In The Den with Mama Dragons

Send us Fan Mail Drag Story Hour is a global movement that brings the magic of storytelling, the art of drag, and the power of inclusion to libraries, schools, and community spaces, creating environments where kids can celebrate diversity, explore their imaginations, and embrace the beauty of self-expression. This week In the Den , Sara and Drag Story Hour’s Jonathon Hamilt discuss everything from...

Send us Fan Mail Uncomfortable as it may feel, sex education, and specifically education tailored for LGBTQ+ kids, is crucial for the overall health and wellbeing of our queer kids! Today Sara talks with special guest Emmalinda MacLean about how we provide LGBTQ+ young people with the tools they need to understand themselves, build healthy relationships, and thrive in a world that often overlooks...

Send us Fan Mail Anyone who has ever experienced bullying or teasing of any kind has probably heard the saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Really though, words can hurt, and the words we use matter. They can heal, connect, and empower, or they can harm and exclude. Words have power, and in today’s episode of In the Den, Sara talks with special guest Alex...

Send us Fan Mail Activism takes many forms, from frontline advocacy and protests to behind the scenes legal work and policy-making to creative visioning and artistic expression. Today’s guest In the Den is an amazing human who weaves all of these forms of justice work into her life. Sara talks with activist, civil rights attorney, and poet Sunu Chandy about her life, her poetry, and how art acts a...

Send us Fan Mail So many of us lead overly busy lives and often find ourselves consumed with caring for others, including our children. Self-care is often the last thing on our priority list. Perhaps the whole concept of self-care feels frivolous or trendy. In today’s episode of In the Den , Sara sits down with Reverend Florence Caplow, a Zen priest and teacher, to discuss the reality of self-care...

Send us Fan Mail It isn’t unusual for LGBTQ+ people to decide to come out to their families during the holidays, and we want to help it go as smoothly as possible for everyone. This week In the Den , we’re throwing it back to replay an important past episode, where Jen spoke with Neca Allgood about what to do when your child first comes out to you. They discuss common mistakes and how to avoid the...

Send us Fan Mail Content Warning: This episode discusses suicide.   According to the CDC, suicide is the second-leading cause of death for teens and young adults, and LGBTQ+ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers. Additionally, there’s often an increase in suicidality and mental health crises around the holiday season, especially in the days that directly foll...

Send us Fan Mail When you and your family have spent your lives rooted in a particular religious tradition only to realize that your tradition does not openly welcome, support, and affirm your LGBTQ+ child or family member, it can be devastating. As a result, many parents end up leaving church. Some leave because of a lack of support, some because the church leaders and community shunned them or t...

Send us Fan Mail With the holiday season in full swing, many of us are finding ourselves navigating sometimes tricky and challenging family gatherings, especially with our queer kids. This time of year often comes with particular, sometimes unspoken, expectations about our participation in family events. Supporting our queer kids also occasionally means having to respond to inappropriate questions...

Send us Fan Mail Currently, young trans people are under attack across the country and around the world. Many of them continue to face rejection, persecution, and lack of support.  Transanta is an amazing organization that is showing up to help meet the needs of the young trans community in the United States. Today In the Den , Sara talks with Transanta Elf Claudia Roley to discuss the needs of tr...

Send us Fan Mail We've had quite a few therapists on this podcast, and they have all shared so much wisdom and compassionate advice for us and our families. This week In the Den , our host Sara sits down with therapist Ann Russo, who specializes in the intersection of religion and LGBTQ+ issues. They discuss a range of topics surrounding mental health, spirituality, and queerness.  Special Gu...

Send us Fan Mail The outcome of the recent presidential election has left many of us reeling and feeling concern for our LGBTQ+ community, especially for our queer children. Many of us in the Mama Dragons community are already feeling the impact as our children share with us their fears and real-life interactions at school, work, and in the community. So, what can we do? This week In the Den , Sar...

Send us Fan Mail In the Den with Mama Dragons is entering a new era! After almost two years, our original host Jen is passing the hosting microphone on to another amazing Mama Dragon who will take the lead. Our new host is Sara LaWall. Sara has guest-hosted several episodes in the past and should be familiar to regular listeners. Today, Jen sits down with Sara to visit, so that we can all get to k...

Send us Fan Mail 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: Gender Binary shared by Jess in North Carolina Gender Expansive shared by Julie in Snohomish, Washington Gender Expression shared by Marie, formerly in Texas Gender Queer   shared by Kate in Melbourne,...

Send us Fan Mail Note: This episode is a replay of a past episode (E44) that felt timely as the holidays approach again.  We asked members of our group to share some of the most hurtful things that had been said to them or their LGBTQ children, even if the speaker’s intentions were good.  The response was absolutely overwhelming. Some of the reported comments would be considered microaggressions a...

Send us Fan Mail Art has such power to transform the way we see the world and to show us new perspectives, ideas, and values.  Art can also be an invitation to beauty and joy, which is something we all need more of in our lives and the world, especially in these times. This week In the Den , guest host Sara LaWall talks with special guest Rae Senarighi, also known as the Transpainter, about his ex...

Send us Fan Mail 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.  A few times a year, we will be sharing a Mama Dragon’s story...

Send us Fan Mail We have introduced several LGBTQ+ people on this podcast in the past.  Our hope is to better understand the unique and individual lives of people who are not always represented.  We also hope to remind our listeners that there is a world of possibility that exists for our kids–the same possibilities as any of our straight and cis kids. This week In the Den , Jen explores some of t...

Send us Fan Mail As Mama Dragons, we often find ourselves in places where we have the opportunity to stand up and advocate for our queer children. Today In the Den , Jen sits down with fierce Mama Dragon Debbie Thomas to talk about her experiences of mothering two LGBTQ+ children, and how she learned to advocate for her child in a big way–all the way to the Supreme Court. Special Guest: Debbie Tho...

Send us Fan Mail As states across the nation continue to target transgender children, some families flee for safety and refuge.  Some families choose to be as invisible as possible for their safety, and we support and celebrate that.  But other families are choosing to plant their feet and fight back. Today’s In the Den guest is a mom from Texas who fought back when the state investigated her and...

Send us Fan Mail 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: Prejudice shared by Chris Davis in Maine Unconscious Bias shared by Lisa Renaud in Windsor, Ontario, Canada Microaggressions shared by Marnie in Gold Coast, Australia Discrimination   shared by Erin in...

Send us Fan Mail People around the world battle with self-image and self-esteem issues.  Humans do a lot of things to look presentable and attractive, or even acceptable, to the world around them. Society sets unrealistic expectations about what it means to be a woman and what it means to be a man. Transgender people not only have to face these universal unrealistic expectations, they also face ma...

Send us Fan Mail Project 2025 is a comprehensive initiative developed by The Heritage Foundation as a blueprint for any administration willing to take it on.  Many people have seen or heard of it in news headlines, but not as many really understand what it actually is or why it matters. Regardless of who wins any election, the elements and ideas in Project 2025 will come up, and parents and allies...

Send us Fan Mail Conversion therapy, sometimes known as reparative therapy, targets LGBTQ+ people and seeks to change their sexual or gender identities. Conversion therapy has been shown to be harmful and has been categorically rejected by every mainstream medical and mental health organization for years. However, due to continued societal bias against queer people, some practitioners continue to...

Send us Fan Mail As individuals who love and celebrate the queer people in our lives, we are very aware that their journey to accepting themselves is not always an easy one.  There are lots of intersections that come together to make every journey unique, and yet we find common threads. Today In the Den , Jen visits with Mike Maeshiro about his experiences coming out as gay, deconstructing evangel...