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Accessing best-practice gender-affirming care for transgender youth is becoming increasingly challenging: 27 states have passed laws banning or restricting care, the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld these bans in the Skrmetti v. L.W. case, and the current Administration has pursued a relentless campaign attacking access. As a result, thousands of transgender youth and their families are being forced to try to find new healthcare providers, travel extreme distances, and take on significant expenses just to get the care they need. Today In the Den, we’ll talk with Amanda Keller from The Trans Youth Emergency Project (TYEP), a program that was created to help families navigate this complex and exhausting maze, offering logistical and financial support.

Special Guest: Amanda Keller

Amanda Keller is a Southern LGBTQIA movement leader working at the intersection of strategy, equity, and liberation. As Manager of Strategic Partnerships at the Campaign for Southern Equality, she is helping lead efforts to Meet the Moment, mobilizing resources, forging powerful cross-sector partnerships, and advancing equity across race, gender, and class in a region where the stakes for LGBTQIA people could not be higher. With more than 16 years of nonprofit leadership, Amanda has built institutions and movements that center those most often pushed to the margins. As the Founding Director of the Magic City Acceptance Center in Birmingham, Alabama, she grew a grassroots vision into a statewide hub serving thousands of LGBTQIA youth, families, and community members, expanding access to affirming services, leadership development, and community power across Alabama. Her work spans youth development, HIV advocacy, public policy engagement, and cultural organizing, grounded in a clear belief: the South is not a lost cause — it is a place of courage, resilience, and possibility. Her career is defined by one throughline, ensuring that where you live does not determine whether you are safe, affirmed, or free.

Links from the Show:

• Find the Trans Youth Emergency Project here
• Join TYEP’s Parent Support Group
• Volunteer with Campaign for Southern Equality
• Listen to the Trans Cookout Podcast
• Supportive Schools Program
• Send a Message of Support to Trans Youth
• Join Mama Dragons today

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Families with trans and non-binary kids are facing bans on bathroom use, bans on sports participation, bans on affirming pronoun use in schools, bans on use of chosen names, and even bans on life-saving medical care for their trans children. Those of us with trans family members find ourselves in, what often feels like, an impossible situation of trying to figure out how we can possibly protect our children from the worst of the harm. Some families are considering moving states, or even leaving the United States, to escape anti-trans legislation and to seek safer, more supportive environments for their children. Today In the Den, we’re hosting a conversation with Suzy and Debi, two moms with families who have done just that–picked up and moved countries in order to access gender affirming care, safety in schools, and to find a less overall hostile climate for their queer children.

Special Guest: Suzanne Solomon

Suzanne Solomon, her husband, and their son, lived in the Dallas area of Texas, where she was a professional opera singer. She has joined protests from the Women’s March to Black Lives Matter to Pride and more, participated in letter writing campaigns, called representatives, campaigned for Beto O’Rourke, attended ACLU of Texas events to help counter proposed legislation. Mama Dragons has been a huge resource, and a source of comfort and community. Getting out of the country is incredibly difficult and expensive, and the Solomons owe a lot to family, fellow US emigrants, and friends who helped them check every box on their journey from the US to Finland.

Special Guest: Debi Jackson

Debi is a longtime advocate for transgender youth and LGBTQ+ inclusion, known for her compassionate storytelling and public education efforts. She became an activist in 2014 when a speech about her child Avery’s gender journey went viral, and she’s been speaking out ever since to help other families feel less alone. Avery later appeared on the cover of National Geographic’s “Gender Revolution” issue — an iconic moment that brought global visibility but also intense backlash. In response to the growing wave of anti-trans legislation and public hostility in the U.S., Debi and her family made the difficult decision to move to Europe. Now, she shares her experiences as a parent, advocate, and expat to highlight the real-life impact of transphobia and the importance of finding and building affirming community wherever you are.

Links from the Show:

• Anne Health
• Gender GP
• Transgender Map
• Mexico Transgender Center
• Debi’s Website
• Join Mama Dragons today

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We doubt anyone listening to this podcast will be surprised to hear that transgender folks face unique challenges, including social stigma, bullying, and family rejection. Even if we are doing our best as parents to support and love our trans children, most of us are not trans ourselves, and so we can’t fully understand the particular difficulties that our children will face in their lives. And that is where organizations like Trans Mentor Project come in. Trans Mentor Project is a national virtual mentoring program that pairs trans/nonbinary mentees with trans/nonbinary adult mentors. Joining us In the Den from TMP are Kyle and Max. Max is currently a mentor with TMP and Kyle has been part of TMP as both a mentee and an intern. Together, they’ll be able to tell us more about the program and how we can help get our trans kiddos involved.

Special Guest: Kyle

Kyle is a designer and creative strategist whose work centers storytelling and critical inquiry. With a background in education, arts-based research, and trauma-aware peer support, Kyle designs experiences that cultivate connection, expression, and shared meaning. At TMP, Kyle helps shape programs and strategies that empower trans young people—designing zines and community experiences that center their voices, and leading outreach efforts across Southern California. At his core, Kyle is building worlds where people feel valued, welcomed, and free to be who they are.

Special Guest: Max

Max is a multidisciplinary theatre artist living in New York City. He has mentored with TMP since 2023. He frequently volunteers with PFLAG NYC's Safe Schools program, visiting middle and high school classes throughout the city to speak about his personal identity as a gay trans man, combat anti-trans disinformation, and promote safety and inclusion in NYC schools. Max is also one half of the producing team behind "Let’s Hear It For the Boys: A Transmasc Cabaret," an annual variety show which features an entirely transmasculine and trans man cast, band, creative team and ASL interpreter team and showcases new work by transmasc writers.

Links from the Show:

• Learn More About TMP
• Submit art for zines by emailing TMP
• Join Mama Dragons Today

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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Life can be hard, especially for our queer children. They often face unique obstacles, encounter discrimination, and endure marginalization in their lives and in their pursuits of happiness. Resilience helps our children (and us) cope with life's challenges and setbacks, allowing folks to recover and grow stronger from difficult experiences. Resilience fosters emotional regulation, optimism, and a strong support network, which are essential for maintaining mental well-being and overall life satisfaction. Joining us In the Den is Dr. Kate Lund, a licensed psychologist, Tedx Speaker, author of Stepping Away the Keys to Resilient Parenting, and an expert on the topic of resilience. Dr. Kate insists that resilience does not have to be complicated and that we all are capable of living our best lives, regardless of our setbacks.

Special Guest: Dr. Kate Lund

Dr. Kate Lund is a clinical psychologist, keynote speaker, published author, and resilience expert dedicated to helping individuals and families thrive within their own unique contexts. With advanced training from three Harvard-affiliated hospitals and decades of experience in clinical practice, Dr. Lund specializes in emotional intelligence, stress resilience, and sustainable well-being for parents, athletes, and high performers. She is the author of Bounce: Help Your Child Build Resilience and Thrive in School, Sports, and Life and Step Away: The Keys to Resilient Parenting. Dr. Lund also hosts Resilient Parenting with Dr. Kate, a podcast that explores the science and lived experience of resilience through conversations with parents, educators, clinicians, and leaders. Known for her relatable, evidence-based approach, Dr. Lund blends clinical expertise with personal insight as the mother of twin boys and while working as a volunteer with her dog Wally as part of the animal assisted therapy program at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Whether on stage, in session, or on the air, she empowers people to step away from overwhelm and step into clarity, connection, and confidence.

Links from the Show:

• Kate’s Book Step Away
• Kate Book Bounce
• Kate’s Website
• Join Mama Dragons today

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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The Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s recent Youth Report shows that more than 46 percent of LGBTQ+ youth, including almost 55 percent of transgender and gender-expansive youth, feel unsafe in at least one school setting. And despite the pervasiveness of school bullying, many teachers and staff remain unaware — or are explicitly unhelpful when informed. This is why HRC’s Welcoming Schools resources and professional development training, including National Day of Reading events, are so vital to meeting the needs of LGBTQ+ students today. This year’s National Day of Reading is happening on February 27th, and today In the Den we are joined by the HRC Foundation's Welcoming Schools Sr Director Cheryl Greene to tell us more about this event and how we can get involved.

Special Guest: Cheryl Greene

Cheryl is the Vice President of School and Youth Programming at the Human Rights Campaign. She has spent her career in education and is passionate about providing educators and school leaders with the tools to create LGBTQ+ and gender inclusive classrooms where all children can thrive. She spent 20 years as a middle school teacher, district bullying prevention coordinator, and as an adjunct professor before turning her talents to lead the broader work of preventing bias-based bullying nationwide. Cheryl leads the most comprehensive, bias-based bullying prevention program in the nation specifically designed for youth serving professionals impacting over 10.5 million students. She also oversees a robust school advocacy program designed to empower local advocates to organize and impact school boards and district policy to positively impact LGBTQ+ youth and families. In her spare time, Cheryl enjoys spending time with her spoiled Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, her wife, and three amazing grandchildren.

Links from the Show:

• HRC LGBTQ Youth Report
• Learn More About HRC’s Day of Reading
• Welcoming School Resource List
• Request a Welcoming School Training
• Pledge to Participate in the Day of Reading
• Join Mama Dragons today

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Every day seems to bring another headline, or another policy, another attempt to make trans lives disappear altogether. As Mama Dragons, we know this fear intimately. We carry it in our bodies, even as we keep showing up for our kids and our communities. Today In the Den, Sara sits down with Dru Levasseur, an openly trans attorney, nationally recognized advocate, and a leader in the fight for trans rights for more than 25 years, to discuss what it really means to survive transphobia—not just legally or politically, but emotionally, spiritually, and collectively. It’s a conversation about what the power of authenticity looks like and feels like in these times and includes some practical strategies for staying grounded and strong amid unrelenting attacks.

Special Guest: Dru Levasseur

M. Dru Levasseur, Esq. is a high-energy presenter, leading advisor, and seasoned strategist with extensive experience in law, diversity & inclusion, advocacy, policy, and

philanthropy. A recognized leader in the LGBTQ+ equality movement for more than 25

years, he now leads his own coaching and consulting practice, Dru Levasseur Consulting , LLC. He previously served as the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the National LGBTQ+ Bar, creating and leading its DEI Consulting Practice, the first LGBTQ+ inclusion coaching and consulting program designed specifically to enable the implementation of best practice standards for LGBTQ+ equity in the legal profession. Dru directed Lambda Legal's Transgender Rights Project from 2009 to 2019, attending the first transgender policy meeting at the White House in 2011, and serving as counsel in landmark impact litigation cases and amicus briefs in federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. He co-founded a national trans-led nonprofit, the Jim Collins Foundation, and currently serves alongside Gloria Steinem and other notable feminists as a board member for the ERA Coalition and Fund for Women's Equality. A national and international media spokesperson, Dru contributed the chapter, “Your Authenticity is Your Power: Tales of a Trans Lawyer” in the 2023 book, Surviving Transphobia. Harvard Law School selected him as a Wasserstein Fellow. He is admitted in New York, Georgia, D.C., and Massachusetts.

Links from the Show:

• Surviving Transphobia is available here.
• Dru’s website
• Join Mama Dragons today

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What happens when an object that once felt magical becomes a symbol of harm—and then is transformed into an act of remembrance? Today’s conversation In the Den invites us to look closely, to move past what we think we see, and to sit with art that refuses to let us look away. Our guest is Tai Ericson, an artist known for transforming the familiar into the unexpected. Tai’s current project is as bold as it is devastating: portraits of murdered trans people created from the pages of Harry Potter books. The author of that series has, for years, contributed purposefully and relentlessly to a culture that vilifies and endangers trans people around the world. In Tai’s hands, those pages are no longer a vessel for that harm. They are cut, reassembled, and transformed—destroying the work itself and replacing it with a memorial to someone whose life was taken by the very culture it helped foster. This is a conversation about art as resistance, grief as truth-telling, and what it means to honor trans lives—not abstractly, but by name, by face, and by story.

Special Guest: Tai Ericson

Tai Ericson is a Vermont-based artist transforming the familiar into the unexpected. By amassing everyday objects, often in monumental quantities, he crafts objects that tell one story from afar, then reveal their true identity up close. Tai's current project is creating portraits of murdered trans people using the pages of Harry Potter books. The author has contributed purposefully and relentlessly to a culture that vilifies and endangers trans people around the world. The portrait destroys her work, replacing it with a memorial to someone that lost their life to the culture she fosters.

Links from the Show:

• Tai’s website
• Find Tai on IG
• Glaad accountability account of JK Rowling
• Join Mama Dragons today

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.

What happens when an object that once felt magical becomes a symbol of harm—and then is transformed into an act of remembrance? Today’s conversation In the Den invites us to look closely, to move past what we think we see, and to sit with art that refuses to let us look away. Our guest is Tai Ericson, an artist known for transforming the familiar into the unexpected. Tai’s current project is as bold as it is devastating: portraits of murdered trans people created from the pages of Harry Potter books. The author of that series has, for years, contributed purposefully and relentlessly to a culture that vilifies and endangers trans people around the world. In Tai’s hands, those pages are no longer a vessel for that harm. They are cut, reassembled, and transformed—destroying the work itself and replacing it with a mem

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Life and parenting often feels so fraught, so overwhelming, and so frustrating. We’re navigating unprecedented attacks on queer and trans folks and youth. Of course, as parents, we stay vigilant, trying to anticipate what might come next so we can support and protect our kids. But even as we hunt for answers to all our practical questions, we still need something else to keep us going: sources of hope, grounding, and inspiration. Today, we get to offer you just that through the incredible work of BAGLY, the Boston Alliance of LGBTQ+ Youth—a youth-led, adult-supported organization that has spent nearly fifty years building safe spaces, affirming identities, and lifting up queer and trans young people. For half a century, BAGLY has been a beacon of belonging, envisioning a future where LGBTQ+ youth not only survive, but shine, shaping Boston and far beyond

Special Guest: Elliott-Timothy Viridian

Elliott-Timothy Viridian is an educator, writer, poet, and essayist from the greater US South. Viridian has written extensively about his upbringing, black feminist politics, and black masculinities within and around the Southern Black tradition. Viridian has spoken and continues to speak across the country on queer issues & rights.

Special Guest: Evander Ragsdale

Evander Ragsdale (he/they) is a freshman at Skidmore College studying English. He has been with BAGLY for over a year and spends his free time writing and playing ultimate frisbee.

Special Guest: Kris Cho

Kris Cho (any/all) is a queer Korean American poet and educator hailing from Mid-Missouri. They currently work at BAGLY as the Youth Leadership and Advocacy Coordinator. Prior to BAGLY, Kris worked as a Bargaining and Campaign Strategy Coordinator for the Massachusetts Teachers Association and a Slam Poetry Coach at John D. O'Bryant School for Mathematics and Science, where they are currently a poet-in-residence. They are a 2023 Best of the Net nominee, a 2024 RWW Poetry Fellow, and 2025 Periplus Fellow. Their debut chapbook Chosun Cowboy (Abode Press) will be published in 2026.

Links from the Show:

• Bagly website
• Join Mama Dragons today

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