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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 Blakesly, Executive Director of The Welcome Project PA, an LGBTQIA+ community center in Hatboro, PA, that’s redefining what affirming community care can look like.

Special Guest: Josh Blakesly

Josh, a Midwest native, holds a B.A. in Theatre at Northwestern College [IA] and a Masters of Divinity [M.Div.] at Princeton Theological Seminary [NJ] and is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. Josh, along with the Welcome Project PA’s founding Board Members, founded the organization in early 2020. His main focuses include: fundraising and development; diversity, equity, inclusion, affirmation and belonging education and training; interfaith immersion; event planning; workplace development and mentoring; media production; and the arts. Josh is also Pastor of Love In Action UCC, an open and affirming congregation. Josh has 26+ years of nonprofit experience, is a fellow of Interfaith Philadelphia, a founding member of The Society for Faith & Justice, and a Collaborator for Nurturing Justice. He also has written and directed various stage or film productions, and has developed theatre arts curriculum for use in religious and secular settings. Josh enjoys running, playing music, traveling, learning languages, or making strange and funny faces. He lives in Philly where there is typically GOOD trouble to be had.

Links from the Show:

• The Welcome Project website: https://welcomeprojectpa.org/
• Donate to the Welcome Project here: https://welcomeprojectpa.org/welcomeprojectpa.org/?page_id=16/
• See Me, Hear Me, Know Me Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo6Sxh5JA24&t=2s
• Join Mama Dragons here: www.mamadragons.org

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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 enforcing strong, equitable laws and empowering people to know their rights.

Special Guest: Bill Mitchell

William “Bill” Mitchell (he/him) joined Legal Voice in 2023, following the Dobbs decision and its aftermath. With a hometown in Bellingham, Washington, Bill previously had a career as a Marine Corps officer and as a private practice attorney focusing on immigration, disabilities, and Veteran benefits. He has held both elected office and adjudicative appointments. He is a graduate of Boston College and Gonzaga University School of Law.

Links From the Show:

• Find Legal Voice here: https://legalvoice.org/
• Join Mama Dragons today: www.mamadragons.org

In the Den is made possible by generous donors like you.

Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today at www.mamadragons.org.

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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 struggling and don’t know what to do. We know traditional school isn't enough, but pulling kids out or committing to full-time homeschooling feels impossible. Today’s In the Den guest Chris Linder offers a solution–a unique hybrid approach to homeschooling designed to bridge the gap between traditional schooling and homeschooling, providing a hybrid approach that allows students to thrive academically and socially that centers diverse and inclusive education.

Special Guest: Chris Linder

Chris Linder is a former educator and tech professional with a Master's degree in Instructional Technology. Chris is passionate about making education accessible and equitable for all. He co-founded The Literacy Initiative in 2013, focusing on publishing educational resources for diverse communities. Through Homeschool Remix, Chris inspires families to explore the benefits of hybrid homeschooling, ensuring that every child receives a comprehensive and engaging education.

Links from the Show:

• Homeschool Remix: https://homeschoolremix.com
• Homeschool Remix Blog: https://homeschoolremix.com/pages/the-homeschool-remix-revolution-blog
• Join Mama Dragons today: www.mamadragons.org

In the Den is made possible by generous donors like you. Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today at www.mamadragons.org.

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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 stepping into that space — the QT Library, a community-built sanctuary of belonging in Boston.

Special Guest: Jake Stepansky

Jake Stepansky (he/any) is a culture and care worker based in Brooklyn, NY.

He is the co-founder and board president of the QT Library – a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to bring a brick-and-mortar LGBTQIA+ library and substance-free community space to Boston. Jake is the Producer of Festival Presentations for the Under the Radar Festival, and works with private clients as a professional organizer and decluttering coach. Jake honed his skills as an arts worker and educator at Forklift Danceworks, Marty Pottenger’s Art At Work, Pomegranate Arts, the Office for the Arts at Harvard, and more. Find him on Instagram at @jakebookplantsky.

Links from the Show:

• QT Library: https://www.qtlibrary.org/
• Under the Radar: https://utrfest.org/
• Find Jake on IG: https://www.instagram.com/jakebookplantsky
• Join Mama Dragons today: www.mamadragons.org

In the Den is made possible by generous donors like you. Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today at www.mamadragons.org.

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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 Version of the Bible has shaped decades of belief, policy, and pain for LGBTQ+ people and their families. Rocky is a strong voice, among the growing chorus of LGBTQIA+ Christians who want to cure the world of this damaging narrative.

Special Guest: Rocky Roggio

Rocky Roggio is a multi award winning independent filmmaker and production designer. Rocky is also a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, and moved out of her home after coming out to her conservative, religious parents. Rocky’s father, Sal Roggio, is a non-affirming pastor and preaches that the LGBTQIA+ lifestyle is sinful. Rocky lives in Los Angeles, CA, and has been a member of three IATSE unions nationwide. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Communications with a focus in Radio, Television, and Film. Her background includes large budget physical production on award winning shows and films such as House of Cards, Parks and Recreation, With Bob and David, Whip It, and Red Dawn. In 2016, Rocky associate produced and production designed GOOK, a feature film that premiered at Sundance in 2017. In 2018, when she heard about the 1946 mistranslation in the Bible, Roggio immediately quit all her other endeavors and has focused all her time, money, and resources on producing and creating the 1946 documentary. 1946 is Roggio’s directorial debut.

Links from the Show:

• Learn more about 1946, the film, here: https://www.1946themovie.com/promotional-material
• Meet the creative team behind 1946: https://www.1946themovie.com/creators
• 1946 Resource List: https://www.1946themovie.com/workbook-resources
• Join Mama Dragons today: www.mamadragons.org

In the Den is made possible by generous donors like you. Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today at www.mamadragons.org.

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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 how a single mistranslation in the Revised Standard Version of the Bible reshaped decades of belief, policy, and pain for LGBTQ+ people and their families.

Special Guest: Kathy Baldock

Kathy Baldock, author, LGBTQ+ advocate, and founder of Canyonwalker Connections, based in Reno, Nevada, is a leading expert on historical and present discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, in particular, discrimination from the socially conservative Christian church and political sectors. Baldock is one of the main researchers featured in the award-winning documentary 1946: The Mistranslation that Shifted Culture. Her next book, Forging a Sacred Weapon: How a 1946 Bible Mistranslation Shifted Culture (Winter 2025), is a historical and contextually-based survey following human sexuality, same-sex behavior, procreation, and Bible translations, as impacted by cultural, social, medical, political, legal, and military influences from ancient to current times. The book focuses on original research into the reasons the word “homosexuals” was included for the first time in the 1946 Revised Standard Version NT Bible. Her first book, Walking the Bridgeless Canyon (2014), pieced together the history of cultural and religious discrimination against LGBTQ+ people and contains personal stories of LGBTQ+ people impacted by non-inclusive theology.

Links from the Show:

• Walking the Bridgeless Canyon: https://bookshop.org/p/books/walking-the-bridgeless-canyon-repairing-the-breach-between-the-church-and-the-lgbtq-community-kathy-baldock/4512ebf197af2705?ean=9781951136017&next=t
• Find 1946 here: https://www.1946themovie.com/
• Join Mama Dragons today: www.mamadragons.org

In the Den is made possible by generous donors like you. Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today at www.mamadragons.org.

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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 the closet and invites us to step into empathy by recognizing the silent struggles we all carry. Today Ash and Sara unpack how Ash’s vulnerability—starting with everyday moments—has grown to become a powerful form of activism and inclusion.

Special Guest: Ash Beckham

Ash Beckham is a mom of two, speaker, career coach, equality advocate, and author of Step Up: How to Live with Courage and Become an Everyday Leader. Ash is an inclusion activist whose TEDx Talk “Coming Out of Your Closet” became a viral sensation. Her intrepid, relatable, and intrinsically comical style has made her an in-demand speaker, including events at Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, Bank of America, and the keynote for the first LGBTQ Conference at Harvard University.

Links from the Show:

• Ash’s website: www.ashbeckham.com
• Ash’s TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSR4xuU07sc
• Find Ash on FB: https://www.facebook.com/ashbeckham/
• Find Ash on IG: https://www.instagram.com/theashbeckham/
• Find Ash on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashbeckham
• Find Ash on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ash-beckham/
• Buy Step Up here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/step-up-how-to-live-with-courage-and-become-an-everyday-leader-ash-beckham/9833723?ean=9781683643920&next=t
• Join Mama Dragons today: www.mamadragons.org

In the Den is made possible by generous donors like you. Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today at www.mamadragons.org.

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