The Queer Family Podcast – LGBTQ Families & Queer Parenting Stories

What happens when a kid from a queer family chooses to stand up and defend his family in front of lawmakers?
Zach Wahls—author, advocate, and Iowa State Senator—first made national headlines as a teenager when he spoke out in support of his two moms during a marriage equality hearing. The moment went viral and helped shift the conversation around LGBTQ+ families.
But this conversation goes far beyond that speech.
Zach shares what it was really like growing up with two moms in the Midwest—from navigating homophobia in school to the fear of speaking up, including the moment he stayed silent as a kid and how that experience shaped his path into advocacy.
The conversation also explores the intentionality behind queer family building, how parents can support their kids in finding their own voice (without forcing them into advocacy), and what it means to grow up in a family that’s often politicized.
Now running for U.S. Senate, Zach also speaks to what’s at stake in the current political moment—and why this fight still matters.
This episode is about courage, timing, and finding your voice—when you’re ready.
If this conversation resonates with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it—and don’t forget to follow, rate, and review The Queer Family Podcast to help more families find these stories.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways
Growing up with two moms wasn’t the hardest part—navigating the world’s reaction was
The moment Zach didn’t speak up—and how it shaped his future advocacy
Why intentional parenting is a defining trait in queer families
How to support kids in advocating for themselves—without forcing them into it
What’s at stake politically right now for LGBTQ families and beyond
Why finding your voice is a process—not a requirement

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)
Zach Wahls is an Iowa State Senator, author, and nationally recognized advocate for LGBTQ+ families. Raised by two moms, he first gained national attention for his viral 2011 testimony in support of marriage equality. Today, he continues his advocacy through public service and is currently running for the U.S. Senate.

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned
Website: https://zachwahls.com/

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🎧 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 [email protected]—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 🏳️‍🌈 Co-Produced by Jaimie Kelton & Dianni Hall 🏳️‍🌈 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!

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Outdoorsy and use my code QUEERFAM for a great deal: https://www.outdoorsy.com

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

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

Kaya Colin—therapist, couples coach, and parent of two—shares a deeply layered journey through identity, belonging, and queer family building.
From an unexpected first pregnancy that challenged how others saw their queerness, to navigating single parenthood, to falling in love with their transmasculine partner and building their second child through reciprocal IVF—this story is complex, resilient, and deeply honest.
We unpack what it means to feel “not queer enough,” the emotional toll of fertility journeys, and how to stay connected to your partner through identity shifts and everything that comes with building a family.
Kaya also shares their decision to use a known donor, how they talk to their kids about their origin stories, and why their family is preparing to leave the U.S. in search of safety and alignment.
This is a conversation about redefining family, reclaiming identity, and choosing your path—even when it doesn’t fit into anyone else’s box.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways
Identity isn’t always linear—especially within the queer community
Experiencing both external and internalized gatekeeping around queerness
Becoming a parent while navigating a major identity shift
Building a relationship while already parenting a young child
A partner’s gender transition within the relationship
Reciprocal IVF (RIVF) with a trans partner and the physical/emotional toll
Fertility struggles, miscarriage, and the impact on relationships
Choosing and navigating a known donor relationship
Raising kids with open, age-appropriate conversations about their origin stories
Using books and language to normalize queer family building
The importance of staying connected as a couple during TTC and parenting
Making the decision to leave the U.S. for safety and alignment as a queer family

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)
Kaya Colin (she/they) is a queer, non-binary therapist, couples coach, and founder of The Relational Compass. With over 15 years of clinical experience, Kaya specializes in helping couples navigate transitions, connection, and communication through a neuroscience-informed, relational approach.
They are a parent of two and bring both professional expertise and lived experience to their work—particularly when it comes to relationships, identity, and family building within the LGBTQ+ community.

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned
Website: https://therelationalcompass.com
Instagram: @therelationalcompass

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email [email protected]

🎧 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 [email protected]—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 🏳️‍🌈 Co-Produced by Jaimie Kelton & Dianni Hall 🏳️‍🌈 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!

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Outdoorsy and use my code QUEERFAM for a great deal: https://www.outdoorsy.com

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

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

What happens when the path you thought you were on… just doesn’t work out?
This week, we’re talking to Phil and Jonathan—two dads who spent three years in the adoption process before realizing it might not be how they’d build their family.
We get into everything: the waiting, the emotional toll, the near misses, and what it’s like navigating a system that isn’t exactly built for queer families.
And then—everything shifted.
From choosing an egg donor to an unexpected offer from a best friend to become their gestational carrier, their story is a powerful reminder that queer family building rarely follows a straight line.
We also talk about what it really means to intentionally choose parenthood as a queer couple—and how different that process is from the “let’s see what happens” approach many straight couples get to take.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure about your path to parenthood… this episode is for you.

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways
Queer parenthood is never accidental—it’s intentional, emotional, and often nonlinear.
And sometimes, the path that doesn’t work out is the one that leads you exactly where you were meant to go.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)
Phil is an eight-time published author who writes queer young adult and middle grade fiction, as well as children’s books—including Little Golden Book biographies of icons like Billy Porter, Judy Garland, and Liza Minnelli.
Jonathan is a luxury wedding planner based in New York City, where he works with couples to create intentional, high-end celebrations that reflect who they are.

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned
Phil Stamper (Author)
Jonathan (Wedding Planner)

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email [email protected]

🎧 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 [email protected]—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 🏳️‍🌈 Co-Produced by Jaimie Kelton & Dianni Hall 🏳️‍🌈 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!

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Outdoorsy and use my code QUEERFAM for a great deal: https://www.outdoorsy.com

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

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

Dianni Hall—queer Latina, former full-time traveler, and Jaimie’s new assistant producer on The Queer Family Podcast(!) —joins us for a conversation that starts with queer family life and dating… and turns into a very real discussion about queer parenting, LGBTQ+ families, and whether or not to have kids at all.
We talk about LGBTQ parenting, intentional relationships, and what it means to build a life outside the traditional path—plus the very real questions that come up when you’re part of LGBTQ families thinking about the future.
This is one of those gay podcast stories that is equal parts hilarious, chaotic, and deeply honest.
Biggest Takeaway? When you don’t have a blueprint, you get to build your life on purpose.
🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways
Queer parenting starts long before kids—it begins with intentional conversations about the life you want to build
LGBTQ families often approach relationships differently because there’s no default path to follow
Coming out isn’t always a clean story—sometimes you get found out and have to figure it out from there
Internalized shame can take years to unpack, even after you’ve accepted your identity
Meeting the right partner can completely shift your perspective on marriage and kids
There are many paths to queer family building—adoption, foster care, donor conception—and none are one-size-fits-all
Known donors can offer connection and openness, but come with their own complexities
Not everyone in LGBTQ parenting wants to carry—and that’s valid
Generational differences are real—Gen Z is approaching queerness and LGBTQ family life with more openness and fluidity
When you live outside the norm, you’re forced to ask deeper questions—and that can lead to more intentional, aligned lives

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)
Dianni Hall is a queer Latina, podcast producer, and former full-time traveler who spent six years backpacking around the world. She previously hosted the podcast While She’s Away, where she shared stories of solo female and queer travel. She now works behind the scenes on The Queer Family Podcast and Love, Take Two—and is officially stepping out from behind the curtain.
🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned
Dianni’s podcast While She’s Away

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email [email protected]

🎧 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 [email protected]—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 🏳️‍🌈 Co-produced by Jaimie Kelton & Dianni Hall 🏳️‍🌈 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!

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Outdoorsy and use my code QUEERFAM for a great deal: https://www.outdoorsy.com

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

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

Robin Maril—law professor, former Human Rights Campaign attorney, and host of A Queer Guide to Saving Democracy—joins us for a conversation that starts with queer family life and IVF… and expands into what’s happening in the U.S. right now.
We talk about LGBTQ+ families, donor conception, and parenting in the LGBTQ+ community—plus the real LGBTQ+ family challenges that come with raising kids in today’s political climate.
This is one of those gay podcast stories that holds both the deeply personal and the very real.
Biggest Takeaway? Raise good kids. Stay engaged. Be a Care Bear.
🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways
Queer family building is complex—and every path (IVF, donor conception, etc.) comes with real decisions and emotions
Non-bio parenting doesn’t mean a weaker bond—connection is built through showing up every day
Talking to kids about their origin story early and honestly makes it feel normal, not scary
IVF is intense—physically, emotionally, and mentally (and we don’t talk about that enough)
What’s happening politically right now is not business as usual—and it’s okay to name that
You don’t need to be a policy expert to understand what’s going on or to care about it
Staying engaged can look like small, everyday actions—not just big, loud ones
Community care and showing up for each other matter more than ever
Raising kind, confident, informed kids is a radical act right now
We’ve navigated hard things before as queer families—and we know how to keep going

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)
Robin Maril is a law professor, former Human Rights Campaign attorney, and host of A Queer Guide to Saving Democracy. She lives in Portland with her wife and their two kids and has spent her career working on LGBTQ+ rights and policy.
🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsors
Be Parent Surrogacy Be Parent oversees the creation of family through surrogacy and IVF, from the very beginning, extending support even well after birth. Mention The Queer Family Podcast to receive $2000 of your treatment! 
🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned
Robin’s website: https://queerguidetodemocracy.com/

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email [email protected]
🎧 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 [email protected]—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!

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Outdoorsy and use my code QUEERFAM for a great deal: https://www.outdoorsy.com

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

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