More Human. More Kind. | Parenting LGBTQ Kids, Unlearning Fear, Becoming More Human

Episodios

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  What More Human Actually Means: Being Less Performed Changes Everything When Parenting LGBTQ Kids 18.08.2026 12m

  Continue being more human on Substack!What does being “more human” mean to you?This episode is a personal one, tracing how performing "fine" for most of my life, learned as a survival mechanism, gave way to embracing the vulnerable, raw, and messy parts of who I actually am. It's a direct answer to the question at the center of this whole show, and an invitation for you to ask it of yourself.In this episode, you'll learn how to:Understand "more human" as more honest and less performed, not more polished or more healedRecognize the gap between how put together you look and how you actually feel insideNotice one relationship where honesty would be met with relief instead of judgmentPractice one true sentence instead of the edited version you'd normally givePress play to hear the story behind this show's name, and three tools for closing your own inside-outside gap.Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Download my free guide to take you from Panic to Plan.Join a private community with other parents and allies just like you!Stay informed - receive my newsletterInvite me to speak at your workshop or eventRead my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!Connect heather@heatherhester.netBuy Me A CoffeeWatch on YouTubeListen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous, compassionate connection.For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re part of this journey.More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers practical guidance and education to parents and allies, fostering empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community—including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals—through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy
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  Stop Apologizing for Being a Mama Bear: A Reset for Parents of LGBTQ Kids Heading Into the School Year 14.08.2026 7m

  Do you think of a threshold as a potential stumbling block or the place you stand before walking into something new or unknown?This Butterfly Effect episode builds on Tuesday's conversation about the five back-to-school thresholds parents face, with a small practice to help you name yours out loud instead of carrying it silently into September.In this episode, you'll learn how to:Name your threshold to someone you trust instead of carrying it aloneReach out to one teacher or administrator before a problem starts, not afterSay your protective instinct out loud without apologizing for itPress play for this week's word, tiny action, and one line worth stealing.Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Download my free guide to take you from Panic to Plan.Join a private community with other parents and allies just like you!Stay informed - receive my newsletterInvite me to speak at your workshop or eventRead my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!Connect heather@heatherhester.netBuy Me A CoffeeWatch on YouTubeListen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous, compassionate connection.For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re part of this journey.More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers practical guidance and education to parents and allies, fostering empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community—including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals—through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy
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  Five Back to School Thresholds Every Parent of an LGBTQ Kid Faces 11.08.2026 11m

  Grab the Panic to Plan Guide Join me on SubstackEvery August, before a single backpack gets packed, there's a threshold parents like us cross. Not the kids. Us.Interest: For parents of lgbtq teens, or kids who are neurodivergent, anxious, or otherwise vulnerable, back-to-school anxiety isn't extra worry stacked on top of normal parent worry. It's the baseline. This episode names five distinct versions of that threshold so you can walk in with your eyes open instead of just white-knuckling it.Desire: In this episode you'll learn how to:Name your specific version of the back-to-school threshold instead of carrying a vague dreadRecognize five common thresholds parents face, from re-closeting fears to safety concernsCalibrate your level of involvement to where your kid actually is this year, not where they were last yearIdentify a genuinely safe adult and space in the building before a hard day makes it urgentAction: Press play for the Threshold Inventory and three more practical tools to use before the first day.Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Download my free guide to take you from Panic to Plan.Join a private community with other parents and allies just like you!Stay informed - receive my newsletterInvite me to speak at your workshop or eventRead my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!Connect heather@heatherhester.netBuy Me A CoffeeWatch on YouTubeListen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous, compassionate connection.For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re part of this journey.More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers practical guidance and education to parents and allies, fostering empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community—including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals—through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.Mentioned in this episode:Contact Hester Painting & Decorating for a consultation! https://go.hesterdecorating.com/mhmkThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy
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  The One Question Every Parent of an LGBTQ Emerging Adult Needs to Ask Before Offering Advice 07.08.2026 6m

  The goal was never to be needed forever. The goal was kids who still choose to confide in you even after they don't have to.This Butterfly Effect episode picks up right where Tuesday's conversation on parenting a queer teen versus a queer adult left off, with one small, doable practice for the week ahead. Allyship isn't just a big philosophy; it's built in tiny, repeatable moments like this one.In this episode, you'll learn how to:Practice becoming a confidant instead of a manager, one small moment at a timeAsk the one question that opens the door without walking through it uninvitedNotice what it feels like in your body to hold back from fixing something Press play for this week's word, tiny action, and one line worth stealing.Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Download my free guide to take you from Panic to Plan.Join a private community with other parents and allies just like you!Stay informed - receive my newsletterInvite me to speak at your workshop or eventRead my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!Connect heather@heatherhester.netBuy Me A CoffeeWatch on YouTubeListen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous, compassionate connection.For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re part of this journey.More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers practical guidance and education to parents and allies, fostering empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community—including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals—through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy
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  What Changes When Your LGBTQ Teen Becomes an Adult and Why the Letting Go Is Hard 04.08.2026 16m

  Join me on SubstackThere's a day every parent of a queer kid hits, and nobody warns you it's coming: the day you realize you don't get a vote anymore.Parenting guidance for a queer teen looks nothing like parenting guidance for a queer adult, and almost nobody names the difference out loud. This episode walks through what actually changes, from gatekeeping their world to trusting them to build their own, and why that shift can feel like loss even when it's exactly what healthy allyship is supposed to look like.In this episode, you'll learn how to:Recognize the real difference between protecting a queer teen and trusting a queer adultUnderstand why the fear doesn't disappear as your kid gets older; it just goes undergroundUse specific language to shift from managing your adult child's life to being trusted with itSupport a teen who still needs hands-on protection without it reading as a lack of trustPress play to hear the apartment story that changed how I think about advocacy, and four scripts you can use this week.Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Download my free guide to take you from Panic to Plan.Join a private community with other parents and allies just like you!Stay informed - receive my newsletterInvite me to speak at your workshop or eventRead my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!Connect heather@heatherhester.netBuy Me A CoffeeWatch on YouTubeListen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous, compassionate connection.For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re part of this journey.More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers practical guidance and education to parents and allies, fostering empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community—including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals—through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.Mentioned in this episode:Contact Hester Painting & Decorating for a consultation! https://go.hesterdecorating.com/mhmkThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy
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  The Threshold You Already Crossed This Summer: For Parents of LGBTQ Kids Heading Into August 31.07.2026 6m

  Share The Panic to Plan Guide with someone!The courage becomes an orientation. But first you have to cross the threshold. This is your final Friday reset of the summer, and it is a good one.On Tuesday we talked about intentional kindness in LGBTQ+ allyship, the Threshold Moment, and the question that changes everything: what if it could also be fun? Today Heather closes out the summer with your Friday Butterfly Effect, a few small tools to carry the courage, the joy, and the intention of this season straight into August and beyond.In this episode you'll get:* This week's word, threshold, and how to use it to notice the moments where courage is waiting for you* A tiny action that names and honors your own Threshold Moment from this summer* A micro-rebellion that brings joy back into the advocacy that has started to feel heavy* One line to carry into August that will meet you at every threshold still to comePress play for your final Friday reset of July and carry something bold into August.Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Download my free guide to take you from Panic to Plan.Join a private community with other parents and allies just like you!Stay informed - receive my newsletterInvite me to speak at your workshop or eventRead my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!Connect heather@heatherhester.netBuy Me A CoffeeWatch on YouTubeListen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous, compassionate connection.For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re part of this journey.More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers practical guidance and education to parents and allies, fostering empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community—including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals—through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.Mentioned in this episode:Contact Hester Painting & Decorating for a consultation! https://go.hesterdecorating.com/mhmkThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy
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  When Advocacy Gets Hard: How Parents of LGBTQ Kids Can Show Up Boldly and Find the Joy 28.07.2026 16m

  Advocacy is serious. The stakes are real. And some days the weight of it is genuinely hard to carry. But what if showing up boldly for your LGBTQ+ kid could also hold something else? What if it could also be joyful? This is episode 300, and it is worth the wait.In this milestone episode, Heather Hester introduces the Threshold Moment, the instant just on the other side of discomfort where courage becomes action, and shares two of her own most defining moments as an ally and advocate. She also offers a simple reframe that has the power to completely shift how you experience the work of LGBTQ+ allyship, from heavy obligation to something you actually want to show up for.In this episode you'll learn how to:* Understand what intentional kindness in LGBTQ allyship actually means and what it looks like in practice* Recognize and name your own Threshold Moment, the crossing that builds your capacity for bold, courageous allyship over time* Use one simple question to bring joy back into your advocacy without minimizing the seriousness of the work* Show up for your LGBTQ+ kid as a bold, intentional, joyful ally, messy and imperfect and doing it anywayPress play to find your Threshold Moment and remember why this work is worth every bit of what it costs.Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Download my free guide to take you from Panic to Plan.Join a private community with other parents and allies just like you!Stay informed - receive my newsletterInvite me to speak at your workshop or eventRead my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!Connect heather@heatherhester.netBuy Me A CoffeeWatch on YouTubeListen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous, compassionate connection.For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re part of this journey.More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers practical guidance and education to parents and allies, fostering empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community—including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals—through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy
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  What Comparison Cannot Touch: A Friday Reset for Parents of LGBTQ Kids 24.07.2026 7m

  Grab your Panic to Plan Guide here!Comparison does not know you. And it does not know your kid, your journey, or the specific kind of love you are doing. This week's reset is about returning to what cannot be measured or ranked or taken from you.On Tuesday we talked about the comparison trap and the particular pain of measuring yourself against another parent and coming up feeling small. Today Heather brings it home with your Friday Butterfly Effect, a few small things to carry the truth of your own story into the weekend and quiet the voice that says you are not enough.In this episode you'll get:* This week's word, enough, and exactly how to use it when the comparison trap closes in* A tiny action that gives you concrete evidence of what your specific journey has already built* A micro-rebellion that protects your nervous system from what is quietly making you feel smaller* One line to steal for the next time the comparison loop starts and you need something to interrupt itPress play for your Friday reset and carry something true into the weekend.Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Download my free guide to take you from Panic to Plan.Join a private community with other parents and allies just like you!Stay informed - receive my newsletterInvite me to speak at your workshop or eventRead my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!Connect heather@heatherhester.netBuy Me A CoffeeWatch on YouTubeListen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous, compassionate connection.For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re part of this journey.More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers practical guidance and education to parents and allies, fostering empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community—including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals—through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy
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  The Comparison Trap That Hits Parents of LGBTQ Kids Differently and How to Find Your Way Out 21.07.2026 14m

  Get the Panic to Plan Guide hereThere is a particular kind of pain that does not announce itself loudly. You see another parent who seems to have it figured out, who has been advocating longer, speaking more fluently, loving more visibly. And something in you goes small. You know that feeling. This episode is for that moment.The comparison trap hits parents of LGBTQ+ kids in a specific and painful way. Because this journey does not come with a clear map, a certification, or a moment where someone tells you that you are doing it right. So we look around. We measure. We try to locate ourselves on a scale that was never designed for what we are actually doing. In this episode Heather Hester gets honest about her own experience with the comparison trap, including a recent moment that caught her completely off guard, and unpacks the lie underneath it that feels so completely true in the moment.In this episode you'll learn how to:* Name the lie underneath the comparison trap before it takes hold and pulls you under* Understand why comparison hits parents of LGBTQ+ kids with a particular intensity and what is actually underneath it* Return to your own specific story, your specific kid, your specific unlearning, as the only measure that actually mattersPress play to lift a layer of fog that may have been quietly settling for longer than you realize.Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Download my free guide to take you from Panic to Plan.Join a private community with other parents and allies just like you!Stay informed - receive my newsletterInvite me to speak at your workshop or eventRead my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!Connect heather@heatherhester.netBuy Me A CoffeeWatch on YouTubeListen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous, compassionate connection.For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re part of this journey.More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers practical guidance and education to parents and allies, fostering empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community—including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals—through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.Mentioned in this episode:Contact Hester Painting & Decorating for a consultation! https://go.hesterdecorating.com/mhmkThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy
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  Travel Prep as Love: A Friday Reset for Parents of LGBTQ Kids 17.07.2026 6m

  The research, the conversations, the paperwork, the permission you give your kid before you ever leave home. That is not just preparation. That is love made practical.On Tuesday we talked about what it actually takes to travel safely with an LGBTQ+ family. Today Heather brings it home with your Friday Butterfly Effect, reframing travel preparation not as a burden but as one of the most concrete acts of allyship you can offer your kid.In this episode you'll get:* This week's word, prepared, and why it is fundamentally different from anxious* A tiny action that opens a real pre-travel conversation with your LGBTQ+ kid* A micro-rebellion that turns your travel spending into intentional advocacy* One line to carry into the weekend that reframes everythingPress play for your Friday reset and carry something real into the weekend.Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Download my free guide to take you from Panic to Plan.Join a private community with other parents and allies just like you!Stay informed - receive my newsletterInvite me to speak at your workshop or eventRead my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!Connect heather@heatherhester.netBuy Me A CoffeeWatch on YouTubeListen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous, compassionate connection.For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re part of this journey.More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers practical guidance and education to parents and allies, fostering empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community—including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals—through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy
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  Traveling With Your LGBTQ Kid: What Every Parent Needs to Know Before You Leave 14.07.2026 15m

  Summer travel should feel like joy. But if you have an LGBTQ+ kid, you already know there is a layer of preparation most families never have to think about. This episode is for you.The world is not equally safe for LGBTQ+ travelers. Not internationally, and not here at home in the United States. In this episode, Heather Hester walks through what the current global LGBTQ+ safety landscape actually looks like, including which US states have enacted restrictive legislation that directly affects LGBTQ families traveling today, and what every parent needs to know before booking a trip.In this episode you'll learn:* How to use the A3M LGBTQ+ Risk Map to assess safety at any destination, domestic or international* A concrete pre-travel checklist including packing, paperwork, cultural conversations, and real-time safety tools* How to have an honest safety conversation with your LGBTQ+ kid that empowers rather than frightens them* Why giving your family permission to tap out of any situation is one of the most powerful things you can do as an allyPress play to travel smarter, safer, and more intentionally with your LGBTQ kids this summer.Resources mentioned:* A3M LGBTQ+ Risk Map 2025: https://www.global-monitoring.com/en/tourism/lgbtqplusriskmap/* IGLTA — International LGBTQ+ Travel Association: www.iglta.orgHi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Download my free guide to take you from Panic to Plan.Join a private community with other parents and allies just like you!Stay informed - receive my newsletterInvite me to speak at your workshop or eventRead my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!Connect heather@heatherhester.netBuy Me A CoffeeWatch on YouTubeListen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous, compassionate connection.For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re part of this journey.More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers practical guidance and education to parents and allies, fostering empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community—including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals—through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.Mentioned in this episode:Contact Hester Painting & Decorating for a consultation! https://go.hesterdecorating.com/mhmkThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy
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  Genuine Joy Is Countercultural: A Friday Reset for Parents of LGBTQ Kids 10.07.2026 6m

  Real joy doesn't come from a feed. This week's reset will help you find it, feel it, and help your kid do the same.In Tuesday's episode, we explored what queer creators are teaching our kids about authentic joy and identity. Today Heather brings it home with your Friday Butterfly Effect, one small shift designed to create a meaningful ripple in your week and in your relationship with your LGBTQ kid.In this episode you'll learn how to:* Use this week's word, genuine, to notice the difference between performed and authentic joy in yourself and your kid* Take one tiny action that opens a real conversation with your teen about who they follow and why it matters to them* Practice a micro-rebellion that brings joy back to where it belongs, inside you, not on a screenPress play for your Friday reset, and carry something real into the weekend.Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Download my free guide to take you from Panic to Plan.Join a private community with other parents and allies just like you!Stay informed - receive my newsletterInvite me to speak at your workshop or eventRead my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!Connect heather@heatherhester.netBuy Me A CoffeeWatch on YouTubeListen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous, compassionate connection.For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re part of this journey.More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers practical guidance and education to parents and allies, fostering empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community—including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals—through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy
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  What Queer Creators Teach Your LGBTQ Teen About Authentic Joy 07.07.2026 12m

  Your kid has a feed full of people they've never met, and some of those people are quietly teaching them what joy looks and feels like. Do you know what they're learning?For LGBTQ teens especially, finding creators online who live and love the way they do can be genuinely life-changing. But not all joy is created equal. The most successful queer creators have discovered something worth understanding: authentic, lasting joy comes from within, and it shows. In this episode, Heather Hester unpacks the psychology behind your kid's online world and what it means for you as a parent or ally.In this episode you'll learn how to:* Understand what queer creators are actually teaching your LGBTQ+ teen about authentic joy and identity* Recognize the difference between performed happiness and genuine self-expression in the content your kid consumes* Start a curiosity-based conversation with your kid about who they follow and why, without judgment or agendaPress play to understand what's really happening in your kid's online world, and how staying curious keeps you connected to what matters most.Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Download my free guide to take you from Panic to Plan.Join a private community with other parents and allies just like you!Stay informed - receive my newsletterInvite me to speak at your workshop or eventRead my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!Connect heather@heatherhester.netBuy Me A CoffeeWatch on YouTubeListen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous, compassionate connection.For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re part of this journey.More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers practical guidance and education to parents and allies, fostering empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community—including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals—through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.Mentioned in this episode:Contact Hester Painting & Decorating for a consultation! https://go.hesterdecorating.com/mhmkThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy
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  You Can Love Fiercely and Still Be Running on Empty: A Reset for Exhausted Parents of LGBTQ Kids 03.07.2026 6m

  You don't need a complete overhaul to start recovering from ally burnout. You need one small, doable thing.Interest: This week's quick follow-up to our episode on ally burnout and compassion fatigue gives you something tiny and real to carry into your week, no grand gestures or new routines required.Desire: In this episode you'll learn how to:Name your own stress pattern out loud, in one sentenceProtect one non-negotiable need like it's non-negotiableHold onto a single line that quiets the guilt when it creeps back inAction: Press play to find one small thing you can actually do this week, not just think about.Mentioned in this episode:Contact Hester Painting & Decorating for a consultation! https://go.hesterdecorating.com/mhmkThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy
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  Bonus Episode: I'm Not Okay, and I Don't Think You Are Either 30.06.2026 10m

  My Raw Reaction to This Week's SCOTUS RulingsA note before you press play.This isn't a normal episode. There's no outline, no structure, no neat takeaways. It's me, talking through what I'm feeling after two days of Supreme Court decisions that I'm still trying to process myself.If you've been doom-scrolling the news the way I have, you already know some of what's in here. The trans rights ruling. Birthright citizenship. Campaign finance. But this isn't a breakdown of the legal details. It's rage and grief and fear, unfiltered, because I didn't want to pretend everything is fine when it isn't.I talk about the cowardice I see in how these decisions came down. I talk about Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson, and how grateful I am for the way they've fought back in their dissents. And I talk about what it means to have this dropped the same week we're supposed to be celebrating 250 years of this country.Mostly, I wanted you to know you're not alone in whatever you're feeling right now. Whether it's rage or numbness or something in between.We're not giving up. We're not going anywhere.Sending you love this week, whatever this week looks like for you.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy
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  Up at 2AM Researching? What Ally Burnout Looks Like for Parents of LGBTQ Kids 30.06.2026 16m

  Talk to other parents who are experiencing burnout, too. Learn more about the Kindred Collective.Loving your child through a hard season can quietly burn you out, and most allies never see it coming.When a child comes out and struggles, parents often carry an invisible weight: vicarious stress, ambiguous grief, and a nervous system stuck on high alert. This episode names what compassion fatigue looks like for allies, and why it shows up differently depending on how you're wired.In this episode, you'll learn how to:Recognize the real signs of ally burnout, even when they don't look like "burnout"Understand why you and your partner might be falling apart in completely different waysStart recovering without waiting for the crisis to end firstPress play to find out why your exhaustion isn't a flaw, it's evidence of how much you love your kid.Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Download my free guide to take you from Panic to Plan.Join a private community with other parents and allies just like you!Stay informed - receive my newsletterInvite me to speak at your workshop or eventRead my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!Connect heather@heatherhester.netBuy Me A CoffeeWatch on YouTubeListen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous, compassionate connection.For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re part of this journey.More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers practical guidance and education to parents and allies, fostering empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community—including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals—through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy
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  PFLAG National on Creating Pride in Families: The New Resource Helping Parents Build Support Networks at Work 29.06.2026 35m

  What if the support you've been looking for was one conversation away, right where you work?PFLAG National's Jamie Henkel joins the show to talk about Creating Pride in Families, a brand new resource library designed to help parents and caregivers of LGBTQ+ people build peer support networks inside their workplaces. Whether your company has a thriving ERG or you're starting from scratch, this episode will show you what's possible and how to get there.Jamie also gets honest about what allyship actually requires: doing your own homework, speaking up even when it's imperfect, and understanding that silence is never the safe choice.In this episode you'll learn how to:Access PFLAG's Creating Pride in Families resource library and use it to start or strengthen a workplace parent groupNavigate the current DEI climate, including why some companies are actually increasing their investment right nowFind PFLAG support if there's no local chapter near you, including free virtual options and identity-specific communitiesTake action as an ally without waiting until you feel ready or perfectly informedUnderstand what your LGBTQ+ loved one actually needs from you, and why getting it wrong is still better than staying silentResources mentioned in this episode:Creating Pride in Families resource library: https://pflag.org/press/creating-pride-in-families/Find a local chapter or PFLAG Connects virtual meeting: pflag.orgPFLAG Connects Communities (free identity-specific virtual support groups)PFLAG Academy Online (monthly webinar program for members and allies)Free publications including Our Trans Loved Ones and Faith in Our Families: pflag.orgAbout Jamie Henkel:Jamie Henkel (she/her) is the Vice President of Learning and Inclusion at PFLAG National, where she has worked since 2008. She oversees the development of PFLAG's Straight for Equality publications and learning sessions, serves as the architect of PFLAG Academy Online, and has spent her career building tools that help families and allies show up with more courage and less fear. She lives in Portland, Oregon.Connect with PFLAG National:pflag.orgHi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Download my free guide to take you from Panic to Plan.Join a private community with other parents and allies just like you!Stay informed - receive my newsletterInvite me to speak at your workshop or eventRead my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!Connect heather@heatherhester.netBuy Me A CoffeeWatch on YouTubeListen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous, compassionate connection.For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re part of this journey.More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers practical guidance and education to parents and allies, fostering empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community—including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals—through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy
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  I Don't Need to Define You to Love You: A Reset for LGBTQ Parents 26.06.2026 7m

  Check out in depth essays, meditations, and tips and strategies on the More Human More Kind Substack!Your kid changed how they describe themselves again, and some part of you is still waiting for the "real" answer.This Friday Reset picks up where Tuesday left off. One small shift, one word, one line you can carry into the week for the moments when not-knowing feels like too much, and you need a gentler way to hold it.In this episode you'll learn how to:Use one simple word to make space for what's still unfoldingRespond to an unexpected identity shift without needing it to mean something right nowCarry a line that lets you love without needing to defineAction: Press play for this week's Butterfly Effect, a small shift toward more room, more ease, more yet.Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Download my free guide to take you from Panic to Plan.Join a private community with other parents and allies just like you!Stay informed - receive my newsletterInvite me to speak at your workshop or eventRead my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!Connect heather@heatherhester.netBuy Me A CoffeeWatch on YouTubeListen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous, compassionate connection.For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re part of this journey.More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers practical guidance and education to parents and allies, fostering empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community—including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals—through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.Mentioned in this episode:Contact Hester Painting & Decorating for a consultation! https://go.hesterdecorating.com/mhmkThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy
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  Beyond the Binary: Why Fluid Doesn't Mean Unsure (Guidance for Parents of LGBTQ Kids) 23.06.2026 14m

  Find connection with other parents in the Kindred Collective!Your kid said something different about who they are than they did six months ago, and some part of you panicked.For a lot of parents, fluidity feels like the hardest version of this journey, not because it's harder to love, but because it doesn't offer the relief of a finish line. This episode is about what happens when you stop needing one. It's about a conversation that changed how one parent saw not just their child, but everyone around them and what that kind of letting go can open up.In this episode you'll learn how to:Understand what fluidity actually means and the misconception that keeps tripping parents upShift from "so are you..." questions to ones that keep the door openRecognize when your need for certainty is becoming your kid's job to manageAction: Press play to find a little more room to breathe when the answers keep changing.Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Download my free guide to take you from Panic to Plan.Join a private community with other parents and allies just like you!Stay informed - receive my newsletterInvite me to speak at your workshop or eventRead my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!Connect heather@heatherhester.netBuy Me A CoffeeWatch on YouTubeListen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous, compassionate connection.For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re part of this journey.More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers practical guidance and education to parents and allies, fostering empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community—including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals—through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.Mentioned in this episode:Contact Hester Painting & Decorating for a consultation! https://go.hesterdecorating.com/mhmkThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy
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  Does Your LGBTQ Child Actually FEEL Your Love? Guidance for Parents Who Want to Close the Gap 19.06.2026 9m

  Join me on Substack for deeper conversations (and extra tools and reflections for paid subscribers!)You already love your child deeply. But love that lives only inside you is invisible to the person who needs it most.In this Friday Reset, Heather offers one small, powerful shift: moving from loving to demonstrating. For parents of LGBTQ+ kids, the difference between feeling love and making that love visible can be the difference between a child who wonders and a child who knows. Through a word of the week, a tiny action, and a micro-rebellion, Heather shows how imperfect, specific, consistent acts of demonstrated love are what actually create belonging.In this episode, you'll learn how to:Make the shift from feeling love privately to demonstrating it in ways your child can see and receiveTake one small, specific action this week that names and includes who your child actually isRelease the myth of the "right moment" and let love become visible now, imperfectly and on purposePress play to discover how one sentence, one brave choice, and one ripple this week can begin to close the gap between the love you have and the love your child gets to feel.Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Download my free guide to take you from Panic to Plan.Join a private community with other parents and allies just like you!Stay informed - receive my newsletterInvite me to speak at your workshop or eventRead my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!Connect heather@heatherhester.netBuy Me A CoffeeWatch on YouTubeListen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous, compassionate connection.For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re part of this journey.More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers practical guidance and education to parents and allies, fostering empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community—including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals—through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.Mentioned in this episode:Contact Hester Painting & Decorating for a consultation! https://go.hesterdecorating.com/mhmkThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy