Author and educator Kirsty Loehr joins Jaimie to share her beautifully messy story of queer family building — from reciprocal IVF with her ex-wife to co-parenting their 4-year-old son and now navigating life in a blended family with her new partner and her partner’s two kids.

Kirsty talks candidly about the breakup that came just months after welcoming her son, the challenges of 50/50 custody, and learning to blend families while balancing love, chaos, and new beginnings. She also shares the inspiration behind her new book, A Short History of Queer Parenting, a funny, accessible, and essential look at how queer families have always existed — even when history tried to erase us.

It’s honest, hopeful, and very, very lesbian.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Reciprocal IVF and Family Dynamics: Kirsty shares her experiences with reciprocal IVF, offering insights into queer parenting and the unique challenges and triumphs they bring.
• Single and Blended Parenting: Insights into the evolution from single to blended parenting, discussing both the struggles and profound bonds formed.
• Legal Aspects of Queer Parenting: Legal navigation within queer parenting, particularly regarding reciprocal IVF and parental rights.
• The Evolution of Queer Parenting: Kirsty's new book highlights the historical journey of LGBTQ+ parenting, from legality issues to personal anecdotes, providing a comprehensive view of queer family growth.
• Strength in Community: The importance of shared experiences and community support in navigating the complexities of queer family life.

🏳️‍🌈 About the Guest(s)🏳️‍🌈

• Kirsty Loehr (she/her) is a writer, English teacher, and examiner based in Brighton, England. She’s the author of A Short History of Queer Parenting and A Short History of Queer Women. Her work celebrates queer lineage, visibility, and the many ways LGBTQIA+ people create and nurture families.

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsor California Cryobank!

If you’re listening to this show, there’s a good chance you’re building your family the queer way — and might need a little help in the sperm department. 🩵 Use code QUEERFAM25 at cryobank.com for a FREE Level 2 subscription to their donor catalog!

🏳️‍🌈 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

• Find Kirsty’s books
• Follow Kirsty on Instagram
• California Cryobank – Use code QUEERFAM25.

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email [email protected]

🎧 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:

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🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?

Drop a comment, DM us, or email [email protected]—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!

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-queer-family-podcast/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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Alon Rivel joins Jaimie for a brutally honest, funny, and heartfelt conversation about what it really takes—emotionally, financially, and spiritually—to build a queer family through surrogacy. From his surrogate’s iconic one-liners (“I’m not keeping it”) to his reflection that queer parents are architects of love, Alon reminds us what intentional parenthood looks like.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• The intentionality of queer family building—“We don’t choose to be gay, but we choose to have families.”
• Growing up gay in a Jewish-Israeli household in New York, finding safety through love and community.
• The surrogacy process from start to finish, including choosing an egg donor, working with Circle Surrogacy, and navigating the language (and insurance nightmares) that still exclude LGBTQ+ parents.
• Building lifelong relationships with both their surrogate and egg donor—relationships that have become extended family.
• Raising their son with full transparency about his origin story, teaching body honesty, and dismantling shame from day one.
• The cost, the fight for recognition (“Say mom again!”), and the joy of finally holding their son.

🏳️‍🌈 About the Guest(s)🏳️‍🌈

• Alon Rivel (he/him) is a gay dad and husband. Alon and his husband built their family through surrogacy after a decade-long relationship, a pandemic pivot, and a $220K price tag—and they’re raising their son surrounded by love, transparency, and the chosen family who helped bring him into the world.

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsor California Cryobank!

If you’re listening to this show, there’s a good chance you’re building your family the queer way — and might need a little help in the sperm department. 🩵 Use code QUEERFAM25 at cryobank.com for a FREE Level 2 subscription to their donor catalog!

🏳️‍🌈 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

• Feast & Fettle – Meal delivery for families, by families.
• The Ali Forney Center – Supporting LGBTQ+ youth.
• Circle Surrogacy – Alon’s surrogacy agency.
• California Cryobank – Use code QUEERFAM25.

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email [email protected]

🎧 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 [email protected]—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!

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-queer-family-podcast/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Meet Mark and Eoin, two Irish dads proving that queer family building is both an act of love and of advocacy. Their path to fatherhood took them from Ireland to New York and Texas—navigating surrogacy independently, honoring their daughters’ Nigerian-Irish heritage, and pushing the Irish government to finally recognize families like theirs.

Together, they’ve turned loss, learning, and legislation into love and legacy. From discovering their donor’s culture to challenging outdated Irish surrogacy laws, Mark and Eoin remind us that sometimes the most radical thing LGBTQIA+ parents can do is parent out loud—and make the system catch up.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Building a family through independent surrogacy during the pandemic
• The loss of a twin and honoring his memory
• Advocating for inclusive parental-leave and insurance coverage at work
• Fighting Ireland’s restrictive surrogacy laws and founding Irish Gay Dads
• Raising biracial daughters as white Irish dads in Harlem
• Teaching representation, identity, and cultural pride from day one
• Why advocacy often begins with telling your own story

🏳️‍🌈 About the Guest(s)🏳️‍🌈

• Mark and Eoin O’Looney Cannon: Together, they co-run the social media page Two Men in a Surrogacy, where they share their family’s journey and advocate for inclusive, ethical surrogacy practices. Eoin serves as the Vice Chairperson of Irish Gay Dads, a group dedicated to supporting LGBTQIA+ parents and pushing for legislative reform.

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsor California Cryobank!

If you’re listening to this show, there’s a good chance you’re building your family the queer way — and might need a little help in the sperm department. 🩵 Use code QUEERFAM25 at cryobank.com for a FREE Level 2 subscription to their donor catalog!

🏳️‍🌈 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

• Follow Mark and Eoin: https://www.instagram.com/twomenandasurrogacy/

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email [email protected]

🎧 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 [email protected]—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!

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-queer-family-podcast/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What happens when you grow up in an evangelical cult, spend years closeted, marry to appease your family, and still find your way to queerness, healing, and chosen family? Therapist and author SC Nealy (they/she) joins Jaimie to share their powerful story of resilience and reinvention.

From a childhood in religious isolation to co-parenting two daughters one block away from their queerplatonic co-parent, SC shows us that family can be redefined—and joyfully so. They talk about surviving their eldest child’s terrifying medical crisis during COVID, leaving behind a judgmental family, building an affirming community, and supporting others through religious trauma and queer family formation.

Plus, returning guest Tiq Milan drops by first to talk about building our own spaces when the systems fail us—introducing his new work as a Gender Doula, guiding trans folks and their families through social and emotional transitions.

This one’s all heart, healing, and hard truth.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• SC’s journey from evangelical cult to chosen queer family
• Creating kids intentionally through “baby-dancing” (the old-fashioned way!)
• Navigating medical trauma—their baby’s nine surgeries and life-saving resilience
• Co-parenting queerly: living a block apart, sharing everything, breaking the mold
• Coming out, losing family, and building chosen family that heals
• Falling in love again while their partner transitions—and what kids actually notice
• The beauty and power of group therapy in healing communal trauma
• Introducing SC’s upcoming book Healing Sacred Wounds (Bloomsbury, Spring 2026)
• Tiq Milan on gender doulas, toxic masculinity, and creating safe spaces when systems collapse

🏳️‍🌈 About the Guest(s)🏳️‍🌈

• SC Nealy, LMFT (they/she): Therapist, author, and founder of LGBT+ Counseling Collaborative (DC/MD/VA). Specializes in religious trauma, queer family systems, and group therapy.
• Tiq Milan (he/him): Writer, educator, activist, and now Gender Doula helping families through transitions.
• 
  

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsor California Cryobank!

If you’re listening to this show, there’s a good chance you’re building your family the queer way — and might need a little help in the sperm department. 🩵 Use code QUEERFAM25 at cryobank.com for a FREE Level 2 subscription to their donor catalog!

🏳️‍🌈 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

• Find SC:
• Instagram: @scnealy and @lgbtcounselingdmv 
• Websites: www.lgbtcounselingdmv.com www.booksbysarahrobinson.com
• Find Tiq:
• Website: https://www.tiqmilan.com/
• Instagram: @themrmilan

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email [email protected]

🎧 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 [email protected]—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!

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-queer-family-podcast/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this mind-expanding conversation, Jaimie sits down with Maya Gonzalez — genderqueer artist, author, publisher, educator, parent, and creator of The Gender Wheel — an innovative, nature-based framework that reimagines how we understand gender, identity, and self.

Maya takes us through their lifelong work of blending art, research, and spirit to help kids (and grownups!) move beyond the binary and return to connection — with themselves, with each other, and with nature. They talk about using children’s books, coloring pages, and even escape-room–style workshops to teach inclusivity and embodiment in playful, accessible ways.

The two also dive deep into Maya’s queer family-building journey, from early-2000s home inseminations and complicated co-parenting dynamics to creating a second, deeply grounded family years later. Through it all, Maya’s story is a testament to healing, love, and radical compassion — even for those who’ve caused harm.

Sponsored by California Cryobank—use code QueerFam25 for a free Level 2 catalog subscription (and a discount on Level 3). Make those babies; then come tell me about them.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• The Gender Wheel helps us understand gender as part of a natural, interconnected system — beyond binaries and labels.
• Kids intuitively get nonbinary and fluid concepts when we approach them through play and nature.
• Trauma and patriarchy have distorted how we see gender; reconnecting to embodiment and nature helps us heal.
• Queer, trans, and intersex people have always existed — and have always been sacred keepers of connection and continuum.
• Maya’s family story shows both the beauty and complexity of queer parenting before legal protections existed.
• Compassion is essential — even when it’s hard. As Maya says, “People are good at heart; they’ve just been damaged by the system.”

🏳️‍🌈 About the Guest(s)🏳️‍🌈

Maya Gonzalez (they/she) is a genderqueer Chicanx artist, author, and educator based in San Francisco. They’re the creator of The Gender Wheel, a nature-based framework for understanding gender diversity and inclusion. Through their independent publishing house Reflection Press, Maya has authored and illustrated dozens of children’s books — including They, She, He, Me: Free to Be, They, She, He, Easy as ABC, The Gender Wheel, and The Gender and Infinity Book.

Maya also runs online and in-person workshops and a Patreon-based school focused on expanding gender education through creativity, embodiment, and play.

🩷 Jaimie’s Life Update

Life is life-ing hard for the Kelwoods! Anne is nearing the end of radiation (almost done 🎉), Jaimie just had uterine surgery to remove endometriosis after 10 years of misdiagnosis, and their 11-year-old recently fractured her ankle. But through it all, they’re finding gratitude, humor, and resilience.

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsor California Cryobank!

If you’re listening to this show, there’s a good chance you’re building your family the queer way — and might need a little help in the sperm department. 🩵 Use code QUEERFAM25 at cryobank.com for a FREE Level 2 subscription to their donor catalog!

🏳️‍🌈 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

• Maya’s Websites:
• www.genderwheel.com
• https://reflectionpress.com/
• http://www.mayagonzalez.com/
• Maya’s Patreon
• Find Maya on Instagram:
• @mzmayagonzalez
• @genderwheel 
• @reflectionpressbooks  

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email [email protected]

🎧 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 [email protected]—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 

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-queer-family-podcast/exclusive-content

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Episode Summary (Podcast Apps)

Kevin and Alim—longtime partners, dads of two, and global citizens—share how they built their family through Canadian surrogacy, what they looked for in an egg donor, and how they talk to their kids about donor conception using a “meet them where they are” approach. We get real about the bio vs. non-bio parent feelings (yes, they’re normal), the difference between a natural birth and a planned C-section as intended parents, and the constant “coming out” kids do at school. Kevin also serves as Vice Chair of Fertility Friends Foundation, a Canadian charity offering fertility grants and partnered IVF cycles nationwide—their Fall application window opened October 1.

Sponsored by California Cryobank—use code QueerFam25 for a free Level 2 catalog subscription (and a discount on Level 3). Make those babies; then come tell me about them.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Intentionality > DNA: Non-bio worries are common; attachment grows through caregiving, time, and presence.
• Normalize origin stories early: Use “drop the seed” moments—casual, repeated, age-appropriate mentions.
• Prepare your ‘school scripts’: Short, kind, clear answers for curious adults and kids.
• Know your lanes (Canada): Surrogacy is legal with restrictions; agency vs. independent both require strong legal and clinical partners.
• Policy matters: Some citizenship regimes still hinge on DNA, which doesn’t reflect modern families.

🏳️‍🌈 About the Guest(s)🏳️‍🌈

Kevin – Canadian/Swiss dual citizen, longtime New Yorker, Vice Chair at Fertility Friends Foundation, a Canadian registered charity that offers need-based grants and a clinic partnership program covering a full IVF cycle for selected recipients.

Alim – Immigrated from Africa to Canada at age six; has lived and worked around the world. Together with Kevin for 21+ years, married 11, dad to Ava (10) and Noah (8).

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsor California Cryobank! Thinking of growing your queer family? Use code QUEERFAM25 at cryobank.com for a FREE Level 2 subscription to their donor catalog!

🏳️‍🌈 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

• Fertility Friends Foundation (Canada) – need-based fertility grants + partner-clinic IVF cycle program. Fall application window opened October 1. (Canada residents only.)
• California Cryobank – Use code QueerFam25 for a free Level 2 donor catalog subscription (and discount on Level 3).

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email [email protected]

🎧 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 [email protected]—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.

Light content note: discussion of fertility treatment, surrogacy logistics, and a brief mention of DNA requirements for citizenship.

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!

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-queer-family-podcast/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Screens are everywhere — but how do we keep them from taking over our kids’ lives? In this special ally episode, Jaimie sits down with Casey O’Roarty, a positive discipline trainer, parent coach, and host of the Joyful Courage podcast, to talk about raising kids in a high-tech world.

Casey shares practical strategies for balancing independence with safety, building critical thinking skills, setting real limits, and creating a united front with other parents. This candid conversation also weaves in Jaimie and Casey’s personal lives — both are supporting spouses through cancer — and how “life is lifing” for them while they navigate parenting tweens and teens.

You’ll leave this episode feeling less alone, better equipped, and maybe even inspired to hold a family meeting tonight about screens.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Screens are a privilege, not a right. With privilege comes responsibility and hard rules.
• Start basic and build up. If possible, begin with a simple phone and add features gradually.
• Model what you want to see. Check your own screen habits and talk openly about them.
• Use “no-phone zones” instead of only time limits. Meals, bedrooms, family movie nights, and cars are good places to start.
• Collaborate with other parents. A united front makes it easier to hold boundaries.
• Validate first, explain second. Teens listen better when they feel understood.
• Add real-life experiences. Independence, chores, sports, and outdoor time help offset tech use.
• Consider monitoring tools. Apps like Bark can give alerts without constant snooping.
• Family meetings work. Create a safe space for kids to contribute to tech rules and solutions.

🏳️‍🌈 About the Guest(s)🏳️‍🌈

Casey O’Roarty is a Positive Discipline Lead Trainer and parent coach, the adolescent lead and co-founder of Sproutable. A mom to a 19-year-old and a 22-year-old, she hosts the Joyful Courage podcast for parents of tweens and teens. Casey is passionate about helping parents show up with connection and consistency so their teens can truly thrive.

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsor California Cryobank!

Thinking of growing your queer family? Use code QUEERFAM25 at cryobank.com for a FREE Level 2 subscription to their donor catalog!

🏳️‍🌈 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

• Casey’s website & coaching: besproutable.com/teens
• Joyful Courage Podcast: Listen wherever you get your podcasts
• Instagram: @joyful_courage
• Facebook Group: “Joyful Courage for Parents of Teens”
• Recommended reading: The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt & 10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World by Jean Twenge (mentioned in episode)
• Bark monitoring app & Bark Phone: www.bark.us
• Ted Talk Exposing the Costs of Social Media (mentioned in episode)

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email [email protected]

🎧 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 [email protected]—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!

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-queer-family-podcast/exclusive-content

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Queer therapist and “kid of queer parents” Ann Russo joins Jaimie to show what ordinary, extraordinary queer family looks like. Raised in the ’80s by a mom, dad, and dad’s partner under one roof—publicly “the roommate” for safety—Ann shares how chosen family (yes, Deadhead potlucks) and three parents taught compassion, and why bio vs. non-bio bonds never mattered. We get religious trauma 101: Ann’s fly-on-the-wall years inside a fundamentalist church as an out teen, what religious trauma is (and isn’t), and practical tools clients can use today—nervous-system grounding, boundary-setting, and how to vet an affirming therapist without having to educate them first. We also process headline grief (recorded right after a church shooting), talk about resisting bad-faith narratives, and lean into queer joy as a form of resilience. Ann’s forthcoming clinician guide on treating religious trauma (2026) ties it all together with steps for centering kids, community, and love when the world feels loud.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Growing up with two dads and a mom under one roof—and why it worked
• “Roommate” life in the ’80s: safety, secrecy, and chosen family
• Equal bonds: why bio vs. non-bio didn’t matter in Ann’s house
• Pop-culture panic vs. reality: exposure to queerness doesn’t “make” kids queer
• Religious trauma 101: definitions, symptoms, and first steps toward repair
• Inside a fundamentalist church (as an out queer person) and what Ann learned
• Coping with gun-violence news: nervous-system care, boundaries, community
• Generational love: passing down compassion instead of shame
• Queer joy as resistance—and as fuel for the long haul
• How to vet an affirming therapist (red/green flags, intake clues, language)

🏳️‍🌈 About the Guest(s)🏳️‍🌈

Ann Russo, LCSW — psychotherapist and founder of AMR Therapy; specializes in religious trauma. Currently writing a book to help clinicians treat religious trauma (expected 2026).

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsor California Cryobank!

Thinking of growing your queer family? Use code QUEERFAM25 at cryobank.com for a FREE Level 2 subscription to their donor catalog!

🏳️‍🌈 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

• AMR Therapy (Ann’s practice) — book mailing list available
• COLAGE — community for people with LGBTQ+ parents
• How to Vet a Therapist — look for inclusive forms/language, lived training, clear stances
• Support: The Trevor Project; Trans Lifeline; local LGBTQ+ centers

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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!

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-queer-family-podcast/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Transmasc author and parent Jesse Callans joins Jaimie to flip the parenting script. Jesse shares how he pressed pause on transition to build a family (surprise—then three more!), what it looked like to transition while his kids were 7, 4, 2, and 1, and how toddlers helped distill a complex change down to “the things that stay the same” (yes, there will still be spoons and napkins). We dig into gendered expectations in public, the patronizing “wow, you’re so good with them” dad compliments, and why communal, queer-inspired parenting beats competition every time. Jesse’s middle-grade novel Ollie in Between tackles puberty, identity, and the gaps in sex ed—plus we talk book bans, hope in publishing, and why adults should read middle grade to hug their inner 12-year-old.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Transition with kids: rename “mommy” → Baba and center “things that stay the same” (routines, roles, rituals) to reduce anxiety.
• Labels aren’t the hurdle—loss is: toddlers switch pronouns quickly; worries are about everyday continuity (the “spoons & napkins” moment).
• Gendered bias whiplash: moms get judgment; dads get patronizing praise—either way, caregiving is undervalued.
• Community > performance: open-door hangouts, shared labor, and imperfect playdates beat competitive, individualist parenting.
• Paths aren’t linear: an unplanned start can still lead to intentional family and a later transition.
• Middle grade matters: Ollie in Between fills puberty/identity and sex-ed gaps—adults should read MG to “hug your inner 12-year-old.”
• Bans vs. demand: book challenges are real, but publishers and readers still want queer stories—keep requesting and buying.

🏳️‍🌈 About the Guest(s)🏳️‍🌈

Jesse Callans is a trans masculine author and father, known for his insightful writings that delve into gender identity and parenting. Having birthed four children, Jesse captures the complexities of family dynamics through a queer lens. His recent work includes the middle-grade novel "Ollie in Between," which addresses the challenging experiences of puberty from a perspective that champions inclusivity and understanding. Jesse resides near Philadelphia and uses his personal experiences to inform his engaging and meaningful stories.

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsor California Cryobank!

Thinking of growing your queer family? Use code QUEERFAM25 at cryobank.com for a FREE Level 2 subscription to their donor catalog!

🏳️‍🌈 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

• Jesse’s book: Ollie in Between (Five One Friends/Macmillan) — find it at your local indie or wherever books are sold
• Follow Jesse: Instagram @jesscallens
• Newsletter: Get Jesse’s ongoing queer book recs — subscribe via QueerFamilyPodcast.com
• Cruise with us: Spring Break April 2–6, 2026 to the Bahamas with Gays With Kids (Jaimie + family, José Rolón, Brian Rosenberg & lots of queer fams). Tell them Jaimie sent you.
• Sponsor: California Cryobank — QUEERFAM25 = free Level 2 donor-catalog subscription (and a discount toward Level 3)

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email [email protected]

🎧 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 [email protected]—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!

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-queer-family-podcast/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We went in-studio (!) with journalist Orion Rummler (The 19th) and Rachel Minkin (Pew Research Center, and a gay mom) to unpack Pew’s major 2025 study of LGBTQ+ Americans—released around the 10-year anniversary of Obergefell. We talk social acceptance gaps (L/G & bi vs. trans/nonbinary), how data actually moves policy, the everyday realities of queer family-building (hello, insurance barriers), chosen family, medical micro/macro-aggressions, and what comes next. Orion also shares reporting on transmasculine pregnancy; Rachel brings the numbers and her family story.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Acceptance isn’t equal: 61% of LGBTQ adults see at least “a fair amount” of acceptance for gay/lesbian people; 52% for bisexual people; only 13–14% for transgender and nonbinary people.
• Trendlines still point up: Majorities say acceptance is higher than 10 years ago and expect more gains over the next decade—even amid political backlash.
• Policy needs data: Large, representative studies (and government data) inform public dialogue, services, and protections; rollbacks to data collection threaten visibility.
• Queer family-building is intentional—and costly: Insurance exclusions and uneven laws add hurdles; chosen family often fills the gaps.
• Economics & education: Same-sex married couples (especially male couples) show higher rates of dual full-time work and bachelor’s degrees—translating to different economic and political power.
• Healthcare matters: Trans adults report higher rates of poor treatment; everyday medical interactions still misread queer families.
• History gap: Older LGBTQ+ adults report knowing more about LGBTQ history; we’re all standing on the shoulders of giants—teach it.

🏳️‍🌈 About the Guest(s)🏳️‍🌈

Orion Rummler — Reporter at The 19th covering LGBTQ+ news at the intersection of gender, politics, and policy. Recent work includes a KFF partnership on transmasculine pregnancy in post-Roe America.

Follow: 19thnews.org | Free newsletters available

Rachel Minkin — Research Associate at Pew Research Center and gay mom. She helped lead Pew’s 2025 nationally representative study of LGBTQ+ Americans (plus qualitative interviews with same-sex parents). Read: pewresearch.org

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

• Family Equality – familyequality.org
• Pew Research + The 19th Study on LGBTQ+ families, 10 years after Obergefell
• Pew Research Center – LGBTQ+ Americans study (2025)
• The 19th (named for the 19th Amendment) — journalism free to read, with newsletters
• California Cryobank — donor catalog (code QUEERFAM25)

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsor California Cryobank! Thinking of growing your queer family? Use code QUEERFAM25 at cryobank.com for a FREE Level 2 subscription to their donor catalog!

🏳️‍🌈 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/

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email [email protected]

🎧 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 [email protected]—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!

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-queer-family-podcast/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy