Finding the Right Donor—and Finding Our Way to Parenthood

HIV treatment and prevention have come a long way, but stigma, misinformation, and outdated beliefs continue to shape how we talk about HIV and AIDS. What should parents and families know, and how can we better prepare our children to advocate for their own health? This week on The Queer Family Podcast, Jaimie Kelton welcomes HIV advocates Masonia Traylor, founder of Lady Burgundy, and Jerrell Hartnett of GLAAD for an eye-opening conversation about HIV awareness, sexual health education, and raising informed, empowered children. Through their lived experiences with HIV, Masonia and Jerrell challenge common misconceptions, explain HIV testing and prevention, discuss U=U (undetectable equals untransmittable), and explore why HIV stigma continues despite decades of medical progress. The conversation also tackles HIV criminalization, pregnancy, bodily autonomy, medical self-advocacy, and the importance of age-appropriate conversations with children. Plus, a powerful connection between HIV stigma, anti-LGBTQ bullying, and Spirit Day reminds families that supporting LGBTQ youth requires action all year long. Because raising informed, compassionate children starts with being willing to learn alongside them. Topics: HIV awareness, HIV stigma, HIV and AIDS, LGBTQ parenting, queer families, sexual health education, HIV testing, HIV prevention, U=U, bodily autonomy, medical self-advocacy, HIV and pregnancy, LGBTQ youth, Spirit Day, LGBTQ bullying.

What happens when the sperm donor you never expected to know suddenly becomes someone you could text? Jaimie is joined by her wife, Anne, for a candid, funny, and occasionally heated conversation about a surprising new chapter in their family's donor-conception journey. What started as a simple question about their daughter's medical history led to something neither of them anticipated: their sperm donor's phone number and an open invitation to reach out. But just because they can contact him, does that mean they should? Jaimie and Anne have different feelings about it, and their kids have opinions of their own. Plus, the two moms take on misogyny, school dress codes, victim-blaming, and what it means to raise a daughter and a son in a world still steeped in patriarchy. It's a little family update, a little feminist rant, and a very real look at how LGBTQ+ families continue to evolve long after the kids arrive. Topics: Donor conception, LGBTQ families, lesbian parenting, sperm donors, donor siblings, Open ID donors, donor-conceived children, medical history, two-mom families, misogyny, school dress codes, parenting, consent

What does it take for two gay dads to build a family through foster care? Psychologist and author Dr. Kevin Nadal shares how he and his husband went from newly approved foster parents to raising three biological siblings, all adopted through New York City's foster care system. From receiving a call about a newborn with less than a day's notice to navigating adoption during a global pandemic, Kevin opens up about the emotional realities of foster-to-adopt parenting, the importance of biological family connections, and the challenges of raising Black children in a transracial adoptive family. He also explores the isolation of gay fatherhood, the importance of LGBTQ+ parenting communities, and why he believes his family came together exactly as it was meant to.

B.J. Woodstein is a queer mom, doula, lactation consultant, author, and LGBTQ+ specialist who knows firsthand how much the right support can change a family’s experience. After difficult pregnancies, birth complications, painful breastfeeding, and healthcare providers who didn’t always understand her two-mom family, B.J. became the kind of provider she wished she’d had. Jaimie and B.J. talk about queer family building, birth trauma, feeding, advocacy, inclusive language, and why LGBTQ+ people deserve healthcare that sees and respects who they actually are. Topics: LGBTQ families, queer parenting, lesbian parenting, queer family building, donor conception, sperm donation, pregnancy, hyperemesis gravidarum, birth trauma, breastfeeding, chestfeeding, lactation, doulas, inclusive healthcare, LGBTQ healthcare, nonbinary birth, gender-affirming care 🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)/ Resources Mentioned B.J. Woodstein is a writer, translator, former academic, LGBTQ+ specialist doula, lactation consultant, counselor, and bibliotherapist. She lives in the UK with her wife and their two children. B.J. is also the author of We’re Here: A Practical Guide to Becoming an LGBTQ+ Parent, which combines practical family-building information with the experiences of LGBTQ+ parents, as well as Be Fruitful, which focuses on family building in the Jewish community. She also co-runs Queer Wayfinder, which offers counseling, coaching, and bibliotherapy for LGBTQ+ people.

description Sydney and Gina knew they wanted to build a family—and they knew, as a lesbian couple, it would take planning. What they didn’t expect was a stage-three endometriosis diagnosis right as they began trying to conceive. In this episode, they walk Jaimie through their queer fertility journey: choosing a known sperm donor, navigating the legal agreements, three failed IUIs, the emotional and financial toll of fertility treatment, and finally moving to IVF. They also talk about grieving differently as partners, advocating for yourself in the medical system, and what it means to parent without a genetic connection. Their experience ultimately inspired them to create WeFertility, an app designed to help people manage the paperwork, appointments, finances, and endless logistics of family building. A candid conversation about queer parenting, LGBTQ families, IVF, known donors, endometriosis, and finding something meaningful on the other side of a difficult fertility journey.