In The Den with Mama Dragons

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 Join Jen as she sits down with sex therapist Dr. Cami Hurst to discuss the topics of safe sex and sex education for our queer kids. Cami presents the foundations of sexual health, including consent, non-exploitation, mutual pleasure, protection from STIs and unwanted pregnancy, honesty, and shared values. Don’t miss this information packed episode, full of valuable resources and w...

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: Bisexual shared by Marnie Lobban Pansexual shared by Tracey Anne from Scotland Lesbian shared by Steph Leanne from Mississippi Pregnancy (queer potential)   shared by Shauna Jones from Idaho In the Den...

Send us Fan Mail In this week’s episode of In the Den, Jen visits with Denver-based therapist Cole Brennen about his experiences coming out as trans himself 25 years ago, changes in society’s perceptions of trans people over that time, and what parents can do to support and nurture their queer children today.  Special Guest: Cole Brennen Cole Brennan is a queer and transgender mental health therap...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of In the Den , Jen brings back past guests Lori Davis, Shauna Jones, Neca Allgood, and Laura Skaggs to answer some frequently asked questions regarding parenting an LGBTQ child.  What do I do if my partner/co-parent isn’t supportive of my child? Why does my child say they are a boy but wear dresses and makeup? What’s the difference between gender identity and expr...

Send us Fan Mail With the tidal wave of anti-transgender legislation currently sweeping the United States, there is an overabundance of misinformation and disinformation circulating about what transitioning is and what it means. To be clear, some trans people never transition in any way, and transitioning is not a requirement of being transgender. Some trans people may utilize certain aspects of t...

Send us Fan Mail Many religious spaces can be fraught for LGBTQ people of faith and those who love them. Scripture and theology are all too often used to harm instead of heal, especially when it comes to our queer congregants. Pastor Stan Mitchell sits down with Jen to talk about how religious theology has hurt and wounded the LGBTQ community, and how we can lean on and expand our faith to find pe...

Send us Fan Mail It can be a confusing and even frustrating experience for parents when their LGBTQ child changes how they label their identity. It’s important to understand that it is very common for LGBTQ young people to find a label for themselves and to later change that label to something else down the road. What does label changing mean, and how can we fully support our children when we don’...

Send us Fan Mail The 2023 legislative season is here, and there are a record-breaking 299 anti-LGBTQ bills being proposed across the nation, most attacking transgender young people. The complex nature of the legislative process, along with the overwhelming number of bills being presented, may lead parents of LGBTQ children to feel discouraged and overwhelmed, but we’re here to help. On this week’s...

Send us Fan Mail The 2023 legislative season is here, and there are currently a record-breaking 300+ anti-LGBTQ bills being proposed across the nation, most attacking transgender young people. The complex nature of the legislative process, along with the overwhelming number of bills being presented, has the potential to lead parents of LGBTQ children to feel discouraged and overwhelmed, but we’re...

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: Labels , shared by Clare McFadyen from England Queer , shared by Barbara Proudfoot from South Africa  Gay , shared by Roxana Rich from California, USA Transgender , shared by Pannay from Wisconsin, USA...

Send us Fan Mail I n this week’s episode of In the Den , Jen visits with special guests Samantha Richardson and Beckett Jones about what it means to be transgender. From fundamental definitions to misconceptions/misinformation surrounding trans issues to what dating might look like as a trans person, this episode is valuable listening for anyone wanting to better understand the trans experience. ...

Send us Fan Mail Nothing has the potential to create beautiful memories or deeply hurt feelings quite like family gatherings. Family is central for many of us, but having and supporting an LGBTQ child may open your family up to situations of conflict and discomfort when it comes to family interactions. In this episode of In the Den , Jen talks with therapist Laura Skaggs about possible scenarios t...

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 episode of In the Den , Jen joins past guests Lori Davis, Shauna Jones, and Neca Allgood to answer a handful of frequently asked questions regarding parenting an LGBTQ child.  How can I be sure my child's identity isn't just a phase, and could I cause harm by supporting them if it is? How can I help my child come out to extend family when they're ready? How...

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: Orientation shared by Zane Bekayci Bates, a non-binary trans-masculine parent from Colorado  Klein Sexual Orientation Grid shared by Laura from California Homosexual/Heterosexual shared by Becky from U...

Send us Fan Mail Join Jen and guest Dr. Lisa Tensmeyer Hansen as they explore the sometimes difficult world of setting and keeping boundaries to protect and support your LGBTQ child. From school to church to relatives to friends, there will always be opportunities to practice boundary setting and keeping. Practicing boundaries can be hard, but ultimately allow truer relationships with those we lov...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of In the Den , Mama Dragons Executive Director Celeste Carolin joins Jen to talk about finding and utilizing the available tools that can help make processing your child’s coming out journey a little easier. From appropriate ways of processing your own grief to finding answers to your questions without placing undue burden on your child, Jen and Celeste explore wa...

Send us Fan Mail EPISODE 4: Bryce Cook–Building Communities of Support In this episode of In the Den , Jen talks with Bryce Cook about the need that we all have for community. Helping your LGBTQ child find or create community can be key to their emotional and social happiness. Bryce describes seeing a need for a space of community for his sons, and how he went about creating that space for his son...

Send us Fan Mail CONTENT WARNING: Mention of Suicidality Jen chats with guests Shauna Jones and Lori Davis about some of the mistakes parents may make when their child comes out. They share some of their own personal missteps, and talk about what to do when you don’t get it right. From learning new vocabulary to adjusting pronouns, there are a lot of ways to fall short of perfection, and Jen, Shau...

Send us Fan Mail Jen meets with veteran LGBTQ researcher Dr. Caitlin Ryan to talk about how family responses can directly impact the health and wellbeing of their LGBTQ family member. Dr. Ryan talks about her decades-long research on behaviors that occur within families when an LGBTQ person comes out and how those behaviors directly impact their self-worth, hopefulness, risk behaviors, health, and...

Send us Fan Mail Join Jen and guest Neca Allgood in this inaugural episode of In the Den as they talk about what to do when your child first comes out to you. They’ll discuss common mistakes and how to avoid them. They’ll also cover what to do when you don’t get things right the first time.  It’s an important conversation for parents with LGBTQ children of any age.  Special Guest: Neca Allgood Nec...

Send us Fan Mail Have you heard of Mama Dragons? Are you curious who we are? And why in the world we're adding yet another podcast to the podcasting world? Join us in the den and we'll get you all caught up so you can save yourself a comfy seat on the sofa for our upcoming episodes! Support the show Connect with Mama Dragons: Website Instagram Facebook Donate to this podcast