Some Families

In the final episode of Season 2, we turn the tables and have parenting allies ask Lotte and Stu questions about being LGBTQ+ parents. Some Families reached out to the wider parenting community to help answer any questions about queer families, in a non-judgemental space.  As one listener once said “As a straight parent of two young children who have friends from LGBTQ+ families, this is a great educational tool for myself and answers a lot of the questions I am afraid to ask / don’t ask.” So this episode, Marvyn Harrison from Dope Black Dads, Lorraine Candy author of 'Mum, What's Wrong with You?': 101 Things Only Mothers of Teenage Girls Know and Helen and Ellie from the podcast Scummy Mummies send their own questions in to Some Families. Plus Stu and Lotte reflect back on this season of the podcast and some of things they’ve learned from our fabulous guests.    See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, in the penultimate episode of the series, Lotte and Stu are joined by Claire Lynch, author of the new book 'Small: On motherhoods’. Claire is mum to three daughter with her wife, who they had via reciprocal IVF. Her new book considered whether it is our smallness that makes our lives so big.  LINK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Small-motherhoods-Claire-Lynch-ebook/dp/B08YDHDSV7   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Actor, presenter and dad, Kieron Richardson joins the Some Families hosts, Lotte and Stu to talk about all things parenting from bedtime, swimmings classes and balancing his long shooting schedule with being a parent. Kieron had the twins with his husband Carl, four years ago via surrogacy. Lotte and Stu catch up on the representation of gay parents in TV shows, specifically Modern Family.  Some Families is a StoryHunter Production   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We meet Benjamin Carpenter in this week’s episode. Stu caught up with adoptive Dad to six children with additional and complex needs. Benjamin talks about being the youngest single gay male adopter, as he wanted to adopt when he was 21, he discusses how he ended up adopting six children and the devastating loss of his son. Lotte and Stu catch up on meeting ally parents, and being misgendered.  Some Families is a StoryHunter Production   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Gabriela Herman is a Brooklyn-based photographer. She is a Mum and a wife and her mum came out when she was 15. At the time Gabriela found it difficult to come to terms with it because not only had her mum come out, but her parents were separating. It was when she came across COLAGE, the charity for people with a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer parents, that she decided to make a book about her experience, showcasing others experiences.  Her book ‘The Kids’ came off the back of the question of the impact of being raised by LGBTQ+ parents. In the photo book she interviews kids across America who have been brought up by LGBTQ+ parents.  Some Families is a StoryHunter Production   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this week’s episode Lotte and Stu are joined by Paeton McGuire. Paeton identifies as non-binary, sapphic, cisn't woman and came out in 2020. Paeton has two sons who are grown up and they talk about how they explained their transition to their sons, how lock down has affected their transition and what they think of binary gender norms. Paeton and their son organised the Tour de Trans which is cycling 'Across Britain and AcrossGenders’. To raising awareness of trans issues and starting positive conversation about gender identity.  FUNDRAISING PAGE gofundme.com/f/tourdetrans Some Families is a StoryHunter Production   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In 2000, Danny Stewart was rushing to meet his partner Pete Mercurio for dinner, when he came across a new born baby at the exit of the subway station. Fast forward two years and they adopted that baby, Kevin, who is now grown up and at college. Danny and Pete join the hosts of Some Families to share their magical story and talk about the unusual circumstances that the adoption took place, what it’s like to be two dads and how that one moment in August 2000, changed their lives.  Pete has written a children's book about their story called Our Subway Baby. Link here: https://gayprideshop.co.uk/products/our-subway-baby-book?variant=39291462156342&gclid=Cj0KCQjwkZiFBhD9ARIsAGxFX8C7q6HuhMpgvZxuJpjUiOSLZWplJmqLt-ICzwAg4dYfwBz5Fo2V22saAtVCEALw_wcB Some Families is a StoryHunter Production   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ranae Von Meding joins Lotte and Stu from Ireland to talk about her two daughters, who she had via reciprocal IVF, with her wife. Ranae is also campaiging for equality for LGBTQ parents in Ireland to ensure both parents are protected and also the rights of the children are protected. She discusses mental health, being an LGBTQ family and the current law in Ireland.  PETITION: https://my.uplift.ie/petitions/equality-for-children-now   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this week's episode Lotte and Stu are joined by the amazing Andrew Moffat MBE who wrote the educational resource 'No Outsiders' which is a programme promoting inclusivity and tolerance for children in primary schools. Andrew made headlines when he came out in the school he was teaching at in Birmingham, and was hit with backlash from the parents at the school. Andrew is paving the way for diversity and inclusivity for the next generation. LINK https://no-outsiders.com/   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Didi and Priscilla join as the first adoptive Mums on Some Families. They join the hosts, Lotte and Stu to discuss being two mums who decided to adopt, the process of adopting their daughter Ava, or Miss A, and shed light on post-adoption depression.    See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sean Szeps is a proud gay dad, writer, comedian and podcast host, and joins Some Families from Austrailia. Sean and his husband are Dads to twins born via surrogacy. Sean discusses what it is like to be an LGBTQ+ parent in Sydney, how to tackle people assuming he has a wife or is the nanny, and how to manage your mental health as an LGBTQ+ parent. Sean\'s podcast \'The Dad Kit\' breaks down the stereotypes and cultural ideas we have about fathers. \r\nLINKS: https://open.spotify.com/show/0uakEF7zBlWQCaKPxE9daS\r\n  \r\n\r\nSee acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.\r\n

Professor Susan Golombok joins Lotte and Stu to discuss the research and findings in her new book, \'We Are Family: what really matters for patents and children\'. Susan talks about where her research started, in the 70s, where lesbian mothers were having custody of their children taken away because of their sexuality. Her research has since developed to study different types of family structures, and has been used as evidence in same-sex marriage legislation in a number of countries. Susan is Professor of Family Research and Director of the Centre for Family Research at the University of Cambridge.\r\nLINK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/We-Are-Family-matters-children/dp/1912854376/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=we+are+family+golombok&qid=1618563004&s=books&sr=1-1\r\nSome Families is a StoryHunter Production\r\n  \r\n\r\nSee acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.\r\n

We have podcast royalty Chris Sweeney co-host of Homosapiens Podcast. Chris has started on the surrogacy journey with his husband, which has been halted since lockdown 2020. Chris joins the hosts of Some Families Lotte and Stu for a good gossip PLUS Chris talks about the start of his queer parenting journey, and the fact that it takes more than “a lasagne and a bottle of wine” for LGBTQ+ people to make a baby.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n\r\nSee acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.\r\n

Nana Duncan and Rose Frimpong from the podcast TwoTwos, join Lotte and Stu for a podcast love in. Rose has a 9 year old daughter, who she conceived with a friend and Nana is starting to think about having children with her girlfriend. They discuss the stereotypical constructs of what it means to be a mum and what it means to be maternal, and why having children shouldn\'t stop you from going OUT out.\r\nLINK\r\nJust Like Us: https://www.justlikeus.org/\r\n  \r\n\r\nSee acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.\r\n

We are thrilled to have Freddy McConnell on Some Families! Freddy joins Lotte and Stu to talk about his journey to parenthood and how he felt about his body being pregnant. Freddy also talks about the on-going court case that is now being taken to the European Court of Human Rights for him and his son, and the legal challenges and discriminations trans families face. The group also discuss and break down gendered parenting terms and how stereotypes can often limit parenthood, and look at how important it is to utilise the word parent and parenting.\r\nSome Families is a StoryHunter Production \r\n  \r\n\r\nSee acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.\r\n

Lotte and Stu are joined by guest host, Leon Wenham. Leon, who spoke about his own adoption journey in Series 1, joins the hosts and invites a friend Nathan Yungerberg from New York, to discuss when someone of one race adopts a child that is different to their own race, aka trans-racial adoption. Nathan, who is African-American, is the product of trans-racial adoption himself as he was adopted by a white couple when he was a baby. He is now a gay single adoptive dad to two siblings from a Puerto Rican and Italian background. Nathan and our hosts discuss how important it is to consider race, when it comes to adoption, especially in a trans-racial scenario and how that can impact your parenting style, understanding race from the point of view of an adoptive parent and why having diversity on an adoption panel is so important to the adoption process. \r\nLINKS\r\nhttps://www.instagram.com/black.gay.dads.global/?hl=en\r\nSome Families is a StoryHunter Production\r\n  \r\n\r\nSee acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.\r\n

Laura-Rose Thorogood, co-founder of the LGBT Mummy's Tribe, join Lotte and Stu on this week’s episode of Some Families. Laura-Rose started Mummy’s Tribe as a space for women and people globally to make friends and meet other families with similar experiences. Since then it has grown to an international community that aims to educate, share and celebrate LGBT+ women who want to start a family.  Laura-Rose is currently pregnant with her and her wife’s third child. She discusses their road to parenthood, being a bio and non-bio mum, the inequality and postcode lottery that people face within fertility treatments.  LINKS:  https://www.thelgbtmummiestribe.com/   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this international women’s day special Lotte and Stu are joined by the fabulous Lady Phyll to discuss, motherhood, chosen families, activism and UK Black Pride. Lady Phyll is one of the founders of UK Black Pride, she has previously been a trustee at Stonewall, worked for the Mayor of London and is now the exec-director of the human rights charity Kaleidoscope Trust (a charity that campaigns for the human rights of LGBTQ+ people in countries where they face discrimination). Lady Phyll became pregnant when she was 19 and talks about coming out while her daughter was a child and what that meant for their relationship. She has a chosen family within the black queer community. She discusses her passion for equality and rights for all minorities and how important it is to understand every point of view and generational experience.  LINKS https://www.ukblackpride.org.uk/ https://kaleidoscopetrust.com/ Some Families is a StoryHunter Production   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

To celebrate World Book Day it’s Some Families inaugural book special! Lotte and Stu talk to different authors and illustrators about LGBTQ+ family books. Stu talks to Carolyn Robertson, author and owner of Sparklypoo Publications. Carolyn wrote Two Dads, that Will Young read on CBeebies Bedtime Stories. Lotte chats to Garry and Gareth, the illustrator and author of the new book, My Daddies, the first LGBTQ+ family book published by a major publishing house. They talk about how important it is for people to continue to write LGBTQ+ family books, just because there are some out there already, there is space for a lot more!  LINKS:  www.sparklypoo.com https://www.facebook.com/carolyncursive BOOKS MENTIONED: My Daddies by Gareth Peter and Garry Parsons Two Mums and a Menage and Two Dads by Carolyn Robertson Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family by Ibtihaj Muhammad Heather Has Two Mummies by Lesléa Newman Princess Kevin by Michael Escoffier Spacegirl Pukes and If I had 100 Mummies by Vanda Carter Hello Sailor by Ingrid Godon Some Families is a StoryHunter Production   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the first episode of Season 2 of Some Families, Lotte and Stu catch up on lockdown life and parenting in the pandemic. The hosts are joined by Sandeep from Hong Kong. Sandeep and her wife fell pregnant within a few days of each other and gave birth within hours of one another to two baby boys. She talks about being pregnant at the same time as her wife, the health care system in Hong Kong and being an LGBTQ+ family. Some Families is a StoryHunter Production.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.