In The Den with Mama Dragons

Send us Fan Mail Dating these days can be daunting for anyone, but dating as a queer person comes with unique challenges. The parents in our Mama Dragons groups ask a lot of questions about how to help their queer kids with dating when the time comes. In this episode of In the Den , Jen tackles the topic of dating and turns to the experts–four young, queer, Gen Z adults. They discuss their experie...

Send us Fan Mail This week’s episode of In the Den kicks off a new series! 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. So...

Send us Fan Mail It’s common to hear teenagers complain, “My parents just don’t understand me.” When your child is LGBTQ, and your experience is that of a straight and/or cisgender person, that may actually be more true than we realize. We surveyed queer youth and gathered their feedback to learn what they most wish their parents understood. Jen sits down with queer and trans therapist Cole Brenna...

Send us Fan Mail Mama Dragons supports, educates, and empowers mothers of LGBTQ children, but we also celebrate and acknowledge the importance of affirming fathers. In this episode of In the Den , Jen talks with three dads of LGBTQ kids about their experiences and learned wisdom from raising their queer kids.  Special Guest: Lance Sweeten Lance Sweeten holds a bachelor's degree in engineering...

Send us Fan Mail “If it’s not fun for everyone, then it’s not actual fun.” When schoolyard banter crosses into harassment and bullying, what can we do to keep our kids safe at school? This week In the Den , Jen and special guest Dr. Roni Jo Draper discuss how to recognize and respond to bullying whether our child is being bullied or has become a bully within the public school system.  Special Gues...

Send us Fan Mail This week In the Den , Jen talks with seven moms of queer children about their honest feelings around parenting queer children. Our guests share how they felt when their child came out and how they feel now about having an LGBTQ child.  Special Guest: Rhonda Hill Rhonda is a mother of four from Utah who loves to cook, craft, and play the piano. Special Guest: Lisa Glad Lisa is a M...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 56–All Things Gender In this week’s episode of In the Den , Jen sits down with special guest Erik VonSosen and her mother Wendy to chat about all things gender related. They cover everything from gender performance, gender expression to gender experience, gender transition, and more. Special Guest: Wendy VonSosen Wendy joined Mama Dragons in 2016. She's the mother of...

Send us Fan Mail Words with Friends 10 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: Questioning shared by Maria Fergus in Washington Butch shared by Kellie in West Texas Femme shared by Michelle in Boise, Idaho Androgynous   shared by M’Lisa E. in Idaho In the De...

Send us Fan Mail The power that can come from seeing your own experiences reflected in stories cannot be understated. This week In the Den , Jen chats with New York Times bestselling author Mackenzi Lee about the importance of representation, and queer representation in particular, in literature. Representation matters because what we see in the media doesn't just reflect reality. It has the...

Send us Fan Mail EPISODE 54–Just the FAQs–Moms of Trans Minors  In this episode of In the Den , Jen joins two mothers of young transgender children to answer a handful of frequently asked questions regarding actively parenting an underage trans child in today’s political climate. Because it isn’t currently safe to be a transgender child, and because we don’t wish to put trans children or their fam...

Send us Fan Mail In 2023, a record-breaking 586 bills were introduced across the United States that specifically targeted transgender people and their right to exist. From removing trans people's access to healthcare to their access to public bathrooms, sports, books, or simply the use of their names and pronouns, efforts to erase trans people were intense. The 2024 legislative season is arou...

Send us Fan Mail In the Den is one year old! To celebrate a full year of episodes, we’re turning the spotlight back onto our intrepid host Jen Blair.  Mama Dragons Executive Director Celeste Carolin guest hosts and asks Jen about her experiences of having a child come out as gay and finding Mama Dragons in its earliest years of existence. We hope you enjoy this chance to get to know Jen better and...

Send us Fan Mail Content Warning: Frank discussion of death by suicide In this week’s episode of In the Den , Jen sits down with fellow Mama Dragons Julie Turnbull and Alyson Paul Deussen to talk about their lived experiences as mothers surviving the loss of their sons to suicide. In this vulnerable discussion, they honestly share the difficult moments of parenting a suicidal child and the journey...

Send us Fan Mail Content Warning: Talk of Suicide If you are having thoughts of suicide or self harm, please call or text 988, or chat 988lifeline.org Misconceptions and stigma can make suicide hard to understand, but talking about it can make a huge difference. Mama Dragons is committed to keeping the conversation at the forefront of our group to help conquer those misconceptions and help lower s...

Send us Fan Mail Over the years we’ve heard LGBTQ people say that they didn’t know what life might look like for them as an adult. Many haven’t had LGBTQ role models that provide examples of a potential future, and a lot of fear that parents of LGBTQ children experience comes from the unknown as well. We thought it might be helpful for parents to get to know some of the amazing members of the LGBT...

Send us Fan Mail In this week’s episode of In the Den , Jen sits down with Point Foundation Executive Director and CEO Jorge Valencia to discuss everything from his experiences growing up closeted and gay in a conservative religion in the South in the 80’s, to his time as president and executive director of the Trevor Project, to his current position as executive director and CEO of the Point Foun...

Send us Fan Mail This week In the Den , Jen talks with LGBTQ/disability advocate Carson Tueller about his experiences surrounding the intersection of sexuality and disability. Carson talks about coming out as gay and the spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed. He also shares his thoughts on systemic ableism and offers valuable insights into sexual intimacy and vulnerability.  Special Guest: Ca...

Send us Fan Mail Conversion therapy, sometimes called reparative therapy or sexual reorientation counseling, is an attempt to change a person's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. There is broad consensus in the medical community that sexual orientation and gender identity are immutable traits and that attempts to change these characteristics through conversion therapy...

Send us Fan Mail Words with Friends 9 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: WPATH shared by Becky J. from Salt Lake City, Utah ROGD shared by Pannay G. from Wisconsin SRS/GCS shared by Melissa H. from Georgia SOGIE   shared by Heather G. from Southern Idah...

Send us Fan Mail EPISODE 45–A Closer Look at Ace/Aro Identities There are misconceptions and misunderstandings surrounding those who find themselves on the asexual (ace) and/or aromantic (aro) spectrums. In this episode of In the Den , Jen talks with special guests Grayson Moore and Kris Glad about what it means to be asexual and aromantic.  Special Guest: Grayson Moore Grayson Moore (he/him) came...

Send us Fan Mail 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 and some were intentionally cruel. Just in time for all of the upcoming holiday gatherings, Jen brings bac...

Send us Fan Mail In this week’s episode of In the Den , Jen sits down with Emmy award-winning transgender filmmaker Asher May-Corsini as he discusses his experiences of pursuing a career in the American film industry. He shares some of his favorite memories in making the Mama Dragons documentary, and how that experience changed him forever. He also offers insights into what brings him fulfillment...

Send us Fan Mail Studies show that transgender and nonbinary people are three to six times more likely to have autism than their cisgender peers. Researchers are still trying to better understand the connection. This week In the Den , Jen visits with occupational therapist Dr. Anne Kirby and Frank Vales, a trans and autistic student, about the intersection of the autism spectrum and gender diversi...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of In the Den , American actor and musician Emmett Preciado visits with Jen about his experience growing up as a transgender boy in a conservative religion. He candidly talks about a range of topics from transition to his experiences with dating to experiencing Hollywood as a trans man. You won’t want to miss this thoughtful glimpse into Emmett’s life and the wisdo...

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: Intersex shared by Becky Johnson Sex shared by Pam Theron Gender shared by Barbara Proudfoot Endosex   shared by Rhonda Hill In the Den is made possible by generous donors like you. Help us continue to...