In The Den with Mama Dragons
You're navigating parenting an LGBTQ+ child without a manual and knowing what to do and what to say isn't always easy. Each week we’ll visit with other parents of queer kids, talk with members of the LGBTQ+ community, learn from experts, and together explore ways to better parent our LGBTQ+ children. Join with us as we walk and talk with you through this journey of raising healthy, happy, and productive LGBTQ+ humans.
Episodes
122 episodes
The Power of Inclusive Language
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, c...
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Episode 105
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1:12:04
Activism Through Poetry
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 a...
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Episode 104
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52:41
Redefining Self-Care
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. ...
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Episode 103
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1:00:11
What to Do When Your Child Comes Out
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 i...
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Episode 102
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49:53
Speaking of Suicide
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...
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Episode 101
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1:26:15
Reframing the Holidays Beyond Religion
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...
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Episode 100
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1:12:20
Navigating Family Gatherings During the Holidays
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, expecta...
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Episode 99
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1:15:51
Transanta
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...
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Episode 98
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54:33
Queerness, Theology, and Therapy
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 sp...
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Episode 97
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56:47
The Election Is Over–Now What?
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 child...
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Episode 96
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1:12:03
In the Den is Getting a New Host!
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 h...
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Episode 95
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1:04:41
Words With Friends 15
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 share...
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4:50
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Dealing with Microagressions
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 ...
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Episode 94
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58:56
Transcend: Portraying Trans & Non-Binary people in Art with Rae Senarighi
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...
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Episode 93
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1:11:20
Mama Dragons Stories: Britt
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 ...
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Episode 92
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41:45
Telling Queer Stories with Nico Lang
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...
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Episode 91
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59:04
The Mama Dragon Behind the Masterpiece Cake Lawsuit
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 ...
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Episode 90
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51:48
Fighting Back Against Transphobic Laws
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 fam...
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Episode 89
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1:01:17
Words With Friends 14
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...
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6:06
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The Truth About Transition
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 mean...
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Episode 88
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1:04:31
All About Project 2025
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...
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Episode 87
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1:00:48
The History of Conversion Therapy
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 me...
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Episode 86
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49:38
Reconstructing after Evangelicalism
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 uniqu...
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Episode 85
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1:00:38
The Science of Gender with Dr. Jack Turban
Many of our children are more expansive with regard to gender than we would have ever considered in our generation. As parents of LGBTQ+ children, we are invested in having the tools we need to best support them and help them as they n...
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Episode 84
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1:04:30
