Sometimes our parents come out and transition after children are part of a family. The impact that a parent's transition and/or gender identity has on a family can be profound. And it can be a powerful moment of love and truth. Two people with transgender parents (PTP) share their stories and experiences of having parents who transitioned while ...…

As Family Week in Provincetown is celebrating 25 years, there are a growing number of LGBTQ+ family summer camp weeks and weekends around the country. Why are LGBTQ+ family spaces important? Are spaces like camps made queer just by us being there? Two parents and attendees of Camp OUT in Michigan join the host for a conversation about how we fo ...…

Being a parent can be hard. Being LGBTQ+ can be hard. Dating can be hard. For single LGBTQ+ parents, combing all three is a whole other thing entirely. The whole process of dating, becoming a step-parent, and blending a family is hard to navigate. LGBTQ+ families can feel like they're in uncharted waters. How did one family weave their own path?…

Retired U.S. Women's National Soccer Team player Lori Lindsey joins our host to talk about the politics of coming out in professional sports, growing up with LGBTQ and straight parents, and being second-generation queer. Next time you cheer on your favorite athlete, you may be rooting for an Olympic queerspawn like Lori!…

There has been a surge of public activism over the past several years. From Black Lives Matter to the Women's March, people are taking to the street across the country. How do families fit into these mass movements? We discuss how and why protesting must be a LGBTQ+ family affair.

The representation of LGBTQ families in the media has been uneven, at best. Queer families are hungry to see themselves in print and on screen. Guests Sadie Epstein-Fine and Makeda Zook join the host to talk about their sagas of searching for representation (The Ellen Show VHS tapes are still floating around) and creating their own media with t ...…

When the rights and dignity of LGBTQ families are up for political debate, youth within our families are harmed...and called to action. Queerspawn activists can be the strongest voices for LGBTQ family rights. Listen to hear inspiring stories of people with LGBTQ parents turned experiences of political discrimination into powerful opportunities ...…

Bisexual parents are a huge percentage of all LGBTQ parents, yet they continue to face challenges and discrimination from within and without the community. Here we talk about the fierce pride of bi+ people and parents, and how biphobia and bisexual invisibility is compounded by parenthood and having LGBTQ parents.…

This National Adoption Month, meet the Simmons-Cianciotto Family! After years in the child welfare system, twelve-year-old cancer survivor Derrik found his forever home with dads Jason and Courter. The road through foster care and cross-state adoption wasn’t easy for the family. As dad Jason says, they are a powerful example of why LGBTQ parent ...…

This National Adoption Month, meet Rosemary Caldwell Llewellyn! Rosemary and her twin brother Robbie were adopted from Peru at six months old. Their adoption was the first second-parent adoption by a gay male couple in the city of Los Angeles. Now a professional social worker, Rosemary reflects on her experiences growing up in a trans-racial ad ...…

November is National Adoption Month! Recently we’ve seen a wave of ‘license to discriminate’ bills in ten states that allow foster care and adoption agencies to discriminate against LGBTQ children, youth and qualified prospective parents. The Every Child Deserves a Family campaign promotes the best interests of all children in the foster care a ...…

In the past twenty years there has been an increase in published books by people with LGBTQ parents or featuring their stories. Author and activist Jenny Rain discusses her own journey to telling her story through writing and why sharing queerspawn history is so important for all generations of people with LGBTQ parents and parents themselves. ...…

All families can experience trauma, addiction, and health struggles. For LGBTQ parents and their children, layers of stigma, isolation, and fear of discriminatory intervention can cause some to not seek help or feel alone. We're breaking down the taboo on talking about it today.

Queer people have had to create and recreate family for a very long time. The meaning has changed and biology doesn’t always play a big role, or a role at all. All the same, the experiences of people whose families are a mixture of biological and non-bio ties are complex.

Grandparents and beloved elders can have a special place in LGBTQ families. How does one lesbian grandma stay in touch with grandkids, keep up with changing language, and stay motivated for another wave of anti-LGBTQ backlash? Dr. Ronni Sanlo's story of losing custody of her children because of her sexuality through healing and joy in becoming ...…

Telling our family stories can be liberating, uneventful, isolating, and even dangerous. How do we reclaim power in the telling? Why do LGBTQ family legacies matter? In this episode we talk about how we bridge the gaps of our queer homes and the rest of the world.

Two teens talk about what it's like growing up in a LGBTQ family and being totally outnumbered at home by parents and siblings who are all of a different gender. What is it really like being a young woman raised by two men or a young man raised by women? Short answer - it's complex and awesome.

Second-parent adoption for LGBTQ families is many things - confirmation, injustice, expensive, and a celebration. What is it, why do lawyers still recommend LGBTQ parents do it, and how does it feel for our families?

Elizabeth Collins went from staying quiet about having gay dads while growing up in Texas to telling stories about her family on stage. How does a person go from closet to comedy success?

When LGBTQ people adopt children of a different race or ethnicity than themselves, what does it mean for both parents and kids?

To start Season 2 of Outspoken Voices, host Emily McGranachan talks with a parent about one of the first questions new LGBTQ parents hear – What will the kid call you?

Outspoken Voices is back for Season 2 starting in June! Don't miss new episodes the first and third Tuesday of each month. This Season we're talking about all things LGBTQ family!

In this month’s episode of Outspoken Voices, Emily talks with Jane Barber, a nurse and adaptive sports professional with a passion for yoga and mindfulness. Emily and Jane discuss how to overcome some barriers to healthy practices and why self-care isn’t selfish, but rather valuable for our families. Learn more at https://www.familyequality.org ...…

In this month's episode of Outspoken Voices, we talk with three experts in family formation for LGBTQ parents. Scott Brown joins us from California Cryobank to discuss working with sperm donors and cryobanks, Erica Horton of Growing Generations discusses surrogacy and egg donation, and Dr Juan Alvarez of Fertility Centers of Illinois explains f ...…

This month’s episode of Outspoken Voices is dedicated to National Adoption Month. We’re joined by Jamie and Bo Nabozny, and Katie Mitchell, who shared their adoption stories with Emily McGranachan. Read more LGBTQ adoption stories at www.familyequality.org/adoption. Outspoken Voices is brought to you by Family Equality Council, the nation's lea ...…

In this month's episode of Family Equality Council's Outspoken Voices Podcast, we're talking about using sperm donors, and the unique families and relationships that can emerge when "donor siblings" come into contact. We talk with Scott Brown from California Cryobank, Amber Leventry, a parent from Vermont, and Emily McGranachan, Family Equality ...…

On this month's Outspoken Voices podcast, we talk to three financial professionals about how to plan and save for college. All of our guests make an effort to ensure financial planning and advice are accessible to members of LGBTQ families. Listen and learn their tips for investing in your children's college education. For more information and ...…

This month we're focusing our attention on the Every Child Deserves a Family Act (or ECDF) – a bill that was recently introduced in Congress that would eliminate state laws, policies, practices and procedures that exclude potential adoptive and foster parents because of their marital status, sexual orientation or gender identity. Passing ECDF w ...…

This month we're focusing our attention on the Every Child Deserves a Family Act (or ECDF) – a bill that was recently introduced in Congress that would eliminate state laws, policies, practices and procedures that exclude potential adoptive and foster parents because of their marital status, sexual orientation or gender identity. Passing ECDF w ...…

Family Week in Provincetown, MA is the largest annual gathering of LGBTQ parents and their children in the world. Before Family Week 2017, Family Equality Council and COLAGE got together to talk about what the week is all about, why we love it, and why it matters to hundreds of families.

It's high school graduation time, so on this month's Outspoken Voices podcast we quiz a two parents about their experiences as empty-nesters, as their kids grew up and headed out into the world.

This month is National Foster Care Month, so we're dedicating our Outspoken Voices podcast to hearing from two families formed through foster care.

In April's Outspoken Voices podcast, we talk with two professionals about the financial and legal considerations that LGBTQ individuals should contemplate before for getting married and/or starting a family. We discuss the importance of financial planning, estate planning, the financial benefits of being married vs. not being married. Looking b ...…

March’s Outspoken Voices brings together three summer camp professionals and fans to talk about finding inclusive summer camp spaces, prepping youth for the experience, and why a welcoming and celebratory summer camp can have a big impact on youth. In this podcast we talk about how families can identify welcoming camps, ways to prepare youth fo ...…

February's Outspoken Voices podcast is a celebration of Black History Month and parenting. We are joined by two amazing guests highlighting how our multiple identities impact our daily lives. Both guests and their families are longtime supporters of Family Equality Council. In the podcast we hear our guests share their story of family creation, ...…

In January's Outspoken Voices Podcast, Family Equality Council hosts guests Johnny Cole and Nicole LaFlamme for a discussion of ways LGBTQ parents can help children navigate the changing climate in schools as we enter 2017. Learn more about Family Equality Council at www.familyequality.org