Come Out. Make Art. Repeat. Coming Out Later in Life + Raising a Trans Teen

Jaimie sits down with Hilde Festerling —queer mom, children’s writer, and the creator of the all-ages “barnyard gothic” audio drama podcast The Goat American Novel . Hilde shares the story of coming out later in life, navigating an amicable divorce, and building a creative partnership with her girlfriend. The heart of the episode is how Hilde’s family used storytelling as a literal lifeline : writing and producing a full podcast with her kids (and extended family!) became a sacred space through adolescence, transition, and big family change—while also creating queer representation that can still feel accessible for kids in conservative environments. 🏳️‍🌈 Key Takeaways Creative projects can be relationship glue. Hilde describes the podcast as a refuge—an art space where family conflict didn’t enter, even during hard parenting seasons. Kids can be your best collaborators. Hilde’s children didn’t just listen—they became the “writer’s room,” tracking plot threads, character arcs, and story logic. Queer joy + safety can coexist in kids’ media. Hilde talks about balancing being proudly out with creating art that can still reach kids living in conservative homes where “queer” content is policed. Representation isn’t always loud. Sometimes queerness that unfolds slowly (and isn’t “on the cover”) is exactly what helps certain kids find themselves safely. Family can stay family after divorce. Hilde emphasizes an amicable separation and a “split but still connected” family model that includes her ex as family. 🏳️‍🌈 About the guest(s) Hilde Festering is a children’s writer and storyteller, and the creator of the all-ages “barnyard gothic” podcast The Goat American Novel . Built with an ensemble of family voice actors—including her kids, siblings, ex-husband, girlfriend, and more—the project became both an epic storytelling experiment and a creative family tradition that supported connection through major transitions. 🏳️‍🌈 Thanks to our sponsors Be Parent Surrogacy Be Parent oversees the creation of family through surrogacy and IVF, from the very beginning, extending support even well after birth. Mention The Queer Family Podcast to receive $2000 of your treatment! 🏳️‍🌈 Book with GWK's Spring Break Cruise Vacation! Join Jaimie and her family (and other LGBTQIA+ families) on a 3 night cruise in the Bahamas. Be sure to mention that you heard about it here! Click that link ➡️ 🏳️‍🌈 Resources Mentioned Love, Take Two (with José Rolón / NYC Gay Dad)

You can listen to Come Out. Make Art. Repeat. Coming Out Later in Life + Raising a Trans Teen online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Come Out. Make Art. Repeat. Coming Out Later in Life + Raising a Trans Teen is an episode from If These Ovaries Could Talk by robin hopkins.

This episode is 48:46 long.

This episode was published on Feb 16, 2026.

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