Intentional Parenting: Lessons from Single Gay Dad Darren Graham

Intentional Parenting: Lessons from Single Gay Dad Darren Graham

Author: Jaimie Kelton – Queer Parenting & LGBTQ Families'. June 5, 2025 Duration: 55:41

Darren Graham (@therealdarrengraham), a single gay dad by choice and content creator, shares his beautiful and powerful journey to fatherhood. Originally from St. Vincent, Darren opens up to host Jaimie Kelton about his path through trauma, coming into his queerness, and eventually adopting his son as a solo parent. He also shares how parenting has become a space of healing and intention, and why he never "came out"—he simply confirmed who he was all along. This episode is a celebration of resilience, chosen family, and the many ways queer folks build home.

🎙️ "I didn’t come out. I just confirmed who I’ve been all along." - Darren Graham

🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsor California Cryobank!

Thinking of growing your queer family? Use code QUEERFAM25 at cryobank.com for a FREE Level 2 subscription to their donor catalog!

🏳️‍🌈 Interested in advertising? Check out our sponsor packages ⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠

🎧 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

🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways

  • Growing up in St. Vincent and navigating identity
  • Trauma, resilience, and the healing power of parenting
  • Becoming a single gay dad by choice through adoption
  • Queer family visibility and representation
  • Why Darren never "came out"

🏳️‍🌈 About the Guest(s)🏳️‍🌈

Darren Graham is a single gay dad by choice, content creator, and fierce advocate for queer families. His candid and joyful posts on social media (@therealdarrengraham) have resonated with thousands, and he uses his platform to highlight the beauty and realities of intentional parenthood. Originally from St. Vincent, Darren now lives in the U.S. with his young son.

🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned

🏳️‍🌈 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!



Our Sponsors:
* Check out Outdoorsy and use my code QUEERFAM for a great deal: https://www.outdoorsy.com


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

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

Every family has a story, but the paths taken by LGBTQIA+ parents are often uniquely creative, filled with both profound joy and specific hurdles. The Queer Family Podcast-LGBTQ Families & Queer Parenting Stories is a weekly space where those narratives take center stage. Host Jaimie Kelton, a queer mom herself, guides conversations that are as laugh-out-loud funny as they are deeply moving. Each episode features candid interviews with a diverse range of guests, all sharing the intimate details of how they built their families-from adoption and fostering to IVF, surrogacy, and co-parenting. You’ll hear how these families navigate school systems, healthcare, and everyday social situations, tackling challenges with resilience and humor. This podcast digs into the real stuff of queer family life, covering topics across parenting, health, fitness, and sexuality, all through an authentic LGBTQ lens. The goal isn’t just to share stories; it’s to normalize and celebrate the beautiful spectrum of ways to create a home. Tune in for a sense of community, practical insights, and a powerful reminder that family is about love, in all its forms.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

The Queer Family Podcast – LGBTQ Families & Queer Parenting Stories
Podcast Episodes
Ash on Queer Birth Justice, Pregnancy & Palestine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:14
Midwife, parent, nurse, educator, and proud Palestinian Ash joins Jaimie for a powerful, expansive conversation that connects queer birth work, liberation, bodily autonomy, and the politics of modern healthcare. From bec…
No Accidents Here: Alon Rivel on Intentional Gay Parenting [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:02
Alon Rivel joins Jaimie for a brutally honest, funny, and heartfelt conversation about what it really takes—emotionally, financially, and spiritually—to build a queer family through surrogacy. From his surrogate’s iconic…
Mark & Eoin: Two Irish Dads, Two Daughters, and a Fight for Change [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:36
Meet Mark and Eoin, two Irish dads proving that queer family building is both an act of love and of advocacy. Their path to fatherhood took them from Ireland to New York and Texas—navigating surrogacy independently, hono…
From Cult Upbringing to Queer Co-Parenting [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:45
What happens when you grow up in an evangelical cult, spend years closeted, marry to appease your family, and still find your way to queerness, healing, and chosen family? Therapist and author SC Nealy (they/she) joins J…
Breaking the Binary: Maya Gonzalez and the Gender Wheel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:11
In this mind-expanding conversation, Jaimie sits down with Maya Gonzalez — genderqueer artist, author, publisher, educator, parent, and creator of The Gender Wheel — an innovative, nature-based framework that reimagines…
The Bio/Non-Bio Myth: Why Love, Not DNA, Makes a Family [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:14
Kevin and Alim—longtime partners, dads of two, and global citizens—share how they built their family through Canadian surrogacy, what they looked for in an egg donor, and how they talk to their kids about donor conceptio…