Claim OwnershipIn The Den with Mama Dragons
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© 2026 In The Den with Mama Dragons
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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.
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Send us a text There are days when fear and grief sit heavy in our chests. The headlines, the laws, the hateful rhetoric–it can all make us wonder how to protect our children and queer loved ones. So many of us, parents and queer folks, are feeling so drained, perhaps sometimes teetering on the edge of despair. But, sometimes what we need most aren’t just plans or protests, but blessings—words that can be a balm, a reminder of queer beauty, wholeness, and love when queer and trans bodies and ...
1Send us a text Everywhere we look, the backlash against trans lives is growing louder. We’re facing policies targeting healthcare, book bans erasing our stories, coordinated campaigns to sow fear and confusion. This backlash isn’t happening in isolation, though. It’s part of a much larger cultural and political force determined to roll back gender justice for all of us. Today In the Den, Sara and acclaimed policy analyst Julie Kohler dig into what’s beneath the backlash across America—how it ...
Send us a text In October, Mama Dragons was invited to participate in an annual event in Hollywood called “A Day of Unreasonable Conversation.” This day-long event is an invitation-only gathering of our culture’s most influential storytellers — writers, producers, content creators, and executives — with activists, thought leaders, and individuals with lived experience. The gathering is framed around a simple but urgent question: “In the face of today’s biggest challenges, how can storytelling...
Send us a text Today we’re inviting you to be part of some real talk with moms. Sara is joined In the Den by two other moms of trans kids, Melissa and Sarah, and together the three moms will share with you what’s on their hearts–the fears, the doubts, the anger and the joys–in hopes to offer you all some solidarity and connection. Because we know that being the mom of trans or queer kids right now can be really hard, but none of us are alone in the journey. Special Guest: Melissa Me...
Send us a text Many of us want the holiday season to be a time of connection and celebration, but this time of year can also be complicated. Family gatherings can come with unspoken tension, old dynamics resurface, expectations rise, and the pressure to “keep the peace” can collide with our deep desire to protect and affirm our kids. And for some, this season can bring loneliness, depression, or grief—not warmth. We know you’re navigating all of that. And you don’t have to do it alone. Today ...
Send us a text Over half of states have severely restricted or banned healthcare for trans kids, so many families find themselves having to cross state lines to get their kids the healthcare they need. But there is a group of unlikely heroes, dedicated to the belief that access to healthcare saves lives and that access to that care is a right. Elevated Access is a network of volunteer pilots who use their wings to protect bodily autonomy and dignity. Today, Sara talks with Mike Bonanza,...
Send us a text Drag queens are living proof that courage can come in sequins, heels, and unapologetic self-expression. They show us every day that bravery isn’t just about facing danger—it’s about showing up fully as yourself, even when the world might not be ready for it, and that sometimes courage looks like meeting hate with humor, compassion, and a touch of glitter. Today In the Den Sara sits down with the one and only Cookie Pusss, whose video of her powerful and surprisingly tender exch...
Send us a text Since the inauguration, the Trump administration has issued near-nonstop attacks on the trans community. From the first executive order declaring that “sex” will be defined strictly as male or female, fixed at birth; eliminating official recognition of transgender or non-binary identities on passports, visas, and other federal documents; to a ban on transgender people serving in the military; to a recent declaration that he wants to issue a total ban on healthcare for trans peo...
Send us a text When it comes to healthcare, trust can mean everything—especially for transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people who too often face discrimination, misunderstanding, and sometimes outright harm in medical settings. Affirming healthcare isn’t just about using the right name or pronouns—it’s about safety, dignity, and the difference between being seen as a whole person or reduced to a diagnosis. Today In the Den, Sara is joined by Josh Blakesley, Executive Director of The Welcom...
Send us a text With the recent Supreme Court order that allows the Trump administration to enforce discriminatory policies regarding gender markers on passports, we wanted to bring you a short episode that unpacks the case, the ruling, and provides answers to some of the questions we’ve been hearing. Sara is joined In the Den today by Bill Mitchell, an attorney with Legal Voice, a gender justice organization that works in the Northwest’s courtrooms, legislatures, and communities creating and ...
Send us a text Public schools aren’t a perfect fit for everyone. The traditional "one-size-fits-all" curriculum often leaves out many students whose identities and learning needs don’t fit an outdated norm–queer students, Black and Brown students, neurodivergent students. And with decreased funding for specialized programs, crowded classrooms, and legislatures banning curriculum that honors diversity and inclusion and removing anti-discrimination protections, many families find their kids str...
Send us a text Imagine: a quietly majestic, lusciously colorful, resplendently book-and-plant-filled, naturally-lit, immaculately-vibed open space for queer and trans people of all ages–including youth, families, and elders–and all the folks they love. Now imagine that space isn’t a dream, but a real place–one that celebrates queer stories, fosters connection, and helps young people see themselves reflected in the pages they turn. Today In the Den, Sara and special guest Jake Stepansky are st...
Send us a text So often we hear arguments against homosexuality from conservative Christians who claim biblical authority. But what if that authority is built on a mistranslation? What if the word homosexual was never meant to be in the Bible? That question is at the heart of today’s conversation. Sara and filmmaker Rocky Roggio are diving into the groundbreaking documentary 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture. This film uncovers how a single mistranslation in the Revised Standard V...
Send us a text So often we hear arguments against homosexuality from conservative Christians — friends, family, even legislators — who claim biblical authority. But what if that authority is built on a mistranslation? What if the word homosexual was never meant to be in the Bible at all? That question lies at the heart of today’s conversation. Sara and special Guest Kathy Baldock are diving into the groundbreaking documentary 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture — a film that reveals...
Send us a text Content Warning: this episode contains frank discussions of self-harm and suicidality. At Mama Dragons we know the value of shame-free spaces where parents of LGBTQ+ kids can explore, learn, and grow. Building families and communities rooted in genuine support is an important part of creating healthy futures for our queer children. Today In the Den, Sara visits with creator, author, and speaker Heather Hester about parenting LGBTQ+ children, unlearning the biases of our past,...
Send us a text One of the most powerful truths about change is that it often begins in the most ordinary moments—when we choose authenticity, vulnerability, and the courage to be seen. Our guest In the Den today is Ash Beckham, who discovered that courage to be seen, which led her on a surprising journey to advocacy and activism. Ash is an author, advocate, and public speaker known for her viral TEDx talk “Coming Out of Your Closet”. In that powerful speech, Ash reminds us that we are ALL in ...
Send us a text Today In the Den, we’re diving into a conversation at the intersection of identity, belonging, and storytelling. Our guest, Ingrid Hu Dahl, is a writer, speaker, and leadership coach whose work explores the layers of what it means to be both mixed race, queer and finding feminism. Ingrid is the author of the newly released memoir Sun Shining on Morning Snow, a powerful and intimate exploration of identity, grief, resilience, and transformation. Special Guest: Ingrid Hu Dahl ...
Send us a text For far too many LGBTQ+ people, religion has been used as a weapon–a source of shame, exclusion, and deep spiritual wounds. Many have been told they are “incompatible with scripture,” and some have left their faith communities altogether just to protect their own well-being. Today In the Den, Sara sits down with Reformation Project founder Matthew Vines, who offers an invitation to re-read the Bible with fresh eyes, to separate tradition from truth, and to imagine a church wher...
Send us a text Imagine a world where queer and trans youth have safety, autonomy, joy, and the chance to live into their fullest potential. It’s a world we Mama Dragons all dream of for our queer kids. Our guests today are from an organization called Queer Youth Assemble that is not just dreaming it, but making it happen–through marches, walkouts, protests, creative activism, and community resources. This week In the Den, Sara visits with three young people who are sparking change from coast ...
Send us a text For far too many LGBTQ+ people, the idea of changing who they are has been forced upon them—through family pressure, faith communities, or the dangerous practice of conversion therapy. These programs, often cloaked in the language of care or religious devotion, have left deep wounds on survivors—shame, trauma, and fractured relationships with themselves and others. Today In the Den, Sara visits with Dr. Lucas Wilson, editor of Shame-Sex Attraction: Survivors’ Stories of Convers...
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