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

Heather Hester | Advocate for Parents of LGBTQ Teens
  • 4.6 (115)
  • Parenting
  • Updated 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. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

  1. 9h ago

    Stop Apologizing for Being a Mama Bear: A Friday Reset for Parents of LGBTQ Kids Heading Into the School Year

    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 it 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 newsletter Invite me to speak at your workshop or event Read my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review! Connect heather@heatherhester.net Buy Me A Coffee Watch on YouTube Listen 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

    Stop Apologizing for Being a Mama Bear: A Friday Reset for Parents of LGBTQ Kids Heading Into the School Year

  2. 3d ago

    Five Back to School Thresholds Every Parent of an LGBTQ Kid Faces and How to Walk Into This Year With Your Eyes Open

    Grab the Panic to Plan Guide Join me on Substack Every 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 urgent Action: 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 newsletter Invite me to speak at your workshop or event Read my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review! Connect heather@heatherhester.net Buy Me A Coffee Watch on YouTube Listen 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/mhmk This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

    Five Back to School Thresholds Every Parent of an LGBTQ Kid Faces and How to Walk Into This Year With Your Eyes Open

  3. Aug 7

    The One Question Every Parent of an LGBTQ Emerging Adult Needs to Ask Before Offering Advice

    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 newsletter Invite me to speak at your workshop or event Read my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review! Connect heather@heatherhester.net Buy Me A Coffee Watch on YouTube Listen 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

    The One Question Every Parent of an LGBTQ Emerging Adult Needs to Ask Before Offering Advice

  4. Aug 4

    What Changes When Your LGBTQ Teen Becomes an Adult and Why the Letting Go Is Harder Than Anyone Tells You

    Join me on Substack There'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 trust Press 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 newsletter Invite me to speak at your workshop or event Read my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review! Connect heather@heatherhester.net Buy Me A Coffee Watch on YouTube Listen 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/mhmk This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

  5. Jul 31

    Ready to Cross the Threshold: Bold Allyship for Parents of LGBTQ Kids

    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 come Press 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 newsletter Invite me to speak at your workshop or event Read my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review! Connect heather@heatherhester.net Buy Me A Coffee Watch on YouTube Listen 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/mhmk This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

    Ready to Cross the Threshold: Bold Allyship for Parents of LGBTQ Kids

  6. Jul 28

    When Advocacy Gets Hard: How Parents of LGBTQ Kids Can Show Up Boldly and Find the Joy

    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 anyway Press 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 newsletter Invite me to speak at your workshop or event Read my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review! Connect heather@heatherhester.net Buy Me A Coffee Watch on YouTube Listen 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

    When Advocacy Gets Hard: How Parents of LGBTQ Kids Can Show Up Boldly and Find the Joy

  7. Jul 24

    What Comparison Cannot Touch: Your Friday Reset for Parents of LGBTQ Kids

    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 it Press 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 newsletter Invite me to speak at your workshop or event Read my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review! Connect heather@heatherhester.net Buy Me A Coffee Watch on YouTube Listen 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

    What Comparison Cannot Touch: Your Friday Reset for Parents of LGBTQ Kids

  8. Jul 21

    How Parents of LGBTQ Kids Fall Into the Comparison Trap

    Get the Panic to Plan Guide here There 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 matters Press 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 newsletter Invite me to speak at your workshop or event Read my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review! Connect heather@heatherhester.net Buy Me A Coffee Watch on YouTube Listen 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/mhmk This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

    How Parents of LGBTQ Kids Fall Into the Comparison Trap
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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. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

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