Jaimie welcomes Colton Underwood, former NFL player and Bachelor star, to discuss his journey from playing football to embracing his identity as a gay man. Colton shares his struggles with internalized shame, his unique coming out process, and how the COVID-19 pandemic changed his life. He opens up about his ongoing surrogacy journey with his husband, the importance of being intentional in building a family, and the steps they are taking to ensure their future children know they were made with love. Discover Colton's plans, aspirations, and advocacy for LGBTQIA family building.To get a deeper understanding of Colton's inspiring journey and insights into queer family planning, listen to the full episode. Stay tuned for more incredible stories and discussions from The Queer Family Podcast.?️‍?Thanks to California Cryobank (code LOVEISLOVE), and our ⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠ supporters.?️‍?Interested in advertising? Check out our packages ⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠?️‍?Key Takeaways:?️‍? Journey to Authenticity: Colton shares how growing up in a conservative, religious background and being an athlete complicated his understanding and acceptance of his identity.Life on The Bachelor: Colton discusses how participating in The Bachelor was a form of conversion therapy for him, aimed at solidifying a straight identity.Mental Health Struggles: Colton talks about his battles with anxiety and depression, leading to a period of substance abuse before he was able to come out and seek help.Queer Family Planning: Colton takes us through the detailed steps he and his husband are taking to build their family via surrogacy, including the search for an egg donor and a surrogate.Advocacy and Awareness: Colton emphasizes the importance of visibility and education around queer family building, aiming to break down misconceptions and foster broader acceptance.?️‍?Quotes:?️‍?“By the time I figured out that I was attracted to men and I was gay, it was too late. It was already ingrained in me that was a sin, it was not okay for a football player and an athlete to be gay.” Colton Underwood"Growing up, I just didn't see representation for myself." Colton Underwood"The Bachelor for me was a way to try to really change me. It was my version of conversion therapy." Colton Underwood"My journey will help people... I had physical connections with men in a very shameful way." Colton Underwood?️‍?About The Guest(s)?️‍?Colton Underwood is a former NFL player, reality television star, and mental health advocate. He gained fame through his participation in three seasons of the reality show The Bachelor. Colton made headlines when he came out as gay after struggling with his identity for many years. Since then, he has been an active voice in the LGBTQIA+ community, particularly focusing on mental health and queer family building. Colton is married and is in the process of building a family through surrogacy. He also hosts a podcast focused on fertility and family planning.?️‍?Resources mentioned in the episode: Visit 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.Daddyhood Podcast: Colton's podcast focused on fertility and family planning.PEP!: Jaimie’s daughter’s Pride Merchandise shop. All proceeds will go to The Trevor Project.?️‍?If you like the episode, make sure to leave us a review and support The Queer Family Podcast on⁠⁠⁠ Patreon ⁠⁠⁠for as low as $2/month!?️‍?We want to hear from you! Call us: 646-470-1840 ⁠⁠⁠thequeerfamilypodcast.com⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠thequeerfamilypodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠IG⁠⁠⁠/⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠/⁠⁠⁠FB⁠⁠⁠/⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠/⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠: @thequeerfamilypodcast?️‍?Watch Video Episodes right now on ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ and on ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠?️‍?Order the #ITOCT book based on this podcast on ⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠IndieBound⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Audible⁠⁠⁠.?️‍?Edited by Jerson Barajas. Theme song: ⁠⁠⁠Tiffany Topol⁠⁠⁠\ Logo art: Daneen Stevenato.?️‍?Buy our merch ⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠?️‍?For a full transcript of this epi