Host Jaimie sits down with Tom Tracy, an award-winning author and proud gay dad, to explore his inspiring journey to parenthood through adoption. Together, they delve into the joys and challenges of raising children, drawing from Tom's experiences that have inspired his acclaimed book series, Scoochie and Skiddles. Tom's work aims to normalize LGBTQIA+ families by portraying them in everyday life, showcasing the ordinary yet extraordinary moments. The episode emphasizes the importance of representation in media and literature, offering a heartfelt discussion on the significance of diversity and inclusion. Plus, don't miss a special guest appearance by Jaimie's 10-year-old daughter, Rose, as they discuss the importance of starting conversations about origin stories early on.

Subscribe to The Queer Family Podcast for more episodes that celebrate and normalize the diverse spectrum of family experiences within the LGBTQiA+ community.

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🏳️‍🌈Key Takeaways:🏳️‍🌈 

*Tom Tracy's family-building journey through adoption defied common narratives of complications in LGBTQIA+ adoption, offering an unexpectedly smooth experience.

*His children's books aim to normalize queer families by portraying them in familiar, everyday scenarios.

*Tom shares an emotionally charged, authentic moment when his daughter proudly explained her adoption story to a new friend, illustrating the importance of open discussions about family diversity with children.

*The "drop the seed theory" is mentioned, highlighting the importance of talking to children about their origin stories from a young age, planting informative seeds for later understanding.

*The episode underlines the significance of representation in children's literature and the need for more stories that include diverse family structures.

🏳️‍🌈Quotes:🏳️‍🌈

"The stories are incidentally gay... This is really a story about a family." Tom

🏳️‍🌈About The Guest(s)🏳️‍🌈

Tom Tracy is a dedicated father, author, and social worker. His book series, Scoochie and Skittles, is inspired by his family's adventures and aims to normalize LGBTQIA+ families by showcasing them in everyday life. He is also a passionate advocate for the queer community and gives voice to underrepresented families through his literature, earning several book awards for his work.

🏳️‍🌈Resources mentioned in the episode: 

*tomtracybooks.com , scoochieandskittles.com *Find Tom on  Facebook and Instagram.

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🏳️‍🌈Edited by Jerson Barajas. Theme song: ⁠⁠Tiffany Topol⁠⁠\ Logo art: Daneen Stevenato.

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🏳️‍🌈For a full transcript of this episode and more info about the host visit our ⁠⁠website⁠

🎙️ Episode Chapters:

0:00:00 Introduction and sponsorship message from Pregnant Together

0:03:07 Importance of normalizing LGBTQ+ families and discussing origin stories

0:08:57 Interviewing Tom Tracy about his book series and mission to normalize LGBTQ+ families

0:13:12 Jaimie and Tom discuss the importance of telling LGBTQIA+ family stories and normalizing them

0:17:06 Tom shares how his own family inspired him to write children's books that reflect families like his own

0:20:48 Tom explains their decision to pursue private domestic adoption instead of surrogacy, and their intention to support a child who needed a family