The Queer Family Podcast – LGBTQ Families & Queer Parenting Stories

Melissa Pas Blake grew up with two dads—but not in the way many queer families exist today.
After losing her mother to cancer at just six years old, Melissa was raised by her father and his lifelong partner, Ken, throughout the 1970s and 80s, long before LGBTQ+ families had visibility or legal protections.
In this heartfelt conversation, Melissa shares what it was like growing up in a loving home while her dads remained largely closeted, why their relationship wasn't something anyone talked about, and how she eventually came to understand the extraordinary family she'd always had.
Together, Jaimie and Melissa explore what children actually need to thrive, how family is built through consistency and love—not gender—and why representation matters so deeply for the next generation.
They also discuss second-parent adoption before it even had a name, coming out as the child of queer parents, and the lasting impact of growing up in a home filled with safety, joy, and unconditional love.
🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways
Love—not gender—is what makes a family.
Children don't need a "perfect" family; they need to feel safe, loved, and significant.
Melissa's childhood offers a rare look at queer family life decades before marriage equality.
Second-parent adoption existed long before it became common because queer families have always found ways to protect each other.
Growing up with queer parents gave Melissa a broader understanding of love, acceptance, and family.
Visibility matters because children of LGBTQ+ parents shouldn't have to carry shame or secrecy about the people they love.
Even in difficult historical moments, queer families have always existed—and have always been raising wonderful kids.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)
Melissa Pas Blake is a clinical hypnotherapist, heart-healing practitioner, and Parkinson's wellness specialist. Raised by her father and his lifelong partner after losing her mother to cancer at age six, Melissa brings the unique perspective of someone who grew up in a loving gay household during the 1970s and 80s. Today, she helps others heal emotional wounds while sharing her family's story to inspire and support LGBTQ+ families everywhere.
🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned
Instagram: @pasitivesolutions/
LinkedIn: Melissa Pas Blake https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissablake2/
Website: pasitivesolutions.com
https://pasitivesolutions.com/homecoming/

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🎧 Loved this episode?
Support The Queer Family Podcast on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and help keep these stories alive!
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🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?
Drop a comment, DM us, or email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com—we love hearing your stories!
🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!
Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 
🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Jerson Barajas 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 
🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website

🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.
The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

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When a clip from one of our earlier Tea Time episodes sparked a heated debate online, we knew we had to dedicate an entire episode to it.
This week, we're unpacking the history of "lesbian bed death"—where the term came from, why many researchers now reject it, and whether it's time for queer women to reclaim it altogether. We talk about intimacy, consent, long-term relationships, aging, emotional connection, and why comparing queer relationships to heteronormative standards misses the point entirely.
Whether you're in a decades-long partnership or just moved in together, this is one of our most thoughtful (and funniest) Tea Time conversations yet.
Why You'll Love This Episode
This isn't just a conversation about sex—it's a conversation about how queer relationships are often misunderstood. Jaimie and Dianni challenge decades of assumptions, share personal experiences from opposite ends of long-term relationships, and ultimately ask a bigger question: What if we've been measuring intimacy all wrong?
🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways
The surprising (and problematic) origins of the term "lesbian bed death."
Why measuring queer relationships through a heteronormative lens misses the point.
How consent, changing bodies, and life stages naturally affect intimacy.
Why emotional intimacy often looks different in queer relationships.
Jaimie's case for reclaiming "lesbian bed death" as something empowering instead of shameful.
A thoughtful discussion about comparing relationships—and why frequency isn't the same as satisfaction.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)
Dianni is Jaimie’s friend, fellow queer human, and co-host of Tea Time with Jaimie & Dianni, a short-form bonus series featuring casual, unfiltered conversations about their very different queer little lives. Together, they spill the tea on what’s happening behind the scenes, compare notes across generations and life stages, and talk about the things that don’t always make it into a regular episode of The Queer Family Podcast.
Funny, curious, and always ready to ask the follow-up question, Dianni helps turn Tea Time into the kind of conversation that feels like eavesdropping on two friends catching up.
🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com

🎧 Loved this episode?
Support The Queer Family Podcast on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and help keep these stories alive!
OR become a paid subscriber through our RedCircle page for bonus episodes and one-time or recurring donations:
🔗 redcircle.com/thequeerfamilypodcast/exclusive-content

🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?
Drop a comment, DM us, or email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com—we love hearing your stories!
🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!
Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube
🏳️‍🌈 Order the If These Ovaries Could Talk book 
🏳️‍🌈 Edited by: Dianni Hall 🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 
🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website
🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.
The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a trusted professional for your specific situation!

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-queer-family-podcast/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Anne has officially finished her final cancer treatment.
In this special Tea Time episode, Jaimie sits down with her pal Dianni for an honest conversation about what comes next for her family after a year and a half of chemotherapy, surgeries, radiation, targeted treatment, and caregiving.
Jaimie talks about how cancer changed their family, what it was like watching their children navigate the journey, rebuilding intimacy after illness, and the unexpected routines that helped her stay grounded through it all.
It's a quieter, more vulnerable conversation than usual—one about hope, healing, and finding your way forward after surviving something life-changing
🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways
Anne reaches the end of her cancer treatment journey.
What healing looks like after months of surviving.
How caregiving changes a marriage.
Supporting children through a parent's illness.
Finding routines that provide comfort during difficult seasons.
Holding onto tenderness after trauma.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)
Dianni is Jaimie’s friend, fellow queer human, and co-host of Tea Time with Jaimie & Dianni, a short-form bonus series featuring casual, unfiltered conversations about their very different queer little lives. Together, they spill the tea on what’s happening behind the scenes, compare notes across generations and life stages, and talk about the things that don’t always make it into a regular episode of The Queer Family Podcast.
Funny, curious, and always ready to ask the follow-up question, Dianni helps turn Tea Time into the kind of conversation that feels like eavesdropping on two friends catching up.

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com

🎧 Loved this episode?
Support The Queer Family Podcast on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and help keep these stories alive!
OR become a paid subscriber through our RedCircle page for bonus episodes and one-time or recurring donations:
🔗 redcircle.com/thequeerfamilypodcast/exclusive-content
🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?
Drop a comment, DM us, or email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com—we love hearing your stories!
🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!
Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

🏳️‍🌈 Theme Song by: Tiffany Topol 🏳️‍🌈 Logo by: Daneen Stevenato 

🏳️‍🌈 Shop merch here. 🏳️‍🌈 Full transcript & episode info available on our website
🗳️ VOTE. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ ADVOCATE. 🍼 BUILD QUEER FAMILIES.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-queer-family-podcast/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What really happens behind the scenes of The Queer Family Podcast? 👀
In this special preview of Tea Time with Jaimie & Dianni, Jaimie is spilling the tea on podcast guest pet peeves, the secret ways she can tell whether someone pitching themselves for the show has actually listened, and what happens when people come on with an agenda of their own.
Yes, there are secret tests. Yes, Jaimie knows when you’ve only watched a few social clips. And yes… she has feelings. 😬
This is just a preview. Listen to the full episode—and binge more short, fun, unfiltered Tea Time with Jaimie & Dianni episodes—on the exclusive subscriber feed or Patreon.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-queer-family-podcast/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Tea Time with Jaimie & Dianni is a subscriber-only bonus series where Jaimie and her friend Dianni sit down for short, fun, unfiltered conversations about their very different queer little lives. It’s casual, behind-the-scenes, and a little messy—in the best way.
This week, the tea is hot. ☕️
Jaimie and Dianni are pulling back the curtain on what really happens behind the scenes of The Queer Family Podcast—from the secret ways Jaimie can tell whether a potential guest has actually listened to the show to people who come on just to push their wares, and one particularly frustrating mansplaining interview.
Jaimie opens up about what it takes to produce the show, why she feels so protective of her audience, and what happens when a guest confidently pushes back with information she knows isn’t right.
Plus: the very specific question hiding in Jaimie’s guest questionnaire that tells her almost everything she needs to know. 👀
Short, messy, unfiltered, and a little feisty. Just how Tea Time should be.
🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways
Jaimie has a few sneaky ways of figuring out whether potential guests have actually listened to The Queer Family Podcast.
A great pitch doesn’t always mean someone understands the show—or the assignment.
Behind every episode is a lot of time, care, research, and money, which makes it especially frustrating when guests show up unprepared.
Jaimie shares what happens when a guest confidently pushes back with information she knows isn’t right.
Protecting the audience sometimes means challenging misinformation, even when it creates an uncomfortable moment.
The heart of The Queer Family Podcast will always be everyday LGBTQIA+ families sharing stories that deserve to be heard.

🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s)
Dianni is Jaimie’s friend, fellow queer human, and co-host of Tea Time with Jaimie & Dianni, a short-form bonus series featuring casual, unfiltered conversations about their very different queer little lives. Together, they spill the tea on what’s happening behind the scenes, compare notes across generations and life stages, and talk about the things that don’t always make it into a regular episode of The Queer Family Podcast.
Funny, curious, and always ready to ask the follow-up question, Dianni helps turn Tea Time into the kind of conversation that feels like eavesdropping on two friends catching up.

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com

🎧 Loved this episode?
Support The Queer Family Podcast on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and help keep these stories alive!
OR become a paid subscriber through our RedCircle page for bonus episodes and one-time or recurring donations:
🔗 redcircle.com/thequeerfamilypodcast/exclusive-content

🏳️‍🌈 What resonated most with you?
Drop a comment, DM us, or email thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com—we love hearing your stories!

🏳️‍🌈 Let’s Connect!
Find us on IG, TikTok, Bluesky, & YouTube: @thequeerfamilypodcast 🏳️‍🌈 Watch full episodes on YouTube

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-queer-family-podcast/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy