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

Heather Hester | Advocate for Parents of LGBTQ Teens
  • 4.6 (121)
  • Parenting
  • Semiweekly

"Mom, I think I might be_____." Whether that sentence ended in gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, or something they're still figuring out, you are in the right place. Maybe you're scared. Maybe you're grieving something you can't quite name yet. Maybe you're desperate to get this right and terrified that you've already gotten it wrong. This show is for you, exactly where you are right now. More Human. More Kind. is hosted by Heather Hester, author of Parenting with Pride and a fierce advocate for LGBTQ kids, their parents, and the people who love them. Each week Heather brings lived experience, practical guidance, and the kind of honest conversation that helps you move from fear and confusion to grounded, loving action. Whether you're a parent in the early days of your child coming out, an ally deepening your understanding, or someone unlearning old beliefs to show up better for the people you love, this is your place. Every episode gives you something real: tools for navigating the hard moments, having difficult conversations, guidance on loving boundaries, and the steady reminder that you don't have to figure this out alone. New episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Start with fan-favorite Episode 3: Embrace the Messiness of Supporting Your LGBTQ Teen, an honest conversation that will help you exhale, reflect, and show up more fully for the people you love. Three-time Women in Podcasting Award winner for Best LGBTQ+ Podcast, 2024 through 2026. Top 1.5% of podcasts globally.

  1. 14h ago

    I Love My Gay Kid: A Private Community for Parenting LGBTQ Kids

    Learn more about i love my gay kid! Where do you go when you need a place to take a breath, and no one is waiting for you to tell your story? In this Friday episode, Heather shares what she needed in the first years after Connor came out and couldn’t find: a low-stress, judgment-free place with no pressure to perform. She describes her first in-person parent meeting, the day her feelings stopped waiting, and how she built I Love My Gay Kid, a haven and a private, approved-membership community. The community level is free through December 31st. In this episode you’ll learn how to: Recognize that your own feelings can’t wait in line while you care for everyone elseSay the shortest true thing out loud, and come back within a day when it goes badlyUse a private community where you can read, listen, and stay silent as long as you want Press play to hear why Heather built a place where parents can just take a breath. Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here! Immerse yourself in Community - I Love My Gay Kid Stay informed - visit my website Join the Conversation on Substack Read my book, Parenting with Pride. Support the Show - Learn more here! Watch on YouTube Listen * Share * Review *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday! This is a place to feel messy while you're figuring it out. 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 connection. For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heartwarming 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 on this journey with me.

    I Love My Gay Kid: A Private Community for Parenting LGBTQ Kids

  2. 3d ago

    Election Day Guide for LGBTQ Allies: Vote, Fix Problems, and Protect Your Peace

    Have you done everything you can to make sure your vote counts today? It’s Election Day, and Heather keeps it simple: vote, then take care of yourself and the people you love. She walks through what to do if something goes wrong at your polling place, and reminds you how recently so many Americans fought for the right to vote. She also offers a few thoughts to carry with you while the results come in, however long that takes. In this episode you’ll learn how to: Make sure your vote counts today, including what to do if you’re told you’re not on the rollsHelp one more person vote, and talk with your kids before the results come in, not afterTake care of yourself and your family while the count continues, including when to stop watching results Press play for a simple Election Day guide to voting, helping one more person, and protecting your peace tonight. vote.org Election Protection Hotline - 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here! Immerse yourself in Community - I Love My Gay Kid Stay informed - visit my website Join the Conversation on Substack Read my book, Parenting with Pride. Support the Show - Learn more here! Watch on YouTube Listen * Share * Review *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday! This is a place to feel messy while you're figuring it out. 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 connection. For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heartwarming 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 on this journey with me.

    Election Day Guide for LGBTQ Allies: Vote, Fix Problems, and Protect Your Peace

  3. Oct 30

    Tired Advocate? Four Small Ways for Parents of LGBTQ Kids to Recharge This Weekend

    What do you say to the voice that tells you that you haven’t done enough? This is the Friday companion to Tuesday’s episode on activism fatigue, recorded for the final weekend before Election Day. Heather turns that conversation into four small actions: one word, one tiny practice, one urge to resist, and one sentence for the tired advocate standing next to you. She also reads this week’s listener review. In this episode you’ll learn how to: Replace the voice that says you haven’t done enough with one wordStart a proof list that reminds you your work matters, and read it before bedResist the urge to do everything this weekend and pick just one thingOffer the friend or fellow advocate running on fumes one sentence that shares the load Press play for four small ways to rest and recharge before Election Day. Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here! Immerse yourself in Community - I Love My Gay Kid Stay informed - visit my website Join the Conversation on Substack Read my book, Parenting with Pride. Support the Show - Learn more here! Watch on YouTube Listen * Share * Review *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday! This is a place to feel messy while you're figuring it out. 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 connection. For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heartwarming 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 on this journey with me.

    Tired Advocate? Four Small Ways for Parents of LGBTQ Kids to Recharge This Weekend

  4. Oct 27

    Activism Fatigue: Five Ways Parents of LGBTQ Kids Can Rest and Keep Showing Up

    Is that bone-deep exhaustion you’re feeling activism fatigue, and what do you do about it a week before the election? If you’ve spent this month learning, donating, volunteering, and having hard conversations at your dinner table, you may be running on empty. Heather names activism fatigue out loud, shares the moments she has asked herself what the point is, and draws on research from long-haul activists. She offers five practices that keep advocates going for years instead of months. In this episode you’ll learn how to: Understand why this exhaustion is normal and what research says about activist burnoutFind your way back when you catch yourself asking what the point is, and why that motivation can’t only come from outside of youUse everyday practices that keep advocates going, and apply them in the final week before the election Press play to find out how to rest, come back into balance, and keep showing up long after November 3rd. What's the Point of a Revolution if You Can't Dance? Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here! Immerse yourself in Community - I Love My Gay Kid Stay informed - visit my website Join the Conversation on Substack Read my book, Parenting with Pride. Support the Show - Learn more here! Watch on YouTube Listen * Share * Review *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday! This is a place to feel messy while you're figuring it out. 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 connection. For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heartwarming 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 on this journey with me.

    Activism Fatigue: Five Ways Parents of LGBTQ Kids Can Rest and Keep Showing Up

  5. Oct 23

    "You Won’t Lose Your Phone for Telling Me" What to Say to Your LGBTQ Child About Online Hate

    What if one kind comment could do for your child what one cruel comment does against them? This is the butterfly effect episode for Tuesday’s episode on online hate. Heather turns that conversation into four small actions you can start right now. She also reads this week’s listener review and shares why the mob mentality can work in both directions. In this episode you’ll learn how to: Hold onto one word that reframes the antidote to online crueltyAsk your child to show you one funny thing from their feed, with no lesson attachedResist the urge to pile on in your own comment sections this election seasonSay one sentence that tells your child they can always come back to you, and won’t lose their phone for it Press play for four small ways to help your LGBTQ child feel seen online and at home. Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here! Immerse yourself in Community - I Love My Gay Kid Stay informed - visit my website Join the Conversation on Substack Read my book, Parenting with Pride. Support the Show - Learn more here! Watch on YouTube Listen * Share * Review *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday! This is a place to feel messy while you're figuring it out. 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 connection. For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heartwarming 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 on this journey with me.

    "You Won’t Lose Your Phone for Telling Me" What to Say to Your LGBTQ Child About Online Hate

  6. Oct 20

    Six Ways to Protect Your LGBTQ Teen From Online Hate Without Taking Their Phone

    Give yourself the gift of empowerment What do you do when you can’t stop your LGBTQ child from seeing online hate, and you shouldn’t try? Online cruelty and dehumanization get louder in the weeks before an election, and our kids are in the middle of it. Heather explains what’s driving the harshness in their feeds, including who is paying for some of it. She walks through six ways to build resilience without surveillance or confiscating phones. In this episode, you’ll learn how to: Understand why your child’s feed is likely to get harsher before the election and what’s behind itHave real, age appropriate conversations about what they’re seeing without resorting to surveillance or taking their phoneHelp your child find at least one safe online space, and where to start looking Press play to learn six practical ways to help your LGBTQ child take care of themselves online. If you or your child needs support right now, the Trevor Project is available at 1-866-488-7386 or by texting START to 678-678. The TrevorSpace Allsides.com Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here! Immerse yourself in Community - I Love My Gay Kid Stay informed - visit my website Join the Conversation on Substack Read my book, Parenting with Pride. Support the Show - Learn more here! Watch on YouTube Listen * Share * Review *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday! This is a place to feel messy while you're figuring it out. 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 connection. For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heartwarming 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 on this journey with me.

  7. Oct 16

    America Belongs to You: Four Small Actions for Parents of LGBTQ Kids Before November

    How do you stay hopeful and engaged when the news makes everything feel hopeless? What if the answer is smaller than you think? This is the butterfly effect episode for Tuesday’s episode on the load-bearing walls of democracy. Heather offers one word, one 15-minute action, one urge to resist, and one line for the next time someone says they’re just not political. Her reminder is that those walls aren’t made of granite. They’re made of people, and that includes you. In this episode, you’ll learn how to: Use one word to change how you see your place in all of thisPick one race outside your state and do one thing for it from your couchCount the wins alongside the losses when the news feels hopelessRespond to “I’m just not political” with one line that brings the conversation back to the kids Press play for four small ways to stay hopeful and engaged between now and November 3rd. Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here! Immerse yourself in Community - I Love My Gay Kid Stay informed - visit my website Join the Conversation on Substack Read my book, Parenting with Pride. Support the Show - Learn more here! Watch on YouTube Listen * Share * Review *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday! This is a place to feel messy while you're figuring it out. 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 connection. For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heartwarming 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 on this journey with me.

    America Belongs to You: Four Small Actions for Parents of LGBTQ Kids Before November

  8. Oct 13

    What's at Stake This Midterm Cycle? What Parents and Allies of LGBTQ Kids Need to Know

    What does our democracy actually rest on, and which of those supports are being weakened right now? With less than a month to go before the midterms, Heather breaks down four load-bearing walls of American democracy, a decade of wins and losses for LGBTQ families, and where your dollars and time can make the biggest difference this November, wherever you live. In this episode, you'll learn how to: Recognize the specific ways free elections, checks and balances, and the rule of law are being tested right nowTrack the decade of LGBTQ rights rulings from Bostock to this year's sports and conversion therapy decisionsFind the races and tools where your vote, donations, or time will have the most impact, no matter where you live Press play to see exactly what's at stake this November and where to put your energy. Links referenced in this episode: votingrights.orgallsides.comoath.votevotesaveamerica.commovement advancement projectheatherhester.net/starthere Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here! Immerse yourself in Community - I Love My Gay Kid Stay informed - visit my website Join the Conversation on Substack Read my book, Parenting with Pride. Support the Show - Learn more here! Watch on YouTube Listen * Share * Review *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday! This is a place to feel messy while you're figuring it out. 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 connection. For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heartwarming 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 on this journey with me. 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 the wisdom of lived experience and practical guidance and education to parents and allies, teaching 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.

    What's at Stake This Midterm Cycle? What Parents and Allies of LGBTQ Kids Need to Know
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"Mom, I think I might be_____." Whether that sentence ended in gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, or something they're still figuring out, you are in the right place. Maybe you're scared. Maybe you're grieving something you can't quite name yet. Maybe you're desperate to get this right and terrified that you've already gotten it wrong. This show is for you, exactly where you are right now. More Human. More Kind. is hosted by Heather Hester, author of Parenting with Pride and a fierce advocate for LGBTQ kids, their parents, and the people who love them. Each week Heather brings lived experience, practical guidance, and the kind of honest conversation that helps you move from fear and confusion to grounded, loving action. Whether you're a parent in the early days of your child coming out, an ally deepening your understanding, or someone unlearning old beliefs to show up better for the people you love, this is your place. Every episode gives you something real: tools for navigating the hard moments, having difficult conversations, guidance on loving boundaries, and the steady reminder that you don't have to figure this out alone. New episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Start with fan-favorite Episode 3: Embrace the Messiness of Supporting Your LGBTQ Teen, an honest conversation that will help you exhale, reflect, and show up more fully for the people you love. Three-time Women in Podcasting Award winner for Best LGBTQ+ Podcast, 2024 through 2026. Top 1.5% of podcasts globally.

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