If These Ovaries Could Talk

Haven and Koy's journey to parenthood included IVF, IUIs, anonymous and known donors, multiple moves, and ultimately foster care—where they met and adopted their 6-year-old son, River. In this final episode of our Pride Extravaganza, they open up to our host, Jaimie Kelton, about what it’s really like navigating foster-to-adopt as queer parents, how loss and resilience shaped their parenting journey, and how all of it inspired a new film.Oh—and did we mention River is the star of that film?This episode is loud, joyful, chaotic, and beautifully honest—just like queer family life.

Can cis men be lactation consultants? Can trans folks chestfeed? Can someone who had top surgery still make milk? YES, YES, and YES. In this eye-opening Pride Extravaganza episode, Jaimie sits down with Jacob Engelsman, a cisgender queer man, lactation consultant, and author of Lactation for the Rest of Us, a groundbreaking guide designed specifically for queer and trans families. Together, they dive into all the whos, whys, and hows of induced lactation—debunking myths and expanding the conversation around who gets to feed babies with their bodies. Jacob also shares his personal story of love, queerness, and staying connected to his trans husband through their evolving identities.

Jaimie and her wife Anne share a heartfelt update on Anne's breast cancer journey, including the challenges of chemotherapy, unexpected back surgery, and the support from their community. They discuss upcoming medical procedures and the emotional toll of their experiences. Photographer Suzanne Fiore joins the conversation to offer discounted sessions for queer families, highlighting the importance of capturing family moments. Listeners are encouraged to celebrate and document their families, emphasizing love and resilience within the LGBTQ+ community.

Peggy Gillespie returns to The Queer Family Podcast with even more stories, accolades, and queer advocacy badassery.Peggy Gillespie, co-founder of Family Diversity Projects and creator of Love Makes a Family and Authentic Selves, is back for our Pride Extravaganza—and she has not slowed down. Since her first appearance on the show, Peggy has been honored by Family Equality, hugged by Katie Couric, and danced her way into queer history. In this episode, host Jaimie Kelton sits down with Peggy to hear about the Family Equality Gala, her powerful new exhibits centering trans and nonbinary folks, and her ongoing mission to flood schools, libraries, and public spaces with true representation.They also unpack why “normal” is a dangerous word, how early childhood bias takes root, and why telling our stories—especially in this political climate—is more vital than ever.

Darra Gordon, the new CEO of Family Equality, joins host Jaimie to share her wild, beautiful, and intentional journey to queer parenthood—while simultaneously leading in LGBTQ+ advocacy. In a conversation filled with laughs, wisdom, and the occasional tween meltdown tangent, Dara opens up about trying to conceive at the same time as her wife, choosing donors (yes, plural), navigating unexpected challenges, and raising three incredible kids—including a nonbinary teen—in a world that’s not always built for queer families. Plus, they discuss why Family Equality’s work matters more than ever in our current political climate.

Kyle Casey Chu (@pandadulce) is a drag performer, author, filmmaker, and one of the founding queens of Drag Story Hour—and in this powerful Pride Extravaganza episode, Kyle joins host Jaimie Kelton to talk about the art and activism that’s helping queer youth thrive. Kyle opens up about growing up in San Francisco with his autistic twin brother, coming out in middle school, and how queer joy, drag, and storytelling became his path to healing.He shares the terrifying moment when Proud Boys stormed his reading at a public library—and how he turned that trauma into a short film now making waves on the festival circuit. And Kyle’s not stopping there: he also just released his debut middle-grade novel The Queen Bees of Tybee County, a story rooted in queer joy, chosen identity, and pageant glamor.This conversation is about imagination, healing, and finding light even in dark places. It’s a celebration of the resilience of queer families, kids, creators, and the radical power of showing up in joy.

Brian Crano and David Joseph Craig are husbands, dads, filmmakers—and now the creators of a new dark comedy based on their real journey to queer parenthood. In this powerful and delightfully funny Pride Extravaganza episode, they sit down with host Jaimie Kelton to share how their long, complicated path to adoption—complete with a scam, soul-searching, and spreadsheets—turned into “I Don’t Understand You,” a heartfelt horror-comedy now hitting theaters.The couple opens up about the grief, the grit, and the gay tax of becoming parents, how their birth mother became the hero of their story, and why queer joy deserves more screen time. Plus, Jaimie shares her reactions to the film (spoiler alert: she hasn’t finished it yet) and why telling our stories, no matter the genre, is an act of pride.

Darren Graham (@therealdarrengraham), a single gay dad by choice and content creator, shares his beautiful and powerful journey to fatherhood. Originally from St. Vincent, Darren opens up to host Jaimie Kelton about his path through trauma, coming into his queerness, and eventually adopting his son as a solo parent. He also shares how parenting has become a space of healing and intention, and why he never "came out"—he simply confirmed who he was all along. This episode is a celebration of resilience, chosen family, and the many ways queer folks build home.

It’s Pride Extravaganza, y’all!

This joyful, visibility-filled throwback deserves another listen.Originally aired during our 2023 Pride Extravaganza, this episode features Brian and Alec Mazelin, a gay couple raising their daughter and showing up online as their fabulous, authentic selves. Their story of love, intentional family building, and unapologetic visibility is exactly what we need right now.

This Pride Month warm-up replay is a must-listen.Peggy Gillespie—author, queer parent, and co-director of Family Diversity Projects—has been celebrating LGBTQIA+ families and underrepresented voices for decades. In this episode (originally part of our Pride Extravaganza), she shares how her work has helped shift hearts and minds across the country—including the very communities where our identities are under attack today.

Casey and Sarah share their beautiful, uniquely queer family-building journey—featuring a known donor (Sarah’s brother!), a nonbinary pregnancy, chestfeeding after top surgery, and building a milk-sharing network. Plus, we dive into Sarah’s breast cancer diagnosis and how their love and resilience are carrying them through. Full of heart, humor, and radical queer joy.

Kim and Katie walk us through their ultra-intentional path to queer family building: from meeting online and moving in together lesbian-fast, to getting certified as foster parents just in case, to navigating a heartbreaking late miscarriage after IUI in a clinic, to finding success through home insemination—and thawing donor sperm under a boob.As we dive deeper, the episode unpacks the layered complexities of queer family building. The couple reflects on the fear and beauty of non-biological parenthood, the nuanced choice between known and anonymous sperm donors, and how a simple donor mix-up led to a deeper understanding of what really makes a family. With humor, heart, and radical honesty, Kim and Katie show us the power of queer intentionality, the importance of early and open conversations with their daughter, and the legal logistics we all have to consider—especially now.Through all the twists and turns, their story is a beautiful reminder: queer families are built with love, purpose, and a whole lot of

What happens when your best friend offers to help you make a baby?Jaimie sits down with Kait and Sophie—two queer folks trying to build their family—and their longtime friend (and now known donor!) Oliver. Together, they open up about the winding road that led them to one another, how a heartfelt email changed everything, and the love, planning, and community it takes to make a family—queer style.This is not your average family-building journey. From navigating fibroids and reciprocal IVF to creating legal contracts and sharing meals during donation week, their story is bursting with intention, humor, and a deep sense of abundance. They’re redefining what family can look like—and we’re lucky to listen in.

Two mamas. Two wombs. One donor. In this episode, Ana and Becky share their epic journey of building a family through simultaneous reciprocal IVF—yes, they were both pregnant at the same time. From pandemic sperm shortages to second-parent adoption logistics, this is a deeply lesbian, wildly honest, and beautifully queer tale of love, planning, and two babies born just five weeks apart.This is a story of planning, spreadsheets, love, and so much queer resilience. Also, sperm selfies. And silk pajamas. You don’t want to miss this one.

Jaimie sits down with Jacob and Riley, a T4T (trans-for-trans) couple redefining what it means to be a modern family. From co-parenting with Jacob’s platonic best friend to conceiving their son using nothing but love, timing, and a little queer magic (yes, really!), this episode is a beautiful, affirming deep-dive into queer love, chosen family, and intentional parenthood.They open up about stopping hormones to conceive, the emotional journey of pregnancy as a trans man, and how gender identity shaped their experience of becoming “Mom” and “Dad.” If you’ve ever questioned what a queer family can look like—this story is for you.

Jaimie sits down with Liam—a Scottish-born, England-based gay dad—who shares the winding road he and his husband took to adopt their daughter through the UK’s foster-to-adopt system. From intense evaluations to surprise newborn pick-up calls, this story is filled with love, bureaucracy, and a whole lot of intention.You’ll hear how growing up under Section 28 shaped Liam’s identity, how he and his husband made the decision to adopt, and why they ultimately said yes to early permanence—despite the risks. It’s a moving, insightful story that shows just how badass LGBTQIA+ parents are.

Caitlyn, one half of @2ladiesand2babies on social media joins Jaimie to talk all things queer parenting, social media, and the ongoing fight for LGBTQIA+ visibility. From hilarious parenting fails to the not-so-funny rise of online hate, they dive into how social media has shifted for queer creators in today's political climate. They also discuss second-parent adoption, why legal protection is a must for LGBTQ+ families, and how to handle the trolls that come with being openly queer online.This is a fun and heartfelt conversation between two gay moms who are just trying to raise good humans—while also dealing with a lot of ridiculousness from their kids (and the internet).

Marie Newman isn’t just an advocate—she’s a fighter. As a former Congresswoman from Illinois, she took on big fights for LGBTQ+ rights, healthcare equity, gun reform, and more. But her mission became personal when her daughter came out as transgender, propelling her even deeper into the fight for equality.In this episode, Marie shares her unexpected path to Congress, the struggles of passing meaningful legislation, and why she refuses to back down—even as anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric ramps up across the U.S. and beyond. She also opens up about her family’s journey, the reality of raising a trans child in today’s political climate, and what we can all do to push back against the attacks on our rights.

Heather grew up in the Bible Belt as the daughter of a gay man and a pastor’s granddaughter, suppressing her truth for years. She married a man, started a family, and did everything ‘right’—until, at 38, she realized she was a lesbian… while on a literal therapy call in the closet. Now, she’s untangling decades of religious trauma, reclaiming her identity, and proving that it’s never too late to live your truth.