🎉 BONUS EPISODE DROP! 🎉

As I get ready to launch Season 20 of The Queer Family Podcast this September(!), I’m sharing a few guest appearances that I think deserve a spot in this feed. This week, I joined Dr. Kelsey Duncan on The Fertility Confidence Podcast to talk candidly about queer fertility, intentional parenthood, donor selection, and the legal complexities that queer families face. If you're navigating the path to parenthood—or supporting someone who is—this one's for you.

Fertility, Donor Sperm, and Queer Parenthood with Jaimie Kelton

In this heartfelt and eye-opening episode, Jaimie Kelton—host of The Queer Family Podcast—joins Dr. Kelsey Duncan to share her personal journey through unexplained infertility and the many layers of queer family building.

Together, they explore:

• How Jaimie and her wife navigated donor sperm selection (and why she calls it the “search for the superhuman”)
• The emotional and financial realities of fertility treatment as a queer couple
• The importance of telling your kids the truth about their origin stories from the start
• What straight couples can learn from queer family-building journeys
• Legal hurdles many LGBTQIA+ families face—including second-parent adoption
• Why representation, community, and candid conversations are essential to this process

This episode is a deep, honest look at what it really takes to build a family when the world hasn’t designed a straightforward path for you—and how beauty can still be found in the twists and turns.

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Check out our sponsor packages ⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠

🏳️‍🌈 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/

🎧 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 

🗳️ 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!

🎉 Bonus Episode Drop! 🎉

While we gear up for Season 20 of The Queer Family Podcast, we're sharing this powerful conversation Jaimie had as a guest on the No Guilt Mom podcast! We talked all things queer family building, parenting with purpose, standing up (loudly) for what’s right—and yes, even voiceover work and musical theater. Enjoy this bonus episode while you wait for what's coming next!

Upstanders vs. Bystanders: Embracing Allyship for LGBTQ Families Everywhere with Jaimie Kelton

What do you get when you mix voiceover talent, musical theatre chops, and two kids made with a lot of love (and even more paperwork)? You get Jaimie Kelton—host of the LGBTQ family podcast The Queer Family Podcast and all-around awesome human.

In this episode, we dive into allyship that actually shows up, why inclusivity isn’t optional (especially in parenting), and how representation helps us all raise better humans. Oh—and did we mention the cupcakes at school board protests? Yeah, that happened. Also, Jaimie literally brought her sperm donor out of retirement. No big deal.

If you've ever wondered how to be a better ally—or just want to hear real talk with a lot of heart and a few giggles—this one’s for you. 💖🏳️‍🌈

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Check out our sponsor packages ⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠

🏳️‍🌈 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/

🎧 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!

🎉 Bonus Episode Drop! 🎉

While Jaimie gears up for Season 20 of The Queer Family Podcast—launching this August!—she's sharing this bonus episode from her recent guest appearance on the No One Told Us podcast. It’s a beautiful conversation about queer parenting, representation, and the honest, hilarious chaos of raising kids while gay. Enjoy this sneak peek into what’s to come next season!

Episode 92: Celebrating Queer Families & Normalizing Representation with Jaimie from the Queer Family Podcast

In this episode Rachael welcomes Jaimie, the creator of the Queer Family Podcast, for a vibrant and heartfelt conversation about what it really means to parent within the LGBTQIA+ community. From being both a bio and non-bio mom to navigating public perception and household dynamics, Jaimie brings her signature humor and honesty to this vital conversation about visibility, inclusivity, and the beautiful messiness of parenthood. Whether you're part of a queer family or simply want to raise your children in a more inclusive world, this episode offers perspective, laughter, and practical tips for celebrating every kind of family.

Inside this episode:

• The unique joys and challenges queer families face

• How to bond with your child as a non-bio parent

• The power of humor in parenting and tackling tough topics

• Why curiosity in kids about family structures should be welcomed, not feared

• How household responsibilities can be shared based on strengths—not stereotypes

• Why representation for LGBTQIA+ families matters deeply

• The role of inclusive books in early childhood

• Normalizing queer family dynamics in everyday life

• Postpartum reflections from the non-birthing parent

• The beauty and complexity of queer love, parenting, and visibility

• Plus SO much more!

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Check out our sponsor packages ⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠

🏳️‍🌈 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/

🎧 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!

Haven and Koy's journey to parenthood included IVF, IUIs, anonymous and known donors, multiple moves, and ultimately foster care—where they met and adopted their 6-year-old son, River. In this final episode of our Pride Extravaganza, they open up to our host, Jaimie Kelton, about what it’s really like navigating foster-to-adopt as queer parents, how loss and resilience shaped their parenting journey, and how all of it inspired a new film.

Oh—and did we mention River is the star of that film?

This episode is loud, joyful, chaotic, and beautifully honest—just like queer family life.

🎙️ “Each child has their own story, and I don’t own them—I’m just a steward of this being in this particular form.” - Haven

🏳️‍🌈 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!

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Check out our sponsor packages ⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠

🏳️‍🌈 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/

🎧 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

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Queer family building isn’t linear. Haven and Koy tried it all—IVF, IUI, anonymous and known donors—before ultimately becoming parents through foster-to-adopt.
• Loss and resilience go hand in hand. Their journey included fertility struggles and miscarriage, but they remained open to the many ways a family can form.
• Foster care is complex—and emotional. They share what it’s really like to foster with the hope of adopting, and how they advocated fiercely to keep their son, River, in their home.
• Chosen family is real (and loud). River’s extended family includes his birth relatives and his very queer, very loving forever parents—and yes, sometimes a dog or cat impression.
• Art imitates life. Koy turned their family’s experience into a powerful new film, Getting Back, exploring grief, healing, and the magic of imagination—with River in the starring role.
• 
  

🏳️‍🌈 About the Guest(s)🏳️‍🌈

Haven and Koy are partners, parents, and creatives raising their son, River, in Oregon. Haven is an attorney and actor-turned-filmmaker, and Koy is a musician and comedian with a flair for the unexpected (she once had three personas on stage at once—ask her about it). Together, they’ve navigated the complex and emotional terrain of queer family building—from IVF and known donor insemination to the foster care system and adoption.

Their lived experience inspired Haven’s latest film, Getting Back, starring none other than River himself. The film is a meditation on grief, love, and imagination—everything their family is built on

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

• Getting Back Movie Trailer - https://youtu.be/NvFmif_k8fE?feature=shared
• Website: riverwildfilms.com
• Instagram - @gettingbackfilm

🏳️‍🌈 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!

Can cis men be lactation consultants? Can trans folks chestfeed? Can someone who had top surgery still make milk? YES, YES, and YES. In this eye-opening Pride Extravaganza episode, Jaimie sits down with Jacob Engelsman, a cisgender queer man, lactation consultant, and author of Lactation for the Rest of Us, a groundbreaking guide designed specifically for queer and trans families. Together, they dive into all the whos, whys, and hows of induced lactation—debunking myths and expanding the conversation around who gets to feed babies with their bodies. Jacob also shares his personal story of love, queerness, and staying connected to his trans husband through their evolving identities.

🎉 NYC Queer Fam! Don’t forget to RSVP to the Pride Family Meet-Up on June 28th at Sugar Mouse!

There’ll be games for the kids, a full bar for the adults, and a Drag Story Hour with Miz Jade! All the info is right here. 🏳️‍🌈

📸 Learn more about discounted photo sessions with Suzanne:

www.suzannefiorephotography.com

Mention The Queer Family Podcast to receive a special offer.

🏳️‍🌈 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!

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Check out our sponsor packages ⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠

🏳️‍🌈 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/

🎧 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

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Inducing lactation for trans women, trans men, and non-binary folks
• Breastfeeding/chestfeeding after top surgery
• How society sees queer families (before vs. after transition)
• What most people don’t know about lactation
• Jacob’s unique journey from food service to lactation expert
• Staying connected through a partner’s transition
• Queer visibility, medical bias, and access to care
• Becoming a “guncle” and chosen family pride
• The power of scrappy queer problem-solving

🏳️‍🌈 About the Guest(s)🏳️‍🌈

Jacob Engelsman (he/him) is a queer cisgender man, IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant), educator, and the author of Lactation for the Rest of Us: A Guide for Queer and Trans Parents and Helpers. He specializes in supporting LGBTQIA+ families on their feeding journeys and is committed to making lactation knowledge more inclusive and accessible.

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

• 📚 Order the book on Bookshop
• 📱 Instagram: @jacobibclc

🌐 Website: jacobengelsmanibclc.com

🏳️‍🌈 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!

Jaimie and her wife Anne share a heartfelt update on Anne's breast cancer journey, including the challenges of chemotherapy, unexpected back surgery, and the support from their community. They discuss upcoming medical procedures and the emotional toll of their experiences. Photographer Suzanne Fiore joins the conversation to offer discounted sessions for queer families, highlighting the importance of capturing family moments. Listeners are encouraged to celebrate and document their families, emphasizing love and resilience within the LGBTQ+ community.

🎉 NYC Queer Fam! Don’t forget to RSVP to the Pride Family Meet-Up on June 28th at Sugar Mouse!

There’ll be games for the kids, a full bar for the adults, and a Drag Story Hour with Miz Jade! All the info is right here. 🏳️‍🌈

📸 Learn more about discounted photo sessions with Suzanne: www.suzannefiorephotography.com Mention The Queer Family Podcast to receive a special offer.

🏳️‍🌈 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!

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Check out our sponsor packages ⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠

🎧 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

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Anne’s breast cancer diagnosis and treatment
• Coping with chemo, foot drop, and emergency spinal surgery
• Parenting and queer family life through crisis
• The importance of community support
• Pride Month reflections and events
• Why family photos matter more than ever
• Special offer from ally photographer Suzanne Fiore

🏳️‍🌈 About the Guest(s)🏳️‍🌈

Suzanne Fiore: A talented photographer and longtime friend of host Jaimie, Suzanne Fiore is known for her work with families, offering photography sessions that capture the essence and beauty of everyday life. With a focus on inclusivity, Suzanne has aligned her services with the LGBTQ+ community and other communities, offering special discounts to uplift their representation through family portraits. She is based in the NYC tri-state area.

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

• www.suzannefiorephotography.com

🏳️‍🌈 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!

Peggy Gillespie returns to The Queer Family Podcast with even more stories, accolades, and queer advocacy badassery.

Peggy Gillespie, co-founder of Family Diversity Projects and creator of Love Makes a Family and Authentic Selves, is back for our Pride Extravaganza—and she has not slowed down. Since her first appearance on the show, Peggy has been honored by Family Equality, hugged by Katie Couric, and danced her way into queer history. In this episode, host Jaimie Kelton sits down with Peggy to hear about the Family Equality Gala, her powerful new exhibits centering trans and nonbinary folks, and her ongoing mission to flood schools, libraries, and public spaces with true representation.

They also unpack why “normal” is a dangerous word, how early childhood bias takes root, and why telling our stories—especially in this political climate—is more vital than ever.

🎙️ “If you want to hate people, go hate the people causing violence and injustice in the world—not the people just trying to live as their authentic selves.” – Peggy Gillespie

🏳️‍🌈 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!

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Check out our sponsor packages ⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠

🎧 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

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• How a racist moment in her child’s preschool led to a national movement for representation
• The creation and impact of “Love Makes a Family,” “Of Many Colors,” and “Authentic Selves”
• Peggy’s surprise spotlight moment at the Family Equality Gala
• Bringing LGBTQIA+ and multiracial family exhibits to schools and workplaces
• Her dreams for a scripted series based on Family Week in Provincetown

🏳️‍🌈 About the Guest(s)🏳️‍🌈

Peggy Gillespie is the co-founder of Family Diversity Projects and the creator behind groundbreaking exhibits like Love Makes a Family and Authentic Selves. For over 30 years, she’s been amplifying stories of LGBTQIA+, multiracial, and underrepresented families in schools, libraries, and public spaces nationwide. Peggy is a writer, activist, and proud queer mom—and a true force for inclusion.

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

• Learn more and support: familydiversityprojects.org

🏳️‍🌈 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!

Darra Gordon, the new CEO of Family Equality, joins host Jaimie to share her wild, beautiful, and intentional journey to queer parenthood—while simultaneously leading in LGBTQ+ advocacy. In a conversation filled with laughs, wisdom, and the occasional tween meltdown tangent, Dara opens up about trying to conceive at the same time as her wife, choosing donors (yes, plural), navigating unexpected challenges, and raising three incredible kids—including a nonbinary teen—in a world that’s not always built for queer families. Plus, they discuss why Family Equality’s work matters more than ever in our current political climate.

🎙️ "We were dating... and trying to get pregnant at the same time." — Darra Gordon

🏳️‍🌈 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!

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Check out our sponsor packages ⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠

🎧 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

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• Trying to conceive at the same time as your partner (!)
• Choosing sperm donors before even meeting each other
• Donor egg decisions and honoring cultural heritage
• The emotional layers of queer fertility journeys
• Raising a nonbinary teen with pride and purpose
• Why queer families need legal protections—and how Family Equality is fighting for them

🏳️‍🌈 About the Guest(s)🏳️‍🌈

Darra Gordon (she/her) is the newly appointed CEO of Family Equality, a national organization dedicated to advancing equality for LGBTQ+ families. A lifelong nonprofit leader and social justice advocate, Dara brings decades of experience from roles at GLAAD and the Hetrick-Martin Institute, where she led organizational growth and transformation. Outside of her powerhouse advocacy work, Dara is a proud queer mom of three—including a nonbinary teen—and is deeply committed to building a world where all families are seen, supported, and protected. Her work and her parenting are both rooted in intention, visibility, and love.

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

• Family Equality – Learn more about the organization Dara leads and their critical work advocating for LGBTQ+ families through education, policy, and legal support.
• California Cryobank – Thinking about building your family with donor sperm? Use code QUEERFAM25 for a free Level 2 subscription to their donor catalog.
• Second-Parent Adoption & Parentage Resources – Not sure what legal protections your family needs? Family Equality’s guide to parentage and adoption laws can help.
• Personal Best – Darra’s queer awakening movie recommendation! A 1982 cult classic about two women athletes falling in love.
• Need support on your queer family-building journey? Browse The Queer Family Podcast’s archive for dozens of real stories from folks who’ve been there.

🏳️‍🌈 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!

Kyle Casey Chu (@pandadulce) is a drag performer, author, filmmaker, and one of the founding queens of Drag Story Hour—and in this powerful Pride Extravaganza episode, Kyle joins host Jaimie Kelton to talk about the art and activism that’s helping queer youth thrive. Kyle opens up about growing up in San Francisco with his autistic twin brother, coming out in middle school, and how queer joy, drag, and storytelling became his path to healing.

He shares the terrifying moment when Proud Boys stormed his reading at a public library—and how he turned that trauma into a short film now making waves on the festival circuit. And Kyle’s not stopping there: he also just released his debut middle-grade novel The Queen Bees of Tybee County, a story rooted in queer joy, chosen identity, and pageant glamor.

This conversation is about imagination, healing, and finding light even in dark places. It’s a celebration of the resilience of queer families, kids, creators, and the radical power of showing up in joy.

🎙️ “We don’t have the benefit of systems being created for us. So we have to craft them by hand. And hurt.” – Kyle Casey Chu

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsor California Cryobank!

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🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• The origins of Drag Story Hour and its mission
• Kyle’s journey as a queer Chinese American artist
• Facing and responding to hate with courage and creativity
• Writing queer joy for middle schoolers in The Queen Bees of Tybee County
• How media representation impacts identity
• The importance of queer imagination

🏳️‍🌈 About the Guest(s)🏳️‍🌈 Kyle Casey Chu, AKA Panda Dulce is a San Francisco-based drag performer, writer, filmmaker, and one of the pioneering figures of Drag Story Hour, a program designed to introduce children to diverse role models through the art of storytelling. Known for his work in social advocacy and his creative pursuits, Kyle holds a background in social work and education. He is also an accomplished author with his debut middle-grade book, "The Queen Bees of Tybee County," and the filmmaker behind "After What Happened at the Library", which sheds light on his personal experience with hate crime.

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

• The Queen Bees of Tybee County 
• After What Happened at the Library is currently on the festival circuit

🏳️‍🌈 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!

Brian Crano and David Joseph Craig are husbands, dads, filmmakers—and now the creators of a new dark comedy based on their real journey to queer parenthood. In this powerful and delightfully funny Pride Extravaganza episode, they sit down with host Jaimie Kelton to share how their long, complicated path to adoption—complete with a scam, soul-searching, and spreadsheets—turned into “I Don’t Understand You,” a heartfelt horror-comedy now hitting theaters.

The couple opens up about the grief, the grit, and the gay tax of becoming parents, how their birth mother became the hero of their story, and why queer joy deserves more screen time. Plus, Jaimie shares her reactions to the film (spoiler alert: she hasn’t finished it yet) and why telling our stories, no matter the genre, is an act of pride.

🎙️ “There’s a level of loss in queer family building. And also? So much joy.

🏳️‍🌈 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!

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Check out our sponsor packages ⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠

🎧 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

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

• From blind date to 15 years together
• A dark comedy based on their actual adoption journey
• Facing a devastating adoption scam—and choosing to keep going
• Working with a lawyer instead of an agency
• Why their birth mother is the hero of the story
• The trauma, thoughtfulness, and transformation of queer family building
• Centering queer joy on screen
• 
  

🏳️‍🌈 About the Guest(s)🏳️‍🌈

Brian Crano and David Joseph Craig are partners in life, parenting, and storytelling. As filmmakers, their work explores the beauty, absurdity, and emotional complexity of modern life—and now, queer family building. Their new film, “I Don’t Understand You” (starring Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells), is based on their own experience navigating the U.S. adoption system and finding joy, love, and humor in the chaos. They live in Los Angeles with their 5-year-old son.

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

• 🎥 I Don’t Understand You – In theaters now
• Brian and David on Instagram: @cranoandcraig

🏳️‍🌈 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!