We often say “You can’t be what you can’t see” in our community, but that’s actually not true. People everywhere are living realities they didn’t grow up with—and that’s especially true for Black lesbian moms and queer, trans, and nonbinary parents.
Black queer moms and parents didn’t grow up watching a lesbian Aunt Viv or nonbinary Clair Huxtable on their TVs, as Kendal Esquerre wrote for mater mea.
But many Black queer, trans, and nonbinary parents are creating families that honor their identities without that roadmap, and becoming that representation for countless others. Sharing their lives on social media acts as a lighthouse for other folx who need to see that they too can shine—and have kids, partners, and a family.
If you’re looking for representation and support, check out parents below and our roundup of online Black mom communities that include a few groups focused on queer, trans, and nonbinary parents.
Mia Cooley
Tired of the lack of representation in parenting spaces, writer and speaker Mia Cooley created BlackLGBTQMoms, an online community for Black queer parents.
Taz and Lindah Anderson
Taz and Lindah—or as their son and daughter call them, Taddy and Mommy—are high-school sweethearts who show their growth as people, parents, and partners one Instagram post at a time.
C. Nicole Mason
Identifying as a queer single mother by choice is just one of the many titles C. Nicole Mason holds: She’s also president and CEO of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, one of Fortune Magazine‘s World’s 50 Greatest Leaders, and mom to twins Charli and Parker.
Nyesha and Samantha Davis-Williams
Children’s authors Nyesha and Samantha share their lives as creative moms to their daughter Abigail under their joint Instagram account Two Mommies and a Baby.
Jasmine Banks
Organizer, activist, educator, and mom of four, Jasmine Banks is also the co-founder of Parenting Is Political and Reconcile Arkansas with her partner Mo.
Neffi Walker
Neffi Walker is an interior designer and mother of five. She and her fiancé real estate agent Danielle Watson recently celebrated their three year anniversary. (Another reason to celebrate Neffi this month? She opened the physical location of her business The Black Home on Juneteenth!)
Suhaly Bautista-Carolina and Naiema Carolina
Suhaly Bautista-Carolina wears many hats: Along with being a business owner and spiritual herbalist, she’s also The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Senior Managing Educator of Audience Development and Engagement.
Suhaly and her wife Naiema Carolina have been married since 2014, and are the proud mothers of their daughter Luna.
Racha Tahani Lawler
Racha is a Southern California-based midwife (you might know her as Crimson Fig on Instagram). She and her spouse recently celebrated their first year of marriage during Black History Month in 2021.
S.M. Rodriguez and Athena Belle-Fairplay
Scholar activist S.M. Rodriguez and their wife, artist Athena Belle-Fairplay welcomed their baby Tau to the world in 2020.
Danielle and Zhane Dikes
Based in San Francisco, the family of four (including their dog) share their day-to-day lives on Instagram.
Red J. and Ashley J. of 2MomCulture
Digital content creators and entrepreneurs Red and Ashley created a community for other two-mom families called 2MomCulture, and highlight their relationship and parenting journeys.
Jamilla and Que
Vloggers Jamilla and Que share the ins and outs of their lives together, as a couple and as moms to two girls, on their popular YouTube channel.
Kia Puckett
Kia Puckett—whose pronouns are they/them—is a Seattle-based mom, burlesque performer, and sex and kink educator. You can listen to their thoughts on SexualiTea, the monthly podcast they cohost.
Ashley Wright
This queer single mom of two unapologetically shares her thoughts and hard-earned perspectives on everything from pleasure and self-care to intentional parenting. (Her TikTok on why defending hitting kids because you got hit is a masterclass.)
Cee & Dee
LGBTQ+ and mental health advocates Cee & Dee offer advice to fellow same-sex families, and act as “fairy godparents” to those in their community who can use some support.
MyLin & Lindsay Stokes Kennedy
MyLin and Lindsay’s Instagram bio says it all: “Two Black creatives that fell in love and are doing this thing called life together.”
Ashley Mosley Dickens
A stay-at-home mom taking some time off work, Ashley captures the everyday moments of life with her wife and their son.
HunterDae Little-Goodridge
HD is a birthworker and parent of twins who shares openly and vulnerably their musings on queerness, identity, family, parenting, Blackness, and more.
Akirah and Monica Armstrong
This married couple—known by their portmanteau Mokirah—share the special memories they’re making as a new family of three.
Ania and Yndia
WeRLove3 is their screen name, and you can feel the love bursting from every single square on Ania and Yndia’s page! The Los Angeles-based family also have a beautiful community that includes donor siblings, for folks looking for dribling representation!
Tai and Paige
Tai and Paige are super transparent about their journey together as a couple and as moms on their YouTube channel and Instagram page, sharing their water birth at home and second-parent adoption process .
Abby of Abby’s Rollercoaster Life
Abby seeks to normalize families like hers by showing both the ups and downs of the military family experience.
Kendal and Summer Esquerre
Kendal and Summer are a queer married couple in Florida, raising their two daughters and unpacking what it means to them to be “dynamic, nuanced and spiritual Black Queer Folxs who recognize the interconnectedness of it all.”
Krystian
Krystian and Caitlyn’s story began on a basketball court when they were 14 and 15. Now, they’re life-long partners raising their children Grey and Hayes.
Lauren Farruya and Courtney Jackson
These two fell in love while traveling the world together (perhaps it’s no coincidence that Lauren is a flight attendant for American Airlines!). Now they get to share their love for travel as a family, with their son Maxwell.
Ebony
As influencers with over 5 million followers, Ebony and her wife Denise use all of their platforms to educate others on the realities of two-mom households. From showing how they celebrate Father’s Day to how they’re raising their three children (9-year-old Olivia—a social media star in her own right—and toddler twins, Jayen and Lucas), @Team2Moms has it all.
Didi and Priscilla Akutu-Carter
Didi and Pricilla (Mummy and Mama to Ava) met online in 2005. Now, they’re using the internet to create awareness for same-sex families in the African and Carribean community.
T. Keller
T. Keller of @twomommiesbloggie showcases her life with her wife, who is pansexual, and their daughter, who is adorable.
Mignon Moore and Elaine Harley
Mignon R. Moore is a mater mea role mama and sociology professor who shares her knowledge on race, gender, sexuality, and family in her books such as Invisible Families: Gay Identities, Relationships and Motherhood Among Black Women. Her kids have grown quite a bit since we first met them—you can see Joie and Ryan continue to flourish alongside Mignon and her wife Elaine Harley on her Instagram.
Staceyann Chin
Poet, performer, and activist Staceyann Chin wrote MotherStruck, a play about being a single lesbian mom that was turned into a web series. An OG mater mea role mama, Staceyann talked to us about her path to motherhood and bringing her daughter Zuri into the world.
Heaven GA
A new mom and CEO of @mrsandmrs_, Heaven uses her various platforms to educate, inspire, and normalize womxn loving womxn.
Ris “iRAWniQ” Anderson
Ris “iRAWniQ” Anderson is a nonbinary creative, rapper, and now author. They wrote Charlie’s Best Work Yet, a book that helps give children (and adults, too!) language around gender identity. (Listen to their episode on one of our favorite mom podcasts Good Moms, Bad Choices for more!)
Morgane Richardson
Morgane Richardson is a perinatal health educator and expert on fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum. Her instagram highlights her life with her wife, acupuncturist and herbalist Alexandra Garcia. Together, they founded Woven Bodies, a platform that offers online childbirth education courses for queer folks and allies.
Marge Jacobsen
Marge Jacobsen is a poly non-binary parent and creative who captures the many great loves she has in her life: her children Riley and Beck, her partner Noah, and her friends and lovers.
Sanya
Sayna is a homeschooling mom chronicling all the creative ways she educates her two daughters. You may pick up a thing or two from her!
@Townsend.forever
A two-moms-in-the-military family, The Townsends recently celebrated the arrival of a new baby!
Jacqueline Woodson
The noted author—National Book Award Winner, #1 New York Times Best Seller, former National Ambassador for Young People’s Lit—is also a mom!
Jannah Handy
You know Jannah Handy as one half of Blk Mkt Vintage, “curators of a collection of black curiosities, heirlooms, and collectibles.” (Her fianceé, gray-haired beauty Kiyanna Stewart, makes up the other half.) Jannah has a precocious daughter from a previous relationship.
Meg and Mase
The Church has a fraught and deeply problematic history when it comes to accepting queer people. Megan and Mase prove that LGBTQIA+ love and faith in God are not incompatible. (You can hear more of their journey on their YouTube channel.)
Chalis & Tassy
CB, a non-binary person, and Tassy, a cis woman, document the milestones of their relationship and provide relationship and marital advice on Instagram and their blog.
The Ryans
These affianced parents share the same name! Ryan and Ryan “started this platform to normalize same-sex families and amplify the voices of Black lesbian women!”
Telly D & Jay B
Digital creator Telly D shares her life as a wife to Jay, mom to twins Jordyn and Josiah, and lover of beauty and food.
Jessica & Samantha Pace
Jessica and Samantha Pace use their Instagram account to build community and share their family with said community. Jessica also runs Favor Over Odds, a clothing company that stands for overcoming the odds with shirts that emphasize Black LGBTQIA+ pride.
JAM
Jam is a mother on the spectrum whose grid is equal parts fire outfits and adorable snaps of her baby George.
Eryn.Khristine
Eryn Khristine is a published author, mom to 6-year-old son Sirius, and a deep well of information when it comes to deepening your relationship with yourself and those around you.
Shonta Sawyers-Myricks
Shonta Sawyers-Myricks is a Navy wife who loves capturing shots of her adorable son KJ. Her family is currently stationed in Japan!
Ashe and Christin
Ashe and Christin are multi-hyphenate women using their talents and interests to power their businesses: Pura Luna Women’s Apothecary, LunaBella Make up and Hair and Full Spiral Salon. But we’d venture to say that their most important joint effort is their roles as moms to their daughter.
DeAna Fierce
DeAna Fierce is a petite model and personal image coach who teaches women how to pose confidently. Her confidence comes from being true to herself in spite of what others may say about who she’s married to.
“I’ve learned that until you stop living your life according to everyone else’s opinions and expectations you will never live your own life,” she wrote in a 2020 Pride message.
“My hope for all LGBTQ+ women is that you may always own your worth, love with your heart even when you are treated unfairly and know that you are never alone in this journey.”
