In The Den with Mama Dragons

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This week’s episode of In the Den kicks off a new series! 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. So a few times a year, we will be sharing a Mama Dragon’s story. Today, we meet Jasmine. 

Special Guest: Jasmine

Jasmine grew up in California at a time when being gay was illegal.  Her very conservative family made it very clear that there were “normal” people and “sinful” people, who were to be shunned and avoided, if not treated more harshly.  As a very small child she knew she was different but felt her difference was even worse than being gay.   So she spent decades trying to hide and ignore this reality that the world was not ready to accept. All of this dramatically changed about 5 years ago when one of her children came out to her wife as trans.  Fortunately, Jasmine and her wife had grown past a lot of the closed-minded bigotry they had been raised with, and they both loved their children very much.  Even though this went against their religious beliefs they knew they were not going to reject their children.  But accepting their child as trans also meant accepting that trans was valid.  For Jasmine, this brought to the surface all of the decades of pretending.  At the time she knew very little about any LGBTQ topics, but that was about to change.

Links from the Show:

• Jasmine’s story on the Mama Dragon blog: https://www.mamadragons.org/post/taught-by-our-children-1 
• Jasmine’s blog: www.j616.org 
• Join Mama Dragons today: www.mamadragons.org 
• Mama Dragons on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mamadragons 
• Mama Dragons on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themamadragons/ 

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It’s common to hear teenagers complain, “My parents just don’t understand me.” When your child is LGBTQ, and your experience is that of a straight and/or cisgender person, that may actually be more true than we realize. We surveyed queer youth and gathered their feedback to learn what they most wish their parents understood. Jen sits down with queer and trans therapist Cole Brennan to discuss a handful of the things that LGBTQ teens submitted as potential understanding growth points for their parents. 

Special Guest: Cole Brennan

Cole is a queer and transgender mental health therapist Ellie Mental Health in the Denver area,  former bike mechanic and youth outdoor educator, and lover of nature, adventures, and above all, people. Cole works primarily with LGBTQ+ identified youth and adults, and has a passion for helping his clients find their innate love and joy for themselves, their many identities, and the world around them. Cole lives in Denver, Colorado with his partner, two young children, and two equally young pups.

Links from the Show:

• Cole’s therapy services: https://www.heartmindtherapydenver.com/ 
• Ellie Mental Health: https://elliementalhealth.com/locations/denver-west-co/ 
• Join the Mama Dragons today: www.mamadragons.org 

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Mama Dragons supports, educates, and empowers mothers of LGBTQ children, but we also celebrate and acknowledge the importance of affirming fathers. In this episode of In the Den, Jen talks with three dads of LGBTQ kids about their experiences and learned wisdom from raising their queer kids. 

Special Guest: Lance Sweeten

Lance Sweeten holds a bachelor's degree in engineering and works as a façade designer in Salt Lake City, UT. He’s a husband and proud father of four children. His oldest daughter is transgender. He serves as a board member and administrator for the FB group "Dragon Dads," an organization dedicated to educating and supporting fathers of queer kids. Lance works with Equality Utah and the ACLU of Utah, where he actively opposes anti-LGBTQ legislation in the state's house and senate. Recognizing the need for parental support, Lance established the FB group "Shades of Love," which empowers parents and caregivers of LGBTQ+ children. 

Special Guest: Pat Wright

Pat has been a part of the Dragon Dads for about five years.  He loves camping, hiking, and adventures all around the world.  He enjoys spending time with all his kids and helping them grow into adults.  He has six kids–four stepkids, two biological kids, one trans son, and one bisexual daughter.  He loves to participate in Pride and volunteer in the community.  Besides volunteering with Project Rainbow and LGBTQ+ group at work he also runs a not-for-profit called Utah Geek Events that puts on events for the tech community in Utah 

Special Guest: Ralf VonSosen

Ralf came to the U.S. from Austria in high school. He made his way to Utah where he earned degrees from BYU and the University of Utah. After marrying his high school sweetheart, they moved to the CA Bay Area where they raised four kids. When their third child came out as gay, it shook their conservative Mormon family narrative and launched them on a new journey that included the welcoming of their transgender daughter. Ralf and his wife Wendy recently moved to Salt Lake City, Utah.

Links from the Show:

• Find Dragon Dads on FB: https://www.facebook.com/DragonDads 
• Join the Mama Dragons today: www.mamadragons.org 

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

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“If it’s not fun for everyone, then it’s not actual fun.” When schoolyard banter crosses into harassment and bullying, what can we do to keep our kids safe at school? This week In the Den, Jen and special guest Dr. Roni Jo Draper discuss how to recognize and respond to bullying whether our child is being bullied or has become a bully within the public school system. 

Special Guest: Roni Jo Draper

Roni Jo Draper, Ph.D. (Yurok|she.her) is an educator, storyteller, filmmaker, and activist. Roni began her career as a high school mathematics and science teacher where she worked primarily with children at risk of not completing high school. She is professor emeritus from Brigham Young University where she taught courses in literacy education, multicultural education, and global women’s studies. She is currently on a one-year appointment at Utah Valley University where she teaches courses in multicultural education and classroom management. Her educational scholarship has appeared in several books, educational research journals, and professional journals for teachers. In her recent work she has turned to Indigenous storytelling and other art forms to share stories that center the lives of Indigenous peoples. She produced the film Scenes from the Glittering World, about the in- and out-of-school lives of three Navajo young people attending a remote high school on the Navajo Nation, which is available to view on PBS. Roni Jo is also the writer, producer, and director of the documentary short film Fire Tender, which centers the lives of Yurok fire practitioners as they return cultural fire to heal land. Fire Tender will air on PBS in April in conjunction with their Earth Day celebrations. Additionally, Roni works as an advocate for social justice in her community. She has served as the chair of the board of the ACLU of Utah, a member of the national board of the ACLU, the Vice-President of the board of PFLAG Provo/Utah County, a member of the board of Provo Pride, and as a founding board member of Encircle.

Links from the Show:

• Bullying in school resource: https://law.duke.edu/childedlaw/docs/Bullying_in_School_Fact_Sheet.pdf 
• More resources: https://www.understood.org/articles/bullying-laws 
• 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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This week In the Den, Jen talks with seven moms of queer children about their honest feelings around parenting queer children. Our guests share how they felt when their child came out and how they feel now about having an LGBTQ child. 

Special Guest: Rhonda Hill
Rhonda is a mother of four from Utah who loves to cook, craft, and play the piano.

Special Guest: Lisa Glad

Lisa is a Mormon mama of three (two Queerdos!) and a proud Mama Dragon! 

Special Guest: Erin Lee

Erin is a Canadian mom of two boys, working in education.

Special Guest: Brandi Higgins

Brandi is a wife, mom and fierce advocate in Kansas City, MO.

Special Guest: Pamela Theron 

Pam is a single nomad mom of queer kids living to spread love and peace.

Special Guest: Elizabeth Kingsley

Elizabeth is a life coach getting her masters in management. She’s the mother of four queer kids, with three still at home.

Special Guest: Marcie Schear

Marcie is a spicy disaster who loves to love.

Links from the Show:

• 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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Episode 56–All Things Gender

In this week’s episode of In the Den, Jen sits down with special guest Erik VonSosen and her mother Wendy to chat about all things gender related. They cover everything from gender performance, gender expression to gender experience, gender transition, and more.

Special Guest: Wendy VonSosen

Wendy joined Mama Dragons in 2016. She's the mother of 4 grown kids, including a transgender daughter. She and her husband recently relocated to Salt Lake City after living in the San Francisco Bay Area for the last 25 years. Their kids are scattered among California, Utah, and Arizona. When she's not on her computer, Wendy can be found walking her two dogs and trying to get her cat to like her.

Special Guest: Erik Charlotte VonSosen

Erik is a 22 year old writer, fashion designer, and recent college graduate living in Los Angeles. She works hard for the money, fueled by a passion for vintage dresses, transgender advocacy, and sour gummy bears. 

Links from the Show:

• Some gender definitions: https://www.hrc.org/resources/sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity-terminology-and-definitions 
• More definitions: https://www.talkspace.com/blog/gender-identity-vs-gender-expression/ 
• More on gender: https://www.apa.org/topics/lgbtq/transgender-people-gender-identity-gender-expression 
• 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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Words with Friends 10

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:

Questioning shared by Maria Fergus in Washington

Butch shared by Kellie in West Texas

Femme shared by Michelle in Boise, Idaho

Androgynous  shared by M’Lisa E. in Idaho

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The power that can come from seeing your own experiences reflected in stories cannot be understated. This week In the Den, Jen chats with New York Times bestselling author Mackenzi Lee about the importance of representation, and queer representation in particular, in literature. Representation matters because what we see in the media doesn't just reflect reality. It has the potential to shape it. Books that depict and normalize queer relationships, queer identities, and queer stories in books help increase understanding in general, and give LGBTQ young people a vision of what their future could be.  

Special Guest: Mackenzi Lee

Mackenzi Lee holds a BA in history and an MFA from Simmons College in writing for children and young adults. She is the author of ten books, including The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, which was a New York Times bestseller, received a 2018 Stonewall Book Award Honor, and won the New England Book Award; and a series of novels for Marvel which tell the origin story of your favorite MCU antiheroes. Her adult debut, LADY LIKE, is forthcoming from Dial Press. In 2020, Forbes Magazine included her on their list of 30 Under 30 in media. She currently lives in Los Angeles with a fridge full of Diet Coke and a dog that weighs more than she does. 

Links from the Show: 

• Mackenzi’s website: https://www.mackenzilee.com/ 
• Mackenzi’s books:  https://bookshop.org/beta-search?keywords=Mackenzi+Lee
• Mackenzi on IG: https://www.instagram.com/themackenzilee/?hl=en 
• Join Mama Dragons today: www.mamadragons.com 

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

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EPISODE 54–Just the FAQs–Moms of Trans Minors 

In this episode of In the Den, Jen joins two mothers of young transgender children to answer a handful of frequently asked questions regarding actively parenting an underage trans child in today’s political climate. Because it isn’t currently safe to be a transgender child, and because we don’t wish to put trans children or their families at increased risk, we will be using pseudonyms and changing identifying information for this episode’s guests to protect their anonymity so that we can discuss these important topics without putting a target on families’ backs.

• When did your child first start talking to you about gender and what did that look like?
• How did you respond to those early ideas and conversations?
• Was there a specific point where you knew that this was a real thing?  And what did you do at that point?
• Did your child experience dysphoria and what did that look like from the outside?
• What was the first step of transition for your child?
• What sorts of things came next?
• What transition related things do you see for your child’s future?
• How has this all been socially for your child and your family?
• How are the political conversations and current legislation impacting your family?
• What common myths can you debunk for us?
  
  
  

Links from the show:

Mama Dragons website: www.mamadragons.org 

Mama Dragons on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mamadragons 

Mama Dragons on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themamadragons/ 

The Family Acceptance Project: https://lgbtqfamilyacceptance.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 mamadragons.org. 

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In 2023, a record-breaking 586 bills were introduced across the United States that specifically targeted transgender people and their right to exist. From removing trans people's access to healthcare to their access to public bathrooms, sports, books, or simply the use of their names and pronouns, efforts to erase trans people were intense. The 2024 legislative season is around the corner, and there will undoubtedly be another onslaught of anti-LGBTQ bills up for debate.  Neca Allgood returns to the podcast to talk about the upcoming legislative season with Jen. They discuss the general categories of anti-trans legislation that occur, how to combat misinformation, and ways to make a difference politically. They also discuss the importance of resilience, healthy boundaries, and self-care during difficult times. 

Special Guest: Neca Allgood

Neca Allgood is the mother of a transgender son. She is a former President of Mama Dragons, a current Mama Dragons board member, and a former board member of Affirmation: LGBTQ Mormons, Families, and Friends. Neca and her husband own a small engineering consulting company. She has a PhD in Molecular Biology.  And Neca has been a powerful political ally to the LGBTQ community for over a decade now.

Links from the Show:

• ACLU Legislation Tracking: https://www.aclu.org/legislative-attacks-on-lgbtq-rights
• Trans Equality 2023 Legislation Tracking by State: https://transequality.org/state-action-center 
• Track Trans Legislation: https://www.tracktranslegislation.com/  
• Southern Poverty Law Center Hate Map: https://www.splcenter.org/hate-map 
• PFLAG newsletters: https://pflag.org/newsletters/ 
• Truth Sandwiches: https://www.pbs.org/standards/blogs/standards-articles/what-is-a-truth-sandwich/ 
• National Center for Lesbian Rights: https://www.nclrights.org/ 
• Sue Robbins website: https://sueinut.com/ 
• GLSEN: https://www.glsen.org/ 
• Equality Federation: https://www.equalityfederation.org/ 
• 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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