Season 05 Ep 06: Camp Stories: Kristin Key on Growing Up, Coming Out, and Moving Forward

Written By Mackenzie Dunham

Recently, a friend invited me to a comedy show and as we watched the set, I was delighted to find that the performer and I had a bunch of similarities.

Camp-themed show? Check. Preacher’s kid? Check. Raising money for queer youth? Check. We even look kind of similar, if you don’t count that she’s a foot taller than I am.

I had to take a shot at the merch table. Lucky for me, along with being tremendously funny, she’s also incredibly supportive and generous and agreed to come on the show.

So today, I’m talking with the one and only Kristin Key. And while Kristin isn’t trans or nonbinary, she does share the all-too-common experience of religious trauma in the queer community and she shares how her family’s faith impacted her coming out and her relationship with them. We also chat about neurodivergent quirks, swap some of our favorite camp memories, and the wild connection between me, Kristin, and Brandi Carlisle.

Find this episode for free on your favorite podcast player.

Check out the full episode to hear about:

  • How being turned away from church camp and her community there compounded Kristin’s traumatic coming out

  • How being around visibly queer adults helped Kristin see what might be possible in her future

  • Why every kid deserves to experience the magic of camp where they get to be their whole self

  • What Kristin would want her younger self to know about coming out and surviving

  • Kristin’s advice for parents of queer kids

Find out more about Kristin Key:

Find out more about Mackenzie Dunham:

Resources:

Mackenzie Dunham
Next

Season 05 Ep 05: Autism, Gender, and Breaking Free from Social Programming with Sol Smith