In this episode, we have two extraordinary mothers joining us from India. These exceptional women are taking the world by storm, standing up and saying 'our children are the most important to us, not religion or culture'.

Aruna Desai is the mother of a gay son and the co-founder of Sweekar Rainbow Parents.

One of the parents who used these support groups was Meghna, a parent of two non-binary children.

Meghna starts this episode by telling us about how she first came across Sweekar, and from there we explored their incredible journey from parents who didn’t know anything about LGBTQI+ people to passionate advocates for Out and Proud Parents.

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You can learn more about Out and Proud Parents, and meet other parents at:

https://www.outandproudparentsday.org/

If you're LGBTQI+ or a parent looking for support, you can find resources and help at Naz and Matt Foundation:

https://www.nazandmattfoundation.org/support/

If you are a South Asian Parent looking for support in the UK, please join Rainbow Chai. Find out more here:

https://www.nazandmattfoundation.org/rainbowchai/

If you're a parent based in India, contact Sweekar Rainbow Parents for help and support

https://www.facebook.com/SweekarTheRainbowParents/

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Out and Proud Parents was brought to you by Naz and Matt Foundation.

This series was an Aunt Nell Production, made possible by the National Lottery Community Fund.

The host is Saima Chishti.

The producer is Marnie Woodmeade.

The executive producer for Aunt Nell is Tash Walker.

The executive producer for Naz and Matt Foundation is Matt Mahmood-Ogston.

Music is by Vehaan Bhandari

Special thanks to our guests, Raj and Lak and Transmission Roundhouse Studios.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Benaifer and Lana are both leaders at work alongside their roles as Out and Proud Parents, but how do they create inclusive and welcoming spaces at home as well as at work?

Hear them talk about the importance of Pride and bringing your skills to all parts of your life.

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You can learn more about Out and Proud Parents, and meet other parents at:

https://www.outandproudparentsday.org/

If you're LGBTQI+ or a parent looking for support, you can find resources and help at Naz and Matt Foundation:

https://www.nazandmattfoundation.org/support/

If you are a South Asian Parent looking for support in the UK, please join Rainbow Chai. Find out more here:

https://www.nazandmattfoundation.org/rainbowchai/

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Out and Proud Parents was brought to you by Naz and Matt Foundation.

This series was an Aunt Nell Production, made possible by the National Lottery Community Fund.

The host is Saima Chishti.

The producer is Marnie Woodmeade.

The executive producer for Aunt Nell is Tash Walker.

The executive producer for Naz and Matt Foundation is Matt Mahmood-Ogston.

Music is by Vehaan Bhandari

Special thanks to our guests, Raj and Lak and Transmission Roundhouse Studios.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sally and Debbie are mothers of gay daughters.

Although they didn’t react well initially, they wanted to share their newfound acceptance with their communities after spending time listening and learning.

But what happens if not everyone understands?

Hear Sally and Debbie talk to Saima about finding support, searching for meaning and a whole lot of love.

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You can learn more about Out and Proud Parents, and meet other parents at:

https://www.outandproudparentsday.org/

If you're LGBTQI+ or a parent looking for support, you can find resources and help at Naz and Matt Foundation:

https://www.nazandmattfoundation.org/support/

If you are a South Asian Parent looking for support in the UK, you can come to Rainbow Chai. Find out more here:

https://www.nazandmattfoundation.org/rainbowchai/

----

Out and Proud Parents was brought to you by Naz and Matt Foundation.

This series was an Aunt Nell Production, made possible by the National Lottery Community Fund.

The host is Saima Chishti.

The producer is Marnie Woodmeade.

The executive producer for Aunt Nell is Tash Walker.

The executive producer for Naz and Matt Foundation is Matt Mahmood-Ogston.

Music is by Vehaan Bhandari

Special thanks to our guests, Raj and Lak and Transmission Roundhouse Studios.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Raj and Lak are fathers of queer sons and do not care what anyone else thinks about it. They have taken acceptance to the next level, appearing on national television to show the world you can be out and proud.

In this episode, Raj and Lak exchange stories of coming out, protecting their sons and how their communities can continue to learn.

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You can learn more about Out and Proud Parents, and meet other parents at:

https://www.outandproudparentsday.org/

If you're LGBTQI+ or a parent looking for support, you can find resources and help at Naz and Matt Foundation:

https://www.nazandmattfoundation.org/support/

If you are a South Asian Parent looking for support in the UK, you can come to Rainbow Chai. Find out more here:

https://www.nazandmattfoundation.org/rainbowchai/

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Out and Proud Parents was brought to you by Naz and Matt Foundation. This series was an Aunt Nell Production, made possible by the National Lottery Community Fund.

The host is Saima Chishti.

The producer is Marnie Woodmeade.

The executive producer for Aunt Nell is Tash Walker.

The executive producer for Naz and Matt Foundation is Matt Mahmood-Ogston.

Music is by Vehaan Bhandari

Special thanks to our guests, Raj and Lak and Transmission Roundhouse Studios.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mona and Immi both have trans sons, and have had very different experiences but what they share is understanding the power of using the right language and pronouns. Hear them tell Saima about how they learnt new language through the internet, support groups and learning from the experts: their sons.

You can learn more about Out and Proud Parents and meet more parents at:

https://www.outandproudparentsday.org/.

If you're LGBTQI+ or a parent looking for support, you can find resources and help at Naz and Matt Foundation:

https://www.nazandmattfoundation.org/support/

If you are a South Asian Parent looking for support in the UK, you can come to Rainbow Chai. Find out more here:

https://www.nazandmattfoundation.org/rainbowchai/

If you’re a parent based in India looking for support, contact Sweekar the Rainbow Parents.

https://www.facebook.com/SweekarTheRainbowParents/

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Out and Proud Parents was brought to you by Naz and Matt Foundation.

This series was an Aunt Nell Production, made possible by the National Lottery Community Fund.

The host is Saima Chishti.

The producer is Marnie Woodmeade.

The executive producer for Aunt Nell is Tash Walker.

The executive producer for Naz and Matt Foundation is Matt Mahmood-Ogston.

Music is by Vehaan Bhandari

Special thanks to our guests Mona and Immi, and Transmission Roundhouse Studios.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mahereen and Tejinder are both mothers to transgender sons. When their sons first came out, they didn’t know what transgender meant, but they were determined to show them love and support.

In this episode, hear Mahereen and Tejinder tell Saima how they worked with their children to learn and grow.

You can learn more about Out and Proud Parents and meet other parents at:

https://www.outandproudparentsday.org/

If you're LGBTQI+ or a parent looking for support, you can find resources and help at Naz and Matt Foundation:

https://www.nazandmattfoundation.org/support/

If you are a South Asian Parent looking for support in the UK, you can come to Rainbow Chai. Find out more here:

https://www.nazandmattfoundation.org/rainbowchai/

If you’re based in North America, find out more about Desi Rainbow Parents here:

https://www.desirainbow.org/

Out and Proud Parents was brought to you by Naz and Matt Foundation. This series was an Aunt Nell Production, made possible by the National Lottery Community Fund.

The host is Saima Chishti.

The producer is Marnie Woodmeade.

The executive producer for Aunt Nell is Tash Walker.

The executive producer for Naz and Matt Foundation is Matt Mahmood-Ogston.

Music is by Vehaan Bhandari

Special thanks to our guests, Mahereen and Tejinder and Transmission Roundhouse Studios.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello, my name is Saima, and I am an Out and Proud mother.

An Out and Proud Parent is someone who accepts and celebrates their children no matter what their sexuality or gender identity.

Throughout this series, I’ll be speaking with other parents who, like me, have been on a journey of acceptance and understanding.

We will take you into our most joyous moments… but also talk about the more challenging ones.

We are Out and Proud Parents.

Released weekly from Out and Proud Parents Day, 30th July.

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.