Bonus: Cruising Podcast Swap — Les Pierres, Love, and Queer Family in the Deep South

Bonus: Cruising Podcast Swap — Les Pierres, Love, and Queer Family in the Deep South

Author: Jaimie Kelton – Queer Parenting & LGBTQ Families'. August 11, 2025 Duration: 1:08:37

While we gear up for Season 20 (September 1st!), I’m sharing something special — an episode swap with the fabulous podcast Cruising. They’re featuring one of my episodes on their feed, and I’m thrilled to bring one of theirs to you. This one’s a beautiful slice of queer history, love, and resilience.

Juanita Pierre and Leslie Martinez opened New Orleans' first Black-owned lesbian bar, Les Pierres, on the corner of Pauger St and N. Rampart St. No one can quite remember the exact date Les Pierres opened, but based on some other stories and dates, we can guess it would have been around 1980. By 1990, they had closed, but their legacy remains. In this episode, Juanita--alongside family and friends--shares memories of the bar, her love story with Leslie, and what it was like raising children as a same-sex couple in the Deep South in the 70s and 80s.

This episode features interviews with Teryl Lynn Foxx, Juanita Pierre, Mike Pierre, and Emelda Sterling.

Subscribe to Cruising on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you listen.



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Hosted by queer mom Jaimie Kelton, The Queer Family Podcast-LGBTQ Families & Queer Parenting Stories offers a weekly space that is both uproariously funny and deeply genuine. Each episode features conversations with LGBTQIA+ parents, hopeful parents, and their allies, delving into the specific joys and hurdles of building a family outside of traditional frameworks. You’ll hear firsthand accounts of the paths to parenthood-from adoption and fostering to IVF and surrogacy-and the everyday realities of raising kids in a world that can still feel unfamiliar. This podcast moves beyond theory, focusing on lived experiences that cover everything from health and fitness routines that work for queer families to navigating complex conversations about sexuality and society with children. The goal is straightforward: to share stories that normalize these experiences, elevate diverse voices, and celebrate the full spectrum of queer family life. Tuning in means connecting with a community, finding resonance in shared challenges, and gathering a lot of practical wisdom-and laughter-along the way. It’s a resource and a companion for anyone curious about or living within the beautifully expansive definition of a modern family.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

The Queer Family Podcast – LGBTQ Families & Queer Parenting Stories
Podcast Episodes
LGBTQ Fertility Options: Exploring California Cryobank [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:49
In the third episode of the series, Nicole and Shannon Want a Baby, or Do They?, Jaimie, Nicole, and Shannon dive into the world of donor conception with Sydney Sharon, an expert from California Cryobank. With 45 years o…
LGBTQIA Adoption: How to Afford $50K in Costs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:16
In the second episode of the series, "Nicole and Shannon Want a Baby, or Do They?," Jaimie, Nicole, and Shannon sit down with Becky Fawcett, founder of HelpUsAdopt.org, a nonprofit offering financial grants to help famil…
Nicole And Shannon Want a Baby, Or Do They? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:15
Jaimie sits down with her assistant Nicole and her wife Shannon. Despite Nicole having worked on this podcast about queer families for over two years, they still haven’t decided if they want to have kids. As they weigh t…
From High School Besties To Queer Mamas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:32
Ashlyn and Jessica, high school friends turned life partners from Houston, share their journey to parenthood. They discuss the challenges of coming out, choosing a sperm donor, and navigating fertility treatments. They d…
A Tale of Love, Kids, and Surrogacy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:04
Ali and Megan open up to Jaimie about giving the gift of family to another queer couple through surrogacy. Ali was a recently divorced mother of two when she swiped right for Megan on Tinder. Their connection was instant…
Surrogacy, Sperm Donation, and Raising a Rainbow Family [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:57
Jaimie chats with Damien Chambers, a gay dad through surrogacy, a known sperm and embryo donor, and founder of Surrogacy Agency, NewGen Families. They discuss the emotional and legal intricacies of surrogacy, sperm and e…