More Human More Kind: Guidance for Parenting LGBTQ+ Teens & Growing Into a Courageous Ally

Would your next family vacation make your LGBTQ+ child feel affirmed or anxious?

Whether you're planning a road trip or flying internationally, traveling with an LGBTQ+ child brings unique emotional and safety needs. This episode explores how to turn travel into a safe, empowering experience for your entire family.

• Learn what to pack so your LGBTQ+ child feels seen, grounded, and supported
• Get expert tips on researching inclusive ...

Are you raising or supporting an LGBTQ+ teen and wondering how to truly show up for them, especially in today’s climate?

In this episode, psychologist and researcher Dr. Heather Littleton joins host Heather Hester to share how the Healthy Families Bright Futures program is equipping LGBTQ+ teens and their caregivers with real-world tools for connection, communication, and confidence. Whether you’re new to this journey or further alo...

What if the most important way to protect LGBTQ+ youth isn’t legislation or policies, but how we care for their mental health?

In the final episode of July’s “Safety” series, Heather Hester gets to the emotional core of LGBTQ+ protection: supporting what’s happening inside our kids. Backed by powerful data and grounded in lived experience, this conversation unpacks what mental health safety really means, and why your presence, liste...

Is your child’s school truly safe for all students? For LGBTQ+ youth, safety can’t be assumed; it must be advocated for.

In this powerful and practical episode, Heather breaks down what school safety really looks like for LGBTQ+ students, and what happens when it's missing. From book bans to anti-LGBTQ+ legislation to silenced teachers, the current climate is putting queer students at risk. But it’s not hopeless. Parents, educators,...

What does it really mean to affirm an LGBTQ+ child - and why does it matter so much more than just saying “I love you no matter what”?

In today’s powerful and practical episode, Heather explores how safety for LGBTQ+ youth begins not just in policy or protection, but in the everyday relationships that hold them. From correcting a pronoun without guilt, to celebrating milestones with joy, to staying curious instead of controlling, th...

Are you watching headlines and wondering, “How is this even possible?” You’re not alone. What’s happening is no longer theoretical, it's personal.

In this urgent and grounding episode, Heather takes us beyond the headlines into the real-world consequences of anti-LGBTQ+ laws, court rulings, and systemic rollbacks of civil rights. Humanity is being politicized. This moment isn’t just about policies, it’s about people, especially LGBT...

Ever heard someone say “LGBTQ isn’t for kids”? Whether in a school board meeting or family gathering, that phrase may sound protective, but it’s doing real harm.

In this bold and heartfelt episode, Heather breaks down one of the most dangerous narratives affecting LGBTQ+ youth today. You’ll learn how the idea that queer identities are “inappropriate” or “too adult” for kids not only erases real children, it creates lasting harm. And...

Are you afraid of “getting it wrong” when it comes to supporting your LGBTQ+ child or navigating today’s climate as an ally? You're not alone.

In this tender and truth-telling episode, Heather explores the quiet fears that often go unspoken in LGBTQ+ families: the parent’s fear of the unknown, the child’s fear of rejection, and the shared fear of being misunderstood. But instead of pushing fear away, she shows us how to make space f...

What do you do when your child starts exploring gender and the world is telling you to panic instead of listen?

In this urgent and compassionate episode, Heather sits down with non-binary speaker and educator Rex Wilde to address the questions parents are asking most, especially in a time of rising fear, misinformation, and political attacks. With stories from their own journey, practical guidance, and data-backed truths, Rex brings...

What happens when crisis support is stripped away—but the danger remains? And what do we do with the heartbreak, anger, and fear that follow?

In this timely episode, Heather unpacks the quiet, unannounced removal of the LGBTQ+ support option from the national 988 crisis line—and what that loss means for queer youth, for families, and for every ally committed to creating a safer, more just world. But this conversation goes beyond pol...

Are you truly protecting your LGBTQ+ child - or just hoping love will be enough?

In a world where safety for LGBTQ+ youth is under attack, many parents and allies feel overwhelmed, unsure how to provide real protection at home. This episode tackles the urgent need for emotional, psychological, and identity-based safety and offers a powerful framework to help families create affirming environments that truly protect.

• Learn 5 simpl...

Can kindness be disruptive—and even radical? What if being “nice” is quietly doing harm?

In today’s episode of More Human. More Kind., we explore the transformative power of kindness—not the performative kind that avoids discomfort, but the kind rooted in courage, truth, and fierce allyship. As parents and allies of LGBTQ+ youth, it can feel safer to choose politeness or neutrality, but true allyship demands something deeper. You’ll...

What if one small question could completely change how you experience your life—starting today?

Most of us have been conditioned to seek answers, direction, and validation outside ourselves. But what if the real breakthroughs come from within? In this powerful episode, Heather McGuire shares how she transformed anxiety, self-doubt, and burnout into peace, purpose, and connection—through tiny, intentional shifts in perspective.

• Di...

What if being seen—truly seen—was both the most courageous and most healing thing you could do?

In this episode, we dive into the layered journey of visibility for LGBTQ+ individuals and their families. Whether you're navigating your own experience or standing beside someone you love, you'll hear honest reflections on grief, pride, advocacy, and the transformative power of being fully present in who you are. This episode is for anyo...

What if affirming your child isn’t the final step, but the first in a much deeper journey?

In this heartfelt episode, we explore the often unseen difference between accepting your LGBTQ+ child and fully unlearning the beliefs that shaped your understanding of love, identity, and parenting. If you've ever wrestled with reconciling your values with the legacy of what you were taught, this conversation is a path to deeper clarity, conn...

Pride Month Series | More Human. More Kind. with Heather Hester

What if the words you say in a single moment could shape your child’s inner voice for a lifetime?

Whether you're a parent, ally, or someone striving to lead with compassion in a polarized world, understanding how language—spoken and unspoken—impacts our LGBTQ+ loved ones is crucial. This episode explores how your reactions, tone, and body language can either nurture conn...

Pride Month Series | More Human. More Kind. with Heather Hester

In this episode of Five Lessons from Parenting with Pride, Heather explores the myth of “getting it right” in parenting and allyship and why perfection isn’t the goal. Instead, she reframes both as daily, intentional practices rooted in humility, presence, and love. If you’ve ever felt stuck in silence for fear of saying the wrong thing, this episode will leave you feel...

Pride Month Series | More Human. More Kind. with Heather Hester

Description:

In this first episode of our special Pride Month series, Heather Hester shares one of the most transformative lessons she’s learned while parenting and advocating for her LGBTQ+ children: choosing curiosity over judgment. With honesty, vulnerability, and actionable wisdom, Heather explores how our initial reactions shape everything—and how curiosity becomes ...

In this powerful and moving conversation, Heather sits down with Josh Nadler and Sam Wasserman, the creative minds behind the new web series What About Me?—a show that fearlessly explores the messy, raw, and very human experience of grief. Born out of Josh’s personal journey after the loss of his brother, this project weaves together grief, queer family dynamics, humor, and the unvarnished truth of what it means to keep going when ...