should be familiar to regular listeners. Today, Jen sits down with Sara to visit, so that we can all get to know our new host just a little bit better. 

Special Guest: Sara LaWall

Sara serves as the Minister for the Boise Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, in Boise, Idaho, where she weaves her calling for social justice and collective liberation into her ministry advocating for queer rights and other issues connected to her faith and her heart. She holds a MDiv from Meadville-Lombard Theological School (Chicago, IL), a M.A.Ed. from Pepperdine University (Los Angeles, CA), and a B.F.A in Theatre Arts from the University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ).  She serves on the boards of The Pro-Voice Project and the Idaho Coalition for Safe Healthcare. She is the proud parent of a 19 year old daughter (who is her dragon, having come out as trans in 2020), and a 15 year old son and married to an amazing husband, partner, and champion. When asking her family’s help to write this bio (because they can be a little dry) her kids said, “She is a great mother and amazing preacher that stands up for others when they can’t stand up for themselves. She taught us to never be afraid to be who you are and say what you truly believe.” She is grateful (and a bit surprised) they have actually been listening.

Links from the Show:

• Join Mama Dragons today: www.mamadragons.org 
• Find Mama Dragons on FB:  https://www.facebook.com/mamadragons 
• Mama Dragons on IG: https://www.instagram.com/themamadragons/ 

In the Den is made possible by generous donors like you. Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today at www.mamadragons.org. 

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Words with Friends episodes are bonus episodes where different members of Mama Dragons provide definitions for LGBTQ related topics. This episode includes the following definitions:

Gender Binary shared by Jess in North Carolina

Gender Expansive shared by Julie in Snohomish, Washington

Gender Expression shared by Marie, formerly in Texas

Gender Queer  shared by Kate in Melbourne, Australia 

In the Den is made possible by generous donors like you.

Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today at mamadragons.org. 

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Note: This episode is a replay of a past episode (E44) that felt timely as the holidays approach again. 

We asked members of our group to share some of the most hurtful things that had been said to them or their LGBTQ children, even if the speaker’s intentions were good.  The response was absolutely overwhelming. Some of the reported comments would be considered microaggressions and some were intentionally cruel. Just in time for all of the upcoming holiday gatherings, Jen brings back therapist Lisa Tensmeyer Hansen to talk through some common categories of microaggressions and possible ways to respond. 

Special Guest: Lisa Tensmeyer Hansen

Lisa Tensmeyer Hansen is the clinical director and founder of Flourish Therapy, Inc., (Flourish), a behavioral health clinic in Provo, Utah, which she founded in 2017. Lisa received a B.S. from BYU in 1990 as valedictorian, an M.S. in 2012 and Ph.D. in 2017, both at BYU, focusing on improving the mental health of LGBTQ+ people in conservative families/communities. She lives with her husband in Payson, Utah, where together they made a home for 7 children (and a few extras) and now have 18 grandchildren.

Links from the Show:

• Flourish Therapy: https://flourishtherapy.org/
• Join Mama Dragons today at www.mamadragons.org  

In the Den is made possible by generous donors like you. Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today at www.mamadragons.org.

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Art has such power to transform the way we see the world and to show us new perspectives, ideas, and values.  Art can also be an invitation to beauty and joy, which is something we all need more of in our lives and the world, especially in these times. This week In the Den, guest host Sara LaWall talks with special guest Rae Senarighi, also known as the Transpainter, about his experiences as a non-binary artist. They discuss his drive to create art that highlights and celebrates the lives and power of trans people, and his passion for bringing self-acceptance and love to the world. 

Special Guest: Rae Senarighi

Rae Senarighi/Transpainter (he/him) is your average non-binary cancer survivor inspiring self-compassion, activism, and gender resilience via unapologetic portraiture of vibrant transgender and non-binary power. Rae is on a mission to spread self-acceptance and love, evident in his portraiture, typography, and speaking engagements. As the creator of the “You Are Loved” campaign, Rae’s message of compassion has found a home on billboards in thousands of locations across the U.S. and Canada and includes flags and merch across the world. His partnerships with Schwinn, Nike and the Portland Trailblazers, GLAAD, and Netflix create trans visibility in diverse arenas.

Links from the Show:

• Rae’s website: https://transpainter.com/ 
• Rae on IG: Rae Senarighi | Artist (@transpainter) 
• Buy Rae’s merch here:  https://shop.transpainter.com/ 
• Join Mama Dragons today: www.mamadragons.org 

In the Den is made possible by generous donors like you. Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today at www.mamadragons.org. 

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There are similarities and differences between all of our individual stories. We come from diverse religious backgrounds, political parties, family dynamics, and geographic areas. Each of us started at different levels of acceptance, but we all relate to the desire of wanting to protect our children over our own biases.  A few times a year, we will be sharing a Mama Dragon’s story. Today, Jen visits with Mama Dragon Britt Celusta In the Den. 

Special Guest: Britt Celusta

Britt (they/them) currently lives in Boise, ID, with their husband and three kids. Britt works in a daycare part time. In their spare time, they enjoy being with their kids, building miniatures, baking, and playing video games. Britt’s middle child, Ellie, is their baby dragon. Ellie is 11 years old, gender fluid, and has identified as gender nonconforming since they were 7. 

Links from the Show:

• Join Mama Dragons today at www.mamadragons.org 
• Mama Dragons on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mamadragons 
• Mama Dragons on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themamadragons/ 

In the Den is made possible by generous donors like you. Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today at www.mamadragons.org.  

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We have introduced several LGBTQ+ people on this podcast in the past.  Our hope is to better understand the unique and individual lives of people who are not always represented.  We also hope to remind our listeners that there is a world of possibility that exists for our kids–the same possibilities as any of our straight and cis kids. This week In the Den, Jen explores some of those ideas with nonbinary journalist Nico Lang as they share their unique life experiences as a reporter covering the fight for equality.

Special Guest: Nico Lang

Nico Lang is a journalist, editor, culture critic, and essayist. Lang is the founder of Queer News Daily and has previously worked as the deputy editor of Out magazine, an LGBTQ+ correspondent for VICE, the news editor at Them, and a contributing editor at Xtra magazine. Their work has been published in Rolling Stone, Esquire, The Daily Beast, HuffPost, and BuzzFeed News, among others. Lang was named the 2023 Online Journalist of the Year by the Los Angeles Press Club Association and is the recipient of 10 awards from the National Association of LGBTQ+ Journalist, a GLAAD Award, and the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund’s inaugural Visibility Award.

Links from the Show:

• Neco's book:  https://bookshop.org/p/books/american-teenager-how-trans-kids-are-surviving-hate-and-finding-joy-in-a-turbulent-era-nico-lang/21003245?ean=9781419773822&next=t
• Neco on IG: https://www.instagram.com/queernewsdaily/?hl=en 
• Neco’s latest articles: https://www.them.us/contributor/nico-lang
• Neco on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nico-lang-03608567?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F 
• Neco’s articles on the Daily Beast: https://www.thedailybeast.com/author/nico-lang 
• Join Mama Dragons today: www.mamadragons.org

In the Den is made possible by generous donors like you. Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today at www.mamadragons.org.  

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As Mama Dragons, we often find ourselves in places where we have the opportunity to stand up and advocate for our queer children. Today In the Den, Jen sits down with fierce Mama Dragon Debbie Thomas to talk about her experiences of mothering two LGBTQ+ children, and how she learned to advocate for her child in a big way–all the way to the Supreme Court.

Special Guest: Debbie Thomas

Debbie Thomas is retired after a career working with the public providing assistance through the State of Wyoming and under the Centers of Medicare Services. She is a Mama Dragon living in Central Wyoming and, like many of us, is just struggling to survive in a conservative state.  She was raised in a high demand religion and has 3 grown sons.  Her oldest two sons are part of the LGBTQ+ community. Her oldest son faced discrimination and was refused services from a bakery in Colorado based on who he loved, which ultimately led to the famous Supreme Court case of Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. 

Links from the Show: 

• Information on the Masterpiece Cake case: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/17pdf/16-111_j4el.pdf 
• More on the Supreme Court case: https://www.oyez.org/cases/2017/16-111 
• Join Mama Dragons today: www.mamadragons.org

In the Den is made possible by generous donors like you. Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today at www.mamadragons.org.  

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As states across the nation continue to target transgender children, some families flee for safety and refuge.  Some families choose to be as invisible as possible for their safety, and we support and celebrate that.  But other families are choosing to plant their feet and fight back. Today’s In the Den guest is a mom from Texas who fought back when the state investigated her and her husband for child abuse for nothing more than supporting their trans child. 

Special Guest: Amber Briggle

Amber Briggle (she/they) is a self-described “mama bear” of a transgender teen in Texas. Amber and her family were investigated by the Texas Department of Family Protective Services for “child abuse” in 2022 after TX Governor Greg Abbott directed the agency to open such cases against families like theirs. Consequently, Amber and her husband, Adam, sued Governor Abbott and are named as co-plaintiffs in PFLAG v Abbott, which seeks to permanently halt these types of investigations.

Amber is a founding member and the former national co-chair of the Human Rights Campaign’s “Parents for Transgender Equality Council”, and has previously been nominated by the Dallas Morning News as “Texan of the Year”. Along with her family, Amber starred in a nationwide PSA about trans-inclusive families that won a Telly Award and garnered over 300 million views, which she debuted onstage at the GLAAD Media Awards in Hollywood.

Amber has written for the Washington Post, Daily Beast, and TIME Magazine, and has been featured in numerous outlets, including Nightline, NHK-Japan, MSNBC, Newsweek, Teen Vogue, The 19th, and People Magazine. She and her family star in Love to the Max, a documentary acquired by the New Yorker, which was released June 2024. Mostly, though, she’s “just a mom” who loves both her kids unconditionally.

Links from the Show:

•  Love to the Max: www.lovetothemax.net 
• The Love to the Max film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSYm4gBiFYA&ab_channel=TheNewYorker 
• Protect Our Families: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbad3efCic8&ab_channel=GLAAD 
• Join Mama Dragons: www.mamadragons.org 

In the Den is made possible by generous donors like you. Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today at www.mamadragons.org.  

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Connect with Mama Dragons:
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Donate to this podcast

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Words with Friends episodes are bonus episodes where different members of Mama Dragons provide definitions for LGBTQ related topics. This episode includes the following definitions:

Prejudice shared by Chris Davis in Maine

Unconscious Bias shared by Lisa Renaud in Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Microaggressions shared by Marnie in Gold Coast, Australia

Discrimination  shared by Erin in Clinton, Mississippi

In the Den is made possible by generous donors like you.

Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today at mamadragons.org. 

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