Queer Kid, Straight Mom

Throughout history, power-hungry leaders have blamed marginalized people for society's problems - often to distract from their own complicity in those very problems. Right now, that marginalized group is the transgender community. A statistically insignificant group of trans people have committed shootings, but Republicans are committed to painting them as a threat. We have some things to say abou...

Blood is thicker than water, as the saying goes, but sometimes the safest people for LGBTQ+ folks are not their family members. For many youth, rejection means being thrown out of their houses. For others, of all ages, the hostility is more subtle. In both cases, other members and allies of the queer community can provide more love, affirmation, and stability than biological family.

We hate to give Republican leadership credit, but they have knocked it out of the park with "loyalty via outrage." By exaggerating or even manufacturing threats, and packaging those threats with a conservative lifestyle brand, they ensure that their voters will show up - with heartbreaking consequences for the groups targeted by their outrage machine.

As the Trump administration and Supreme Court continue to set back LGBTQ+ rights and visibility, even some among the gay community are pointing their fingers at transgender people. If trans people would just stop demanding rights and acceptance and medical privacy, they say, there would be no backlash against gay people. We think this is misguided and, in the case of journalists and other high pro...

A common argument by anti-trans activists is that regret is common among people who have received gender affirming care and/or transitioned. We love facts and data here at Queer Kid, Straight Mom, so we are excited to share the recently released results of the U.S. Transgender Survey. This huge survey, conducted by various trans groups and approved by the UCLA Institutional Review Board, not only...

Pride is colorful, sparkly, and fun. It was also born from a desperate struggle for acceptance, rights, and safety.

Right wing media has been abuzz with allegations that Nike is funding "trans experiments" on kids. This is a great example of media framing, a technique media outlets use to influence audience's beliefs and behavior about particular issues. Find out what the real story is, and how the allegation of the trans "agenda" is itself an agenda.

Now that right wing backlash and the Trump administration have made this country a much more hostile place for LGBTQ+ people and their supporters, some brands are stepping away from their Pride sponsorships and DEI commitments. We'll walk you through who's fleeing and who's staying.

Queerness in the Hunger Games series: it's subtle, and, early on, evoked in ways we don't think Suzanne Collins intended. We dig in to those early representations, plus what has changed in the two latest novels.

As the Democrats regroup and strategize for the future, they all - from party leaders to concerned community members - need to remember to include marginalized groups in the conversation. In this episode, we talk to Trudy Poux and Sam Smalls from the Future Perfect Project about the concerns of young queer people and how allies can best help them and bring their voices to every room.

A look at some of the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation that's out there: what has passed, what has been voted down, and what's still on the table.

A movie about Cardinals electing a new Pope and a movie musical about a transgender cartel boss... which would you guess represents gender diversity in a more dignified and authentic way? Here are our reviews of Conclave and Emilia Perez.

Let's talk about these anti-trans executive orders - what do they actually say, and what do they mean legally for trans people?

With the recent drama over Tik Tok, we decided it's time to talk about social media and how, while it can come with risks to our safety - and maybe our democracy - it remains a place of alliance and belonging for the queer community.

Holiday family gatherings can leave LGBTQ+ people reeling from interactions ranging from uncomfortable to fully traumatic. We talk to psychologist Dr. Michele McKinnie about how to recover from these interactions, and how to navigate these kinds of family dynamics in the future.

Siena says. "Gay people love 'Wicked.'" Sure, the film has singing, dancing, and an LGBTQ+ representative cast, but its resonance with and meaning to the queer community go much deeper.

A couple of episodes ago, we discussed how ridiculous it was for Republicans to pour so much money into anti-trans campaign ads when it was such an unpopular issue. Now some say Democrats should have distanced themselves from transgender issues because those ads WERE successful. Is this true? Did those ads make a difference?

Gender affirming care is widely mischaracterized, often as a scare tactic. We think it's important that people know what it really involves, especially concerning young people. Siena shares some of their journey with hormone treatment as we encourage our listeners to learn, understand, and discourage others from spreading misinformation.

Even if you say you don't care about politics, a lot of what you do affects and is influenced by the political system. And when you don't vote, or you refuse to endorse a candidate, because you're "not politcal," that is a political choice. Here's why.

The Republican party has gone all in on anti-trans advertising this campaign season. Why have they chosen this issue, and why do they think it will work this time around?

The previews intrigued us, but we also had to watch Agatha All Along because conservative media deemed it inappropriate (often an indicator of something fresh, diverse, and creative.) We found that while this show is not perfect, it's highly entertaining and the best work we've seen from Marvel in a long time - so here's our analysis!

Horror movies have long carried ties with the queer community, as early filmmakers used monsters to embody the isolation and fear that exist when living outside society's norms.

Spoiler alert: LGBTQ+ people, especially young people, are strikingly overrepresented in at-risk populations. Today we look at three problems we can all agree need solutions - homelessness, substance abuse, and human trafficking - and explain why, if you care about these issues, you should care about LGBTQ+ rights.

Some countries (mostly European) are not only more accepting of LGBTQ people socially, but have robust laws protecting their rights. Others, not so much. We break down some of the best and worst, and discuss the complications of measuring queer friendliness.

The 2024 Summer Olympics feature some uplifting and inspiring storylines involving LGBTQ+ athletes. Sadly, they've also become a hotbed focus for some of the world's most discouraging anti-LGBTQ+ storylines - and we're not even talking about the Opening Ceremony here.