Sarah Kate Ellis: Tackling Trans Rights and Advocacy Challenges

Sarah Kate Ellis: Tackling Trans Rights and Advocacy Challenges

Author: Jaimie Kelton – Queer Parenting & LGBTQ Families'. July 1, 2024 Duration: 35:36

Jaimie concludes the second annual Pride Extravaganza with Sarah Kate Ellis, CEO of GLAAD, discussing the organization’s efforts to combat misinformation and advocate for the LGBTQIA community. Together, they delve into current challenges, such as anti-trans sentiments infiltrating local school districts, and strategies for fostering understanding and inclusivity. Sarah highlights the importance of ongoing activism, voter engagement, and resilience in the quest for equality. 

Jaimie also details her personal experience with rising anti-trans sentiments in New York City's School District 2, highlighting the infiltration by groups like Moms for Liberty. Sarah Kate provides pragmatic advice on how to tackle such localized bigotry, emphasizing education, strategic questioning, and the importance of a unified front in the fight for equality. 

Stay informed and inspired by this empowering conversation, and stay tuned for more enlightening stories from The Queer Family Podcast.

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🏳️‍🌈Key Takeaways:🏳️‍🌈 

  • GLAAD's Mission: GLAAD works to ensure a safe, equal world for LGBTQ individuals by leveraging large platforms and moments to shape narratives about the community.
  • Trans Community Advocacy: The episode delves deep into the political and social narratives affecting the trans community, stressing the importance of addressing misinformation.
  • Local Activism: Jamie shares her personal struggle with rising anti-trans sentiments in her children’s school district, underscoring the need for on-the-ground activism.
  • Educational Gaps: Sarah Kate highlights the significant lack of knowledge about the trans community, noting that more Americans claim to have seen a ghost than know a trans person.
  • Empowering Allies: Practical advice is given on how to engage allies and counter misinformation through inquisitive conversation rather than confrontational debate.


🏳️‍🌈About The Guest(s)🏳️‍🌈 Sarah Kate Ellis is the President and CEO of GLAAD, a leading LGBTQ advocacy organization. Under her leadership, GLAAD has leveraged major platforms and cultural moments to ensure fair and accurate representation of the LGBTQ community. She actively combats misinformation and works towards a safer, more equal world for LGBTQ individuals. Sarah Kate and her wife Kristen are also proud parents of twins, and their journey includes the unique experience of being pregnant at the same time.

🏳️‍🌈Resources mentioned in the episode: 

  • Sponsor: Visit https://www.cryobank.com/ and use promo code LOVEISLOVE for a free level 2 subscription to their donor catalog, or you can apply it to a level 3 subscription for a discount.
  • GLAAD Website: GLAAD.org
  • GLAAD Vote Resources: GLAAD.org/vote - Ensure you're registered, register others, and get involved in pro-equality initiatives.
  • GenderCool Project: youth-led movement helping to replace misinformed opinions with positive experiences meeting transgender and non-binary youth who are thriving.
  • Athlete Ally: Aims to end homophobia and transphobia in sport and to activate the athletic community to exercise their leadership to champion LGBTQI+ equality.


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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

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