Send us a text In the Den this week is the incredible Brian Selznick—yep, the genius behind The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which became the beloved movie Hugo, directed by Martin Scorsese. He also wrote Wonderstruck, The Marvels, and so many other beautiful, genre-blending books that mix stunning illustrations with powerful storytelling. Brian isn’t just a wildly talented author and artist—he’s also part of the LGBTQ+ community, and he brings that perspective into his work in such thoughtful a...

Send us a text In our Mama Dragons community, we know how transformative it is to witness the joy and authenticity of LGBTQ+ young people, and today In the Den we get to introduce you to two people who are helping make that visibility possible on a national scale. Sara visits with Jen Grosshandler, founder of the groundbreaking organization GenderCool, and her incredible daughter Chazzie. GenderCool is a youth-led movement replacing misinformed opinions with powerful, positive experiences by ...

Send us a text As a lesbian, raised by a lesbian, and now the mother of a lesbian daughter, Angela Harvey brings a unique and deeply personal multigenerational perspective to the journey of LGBTQ+ identity and parenting. Her lived experience of navigating queerness within three generations of women has brought both the wisdom and compassion to speak to the challenges and joys of raising—and being—an LGBTQ+ child. Today In the Den, Sara talks with Angela about creating transformative spaces ce...

Send us a text Mama Dragons is a global community with members and groups in many countries around the world. We're proud to have a dedicated Puerto Rico regional group where their Mama Dragons are making meaningful connections and amplifying voices across the island. Today In the Den, Sara talks with Miguel Vasquez, executive director of The True Self Foundation, an LGBTQ+ organization that is a beacon of hope and authenticity for queer folks in Puerto Rico. In this episode, Miguel shares th...

Send us a text In a time when stories are under siege, especially those that center queer characters and themes, we’re seeing a rise in book bans and legislative efforts aimed at erasing LGBTQ+ experiences from classrooms and libraries. Just last month, The U.S. Supreme Court handed a victory to Montgomery County parents who object, for religious reasons, to the school system’s use of LGBTQ+ themed books in classrooms, saying parents should be allowed to opt their children out of such classes...

Send us a text For queer youth, belonging isn’t a luxury, it’s a lifeline. In a world that too often tells them they don’t fit, affirming spaces can be the difference between surviving and thriving. The power of belonging becomes both healing and revolutionary. Today In the Den,we’re diving into this topic, exploring the life-saving power of queer-led youth spaces that help foster that sense of belonging. Sara talks with two incredible guests who are working to create just such a space, the R...

Send us a text Since last fall, when the United States v. Skrmetti arguments first landed in the Supreme Court, Mama Dragons has been at the forefront—supporting families at rallies, hosting virtual listening circles, and amplifying the voices of trans youth and their parents. We’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with them through every legal hearing and public moment. Today In the Den, Sara joins political strategist Sam Ames to unpack what the Court’s decision allowing states to enforce bans on...

Send us a text There is currently a lot of public discourse around what an LGBTQ+ ally is and isn’t. We know that our listening audience wants to be allying well and often, and as the political climate in the country continues to put our LGBTQ+ loved ones in the crosshairs, it has become increasingly important that we get our allyship right. This week In the Den, we’re re-airing this important episode from 2024, in which Jen sits down with Sara Burlingame, Executive Director of Wyoming ...

Send us a text Content Warning: Talk of Suicide If you are having thoughts of suicide or self harm, please call or text 988, or chat 988lifeline.org This week, we’re rereleasing an important episode that first aired in 2023. The information contained in this interview is critical for parents of LGBTQ+ children to understand, so we’re sharing it again and hope you’ll listen (or re-listen). Misconceptions and stigma can make suicide hard to understand, but talking about it can make a huge dif...

Send us a text We first aired this episode in 2023, but with all of the firestorm around transgender people and their place in society, we wanted to share this interview with our listeners again. American actor and musician Emmett Preciado visits with In the Den’s original host Jen about his experience growing up as a transgender boy in a conservative religion. He candidly talks about a range of topics from transition to his experiences with dating to experiencing Hollywood as a trans man. Yo...