The Queer Family Podcast – LGBTQ Families & Queer Parenting Stories

Megan and Erika never imagined parenthood would be part of their story. Growing up without examples of queer families—and navigating neurodivergence and fears about losing themselves in parenthood—they weren't even sure they wanted children.
Then listening to this podcast helped Megan realize there might be another possibility.
Now they're raising their three-year-old son, Nova, with another baby on the way. They share a fertility journey that included IUIs, miscarriage, IVF, and an unexpected final vial from their dibling community.
Erika also opens up about navigating pregnancy as a butch woman—and discovering that carrying a baby didn't make her feel less connected to her identity. Quite the opposite.
As Erika puts it: “I think pregnancy is so butch.”

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways
You don’t have to have always dreamed of parenthood to become a deeply intentional parent.
Queer family building often means staying open when the path looks nothing like the one you planned.
Parenthood can crack you open—and give you the chance to break old cycles.
Pregnancy doesn’t have to be inherently feminine. Erika found it could actually deepen her connection to her butch identity.
Fertility loss can bring grief, compassion, and a new understanding of just how complex these journeys can be.
Representation matters. Sometimes seeing another queer family is what makes imagining your own possible.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)
Megan and Erika are a queer couple and parents to three-year-old Nova, with their second child on the way. Erika, a proud butch woman, is currently pregnant with their second child and hopes that sharing her experience can offer representation for other butch people considering pregnancy.
🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned
Megan and Erika on Instagram - Follow along on their journey

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🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!
Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube
🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 

🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 
🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website
🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.
The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-queer-family-podcast/exclusive-content

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What happens when you want to build a family—but have no idea where to start?
Kaelyn, known online as one half of @kaelynandveronica, joins Jaimie to share how she and her wife found their way to parenthood by doing what so many LGBTQ+ families do: looking to the families who had done it before them.
Kaelyn shares the emotional—and sometimes surprising—process of choosing a sperm donor, two years of fertility treatments before becoming pregnant with their daughter Rosie, and why having donor siblings has become such a meaningful part of their family's story. She also opens up about Veronica's experience as the non-biological mom, raising Rosie with an open understanding of donor conception, and how postpartum depression is shaping their conversations about having another child.
Plus, why Kaelyn says if she could have dinner with anyone, she'd choose Rosie's donor—just so she could say thank you.
🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways
There is no single “right” way to build an LGBTQ+ family.
Queer families often become roadmaps for the families coming behind them.
Biology doesn't determine the depth of a parent-child bond.
Being open about donor conception gives kids the language to understand their own stories.
Taking care of the parent matters, too—especially when considering another pregnancy after postpartum depression.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)
Kaelyn is a social media manager, content creator, wife to Veronica, and mom to their almost-three-year-old daughter, Rosie. Through @kaelynandveronica, she shares their life as a two-mom family, from donor conception and fertility to parenting and LGBTQ+ family life. Her work also focuses on helping others navigate family building and showing more of the many ways families can be created.

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com

🎧 Loved this episode?
Support The Queer Family Podcast on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and help keep these stories alive!
OR become a paid subscriber through our RedCircle page for bonus episodes and one-time or recurring donations:
🔗 redcircle.com/thequeerfamilypodcast/exclusive-content

🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?
Drop a comment, DM us, or email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com—we love hearing your stories!

🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!
Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube
🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 
🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 
🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.
The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-queer-family-podcast/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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Is your LGBTQ family as legally protected as you think it is?
LGBTQ+ family law attorney Rachel Levy joins Jaimie to break down the legal steps queer and trans families should know about—from confirmatory and second-parent adoption to donor agreements, estate planning, healthcare decisions, name changes, gender markers, and more.
Rachel explains why being listed on your child's birth certificate may not be enough to establish parental rights, what families using known donors should put in writing, and why finding an attorney who actually understands LGBTQ+ family law matters.
They also dig into the realities facing trans adults and parents of trans kids right now, including name changes, document updates, privacy and safety concerns, and the enormous differences in protections from state to state. And while the political climate can feel terrifying, Rachel offers an important reminder: frightening headlines don't always tell the whole legal story, and meaningful protections for LGBTQ+ families are still advancing at the state level.
This episode isn't about panic. It's about knowing your rights, asking the right questions, and taking the extra steps that can help protect the people you love.
🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways
A birth certificate may not be enough to establish parental rights.
Confirmatory adoption can offer important legal protection.
Put known-donor agreements in writing.
Estate planning is essential for LGBTQ+ families.
Find an LGBTQ+-competent lawyer who practices in your state.
Parents of trans kids should understand name-change and gender-marker laws.
LGBTQ+ protections vary significantly from state to state.
Scary headlines don’t always reflect what’s actually happening legally.
There’s no single “right” way for LGBTQ+ and trans people to navigate safety.
The Uniform Parentage Act could help standardize protections across states.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)
Rachel Levy is an attorney with Jerner Law Group, an LGBTQ+ family law firm based in Philadelphia. Her practice focuses on adoption and assisted reproductive technology (ART), estate planning, family building, and transgender legal issues, including name changes and legal affirmation. Rachel is passionate about helping LGBTQ+ families understand their rights and take the legal steps needed to protect themselves and their children.

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned
Website: www.jernerlaw.com
Jerner Law’s LGBTQ+ Resources Hub: www.jernerlaw.com/lgbtq-resources/
Instagram: @jernerlawgroup

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com

🎧 Loved this episode?
Support The Queer Family Podcast on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and help keep these stories alive!
OR become a paid subscriber through our RedCircle page for bonus episodes and one-time or recurring donations:
🔗 redcircle.com/thequeerfamilypodcast/exclusive-content

🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?
Drop a comment, DM us, or email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com—we love hearing your stories!
🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!
Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube
🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 
🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 
🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.
The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-queer-family-podcast/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What happens when three people intentionally choose to build a family together?
Vikram Kolmannskog is a psychotherapist, writer, and dad raising his four-year-old son with his husband, Daniel, and their son's mother, Cecilia. From finding each other through a queer family forum to navigating home insemination, biology, and the realities of three-parent co-parenting, their path to family is anything but traditional.
Vikram and Jaimie talk about the messy reality of parenting, biological vs. non-biological connection, the pressure to identify the "real" dad, and the deeply ingrained gender roles that still tell us mothers should nurture while fathers should provide.
It's a conversation about rupture and repair, challenging the rules we've inherited, and what queer families can teach us about what really makes someone a parent.
Because family isn't biology. It's love, commitment—and sometimes a whole lot of mess.
🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways
Why Vikram and Daniel chose intentional co-parenting
Finding their child's mother through a queer family forum
The very queer logistics of making a baby together
Navigating three-parent co-parenting when reality didn't match the plan
Biology, non-biological parenting, and the idea of the "real" parent
Why their family kept biological paternity private for the first year
The gendered expectations placed on mothers and fathers
Breastfeeding, formula, and the pressure placed on parents
How therapy helped their family move through conflict and repair
Why "messy" has become one of Vikram's favorite words for parenting

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)
Vikram Kolmannskog is the author of Reflections on Parenting from a Gestalt Therapist Father: Life with Leo, a personal exploration of his first years of parenthood.

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned
Vikram’s Website
Vikram’s Instagram
Vikram’s Book 

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com

🎧 Loved this episode?
Support The Queer Family Podcast on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and help keep these stories alive!
OR become a paid subscriber through our RedCircle page for bonus episodes and one-time or recurring donations:
🔗 redcircle.com/thequeerfamilypodcast/exclusive-content
🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?
Drop a comment, DM us, or email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com—we love hearing your stories!
🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!
Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 
🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 
🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website
🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.
The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-queer-family-podcast/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Reid Vanderburgh spent more than 20 years living in lesbian community before realizing he was trans. More than 30 years later, he's a retired therapist, author, stepfather, chosen grandfather, and proud trans elder.
Reid joins Jaimie to talk about finding the language to understand yourself, becoming the therapist he once needed, and why younger generations give him hope. They also explore chosen family, the power of representation, and what Reid calls the most important relationship he ever found—the one with himself.
It's a conversation about identity, belonging, empathy, and the gift of becoming who you are.
🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways
Representation gives us the language to understand ourselves.
There's no one "right" way—or timeline—to know who you are.
Believe people when they tell you who they are.
Sometimes the most important relationship is the one you build with yourself.
Our identities can be gifts, not burdens.
Chosen family can change—and save—lives.
Younger generations aren't creating new identities; they have more freedom to name what's always existed.
Progress isn't linear, but Reid's 50+ years in the community give him real hope for what's ahead.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)
Reid Vanderburgh is a retired therapist, author, trans elder, and longtime LGBTQ+ advocate who transitioned more than 30 years ago. After his own experience with therapists who didn't understand what he was going through, Reid became one of the early openly trans therapists dedicated to serving the trans community, working with hundreds of clients throughout his career. He's also an author, longtime member of the Portland Gay Men's Chorus, stepfather, and proud chosen grandfather.
🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned
https://reidvanderburgh.com/

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com
🎧 Loved this episode?
Support The Queer Family Podcast on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and help keep these stories alive!
OR become a paid subscriber through our RedCircle page for bonus episodes and one-time or recurring donations:
🔗 redcircle.com/thequeerfamilypodcast/exclusive-content

🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?
Drop a comment, DM us, or email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com—we love hearing your stories!
🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!
Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube
🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 
🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 
🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website
🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.
The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-queer-family-podcast/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy