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

What if the witches we grew up fearing weren’t villains, but visionaries, healers, or queer-coded rebels whose power threatened the status quo?

In today’s rich and revolutionary episode of More Human, More Kind, Heather Hester uncovers the truth behind witch hunts, both historical and modern. From midwives to queer teens, anyone who dared to live outside the norms has been branded dangerous. But when we revisit who the “witch” really was, we open a portal to connection, empathy, and courage.

If your child is drawn to witches, monsters, or magic, this episode will show you why it’s not about rebellion, it’s about belonging, power, and healing. And how you, as a parent or ally, can show up with more curiosity, not control.

• Why witches were originally midwives, healers, and women with ungovernable knowledge
• How LGBTQ+ communities reclaim the witch as a symbol of queer power, survival, and self-trust
• 4 ways you can use this history to better understand and affirm your LGBTQ+ child
• Unlearn the myth that witches = evil and explore what society really fears: truth, autonomy, and joy

Press play to uncover how history, horro, queerness, and allyship collide, and how this ancient archetype can help you raise braive, inclusive, empowered kids today.

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? 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.

Resource Spotlight

Historical & Theoretical

• The Malleus Maleficarum (1486), Heinrich Kramer & Jacob Sprenger
• Silvia Federici, Caliban and the Witch (2004).
• Anne Llewellyn Barstow, Witchcraze: A New History of the European Witch Hunts (1994).
• Brian P. Levack, The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe (2016).
• Lyndal Roper, Witch Craze: Terror and Fantasy in Baroque Germany (2004).
• Mona Chollet, In Defense of Witches (2022).
• Alex Mar, Witches of America (2015).

Feminist & Cultural Reclamation

• Pam Grossman, Waking the Witch (2019).
• Kristen J. Sollée, Witches, Sluts, Feminists (2017).
• Sarah Lyons, Revolutionary Witchcraft (2019).
• Pam Grossman, The Witch Wave Podcast. The witch became the archetype of anyone reclaiming power denied to them—especially queer and trans people who have also been branded unnatural or dangerous.
• As Grossman says, “To be a witch is to be a person who chooses themselves.”
• The Love Witch (2016), The Craft (1996).
• Queer Witch Podcast.

Academic Articles & Essays

• Marianne Hester, “Patriarchal Reconstruction and Witch Hunting,” Gender & History (1991).
• Deborah Willis, Malevolent Nurture: Witch-Hunting and Maternal Power (1995).
• Smithsonian Magazine, “The Witch Craze That Swept Through Europe” (2018).
• Teen Vogue, “Why Queer People Identify with Witches” (2022).

What if the monster your child identifies with…isn’t a threat, but a symbol of courage, survival, and truth?

For many LGBTQ+ teens, horror films offer more than scares; they offer safety, self-expression, and even joy. While many parents associate horror with violence and fear, queer youth see something radically different: empowerment, visibility, and a chance to survive in a world that often misunderstands them. This episode dives into the coded history of queerness in horror, how today’s youth are reclaiming it, and what it reveals about the emotional worlds of LGBTQ+ kids.

1. Discover how horror has historically coded queerness and why it still matters today
2. Learn how to connect with your LGBTQ+ child through their media interests (even scary ones!)
3. Gain tools, questions, and recommended films to reframe fear as a source of empathy and resilience

Press play to discover why horror isn’t just about fear. It’s about survival, strength, and learning how to love your LGBTQ+ child even more deeply through what lights them up.

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? 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 do parents need to know about the masks LGBTQ+ kids wear for survival?

For queer kids, and the parents, moms, and allies supporting them, masks (figurative and literal)can mean safety, expression, or survival. But not all masks are harmless. Some start to suffocate. In this episode, we explore what playful costumes and emotional disguises have in common and how to help our kids (and ourselves) know when it’s time to take the mask off.

• Learn how to tell when your child’s “mask” is joyful play or protective camouflage.
• Explore how figurative masking shows up in parenting and how to model authenticity.
• Walk away with practical tools to build trust, inclusion, and safety without forcing disclosure.

Press play to uncover the power of masks, the risks of hiding, and what it really means to be seen, known, and safe.

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? 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 if your child’s costume choice is Halloween fun AND a first, powerful glimpse into their identity exploration?

For parents, allies, and advocates raising LGBTQ+ or “othered” kids, Halloween can bring joy and also fear. Costumes are often treated as trivial, but for many queer children, dress-up is a rare, safe opportunity to try on who they truly are. In this episode, you’ll learn how to meet those moments with empathy, curiosity, and love.

• Understand how dress-up is central to identity development, especially in queer and neurodivergent kids.
• Learn how to recognize your own fears and respond in ways that build trust and safety, not shame.
• Gain language, tools, and mindset shifts that empower you to be a grounded, inclusive parent or ally this Halloween and beyond.

Press play to discover how one costume can become a turning point for connection, inclusion, and raising brave, joyful kids.

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? 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 if the ghosts haunting your parenting aren’t spooky but silent? And what if your child’s future depends on whether you face them?

For parents and allies of LGBTQ+ kids, cycles of silence, shame, and inherited fear can sneak into how we parent, often without us realizing it. These “ghosts” may have protected us once, but now they risk being passed down unless we pause to acknowledge and unlearn them. This episode offers the guidance you need to parent more consciously, with empathy, safety, and healing at the center - and learn actionable ways to break the cycle now!

• Discover what “ghosts” really are in the context of parenting and how they show up in your daily life.
• Learn how to identify and release inherited fears, shame, and silence so you don’t pass them to your children.
• Walk away with practical steps to transform generational patterns into moments of healing, love, and resilience.

Listen now to explore how facing your past creates space for inclusion, safety, and the fierce love your kids deserve.

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? 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 if the monsters you feared growing up were never the real threat but a reflection of the parts of yourself society told you to hide?

For LGBTQ youth, and the parents, moms, and advocates walking alongside them, labels like “weird,” “freak,” and “monster” aren’t just childhood fears, they’re often used to dehumanize. In this episode, we explore how queer communities have reclaimed “monstrosity” as a symbol of resilience, and how parents can use that same insight to guide their kids with empathy, education, and fierce love.

• Discover how “monster” stories are rooted in fear of difference and how reclaiming them builds resilience and pride.
• Learn practical ways to shift your parenting from fear-based protection to inclusion-based empowerment.
• Hear how LGBTQ+ communities transform pain into creativity, and how that wisdom can help you raise brave, mentally healthy kids.

Hit play to explore how reclaiming the monster myth can strengthen your parenting, deepen your allyship, and create more safety and love for the communities that need it most.

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? 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 if your child’s “difference” isn’t a problem to fix, but a story we’ve been taught to fear?

In this raw and compassionate episode, Heather Hester opens up about the emotional rollercoaster of parenting LGBTQ kids - really any kid that we have labeled as "different" and how to shift from grief and fear to love and clarity. Whether you’re facing the first waves of realization or years into the journey, this episode invites you to let go of outdated scripts and fully see your child as they are.

• Learn how your expectations may be unintentionally shaping your fears and how to let them go
• Discover how to move from the grief of "what you imagined" to the beauty of "what is"
• Hear why “normal” is a myth and how honoring difference builds deeper trust, resilience, and connection

Press play to reframe your perspective and discover the radical power of honoring your child exactly as they are.

Resource Spotlight

• Parenting with Pride (Heather’s book!) — A heartfelt guide for parents navigating bias, expectations, and the journey of loving LGBTQ+ kids fully and freely.
• Understood.org — An incredible resource for parents raising children with learning and thinking differences, reminding us that “different” can mean thriving.
• The Mighty — A storytelling platform where people share lived experiences of difference, resilience, and what it means to be fully human.
• Child Mind Institute — Trusted guidance on supporting kids with emotional, behavioral, or developmental challenges, framed with compassion and clarity.

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? 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.

Should you shield your child from life's hardest moments or teach them how to face and carry them?

In this honest and heart-opening episode, Heather Hester explores one of the most misunderstood parts of parenting: how to share hard truths without overwhelming your child. From navigating her own cancer diagnosis to supporting a child through crisis, Heather reveals what it really means to protect and prepare our kids for life’s hardest moments. (Parenting Trust, Resilience, and Emotional Guidance)

• Learn how to share difficult news in age-appropriate ways that build trust and emotional safety
• Hear how silence and secrecy create fear and what honesty can do instead
• Discover why vulnerability is a strength your kids need to see, not something to hide

Press play now to learn how honesty, vulnerability, and trust can transform your parenting and strengthen your connection with your child.

Resource Spotlight

• Raising Good Humans (Dr. Aliza Pressman podcast) — Honest, practical conversations about how to raise resilient kids by being honest about life’s struggles.
• Common Sense Media — Tools and language for helping parents decide what’s age-appropriate, especially when introducing kids to tough topics.
• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) — Guidance from pediatricians on talking with kids about illness, family stress, or other hard realities.
• NPR Life Kit (Parenting episodes) — Accessible, short conversations about parenting through challenges—offering bite-sized wisdom when you need it most.

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? 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.

Is free speech really free anymore, or are we watching the First Amendment unravel in real time?

Whether you're raising LGBTQ+ kids, working to become a more informed ally, or just trying to make sense of the noise, this episode breaks down the five essential freedoms that shape our democracy and why they’re all in danger right now. From the weaponization of media to the rise of disinformation, understanding the First Amendment is no longer optional.

• Learn what free speech actually protects and where the legal and moral lines are drawn.
• Discover how government overreach, misinformation, and media attacks are weakening core freedoms.
• Get practical insight into how you can protect your rights and model civic courage for your kids.

Press play to get clear on what the First Amendment protects, how it's being undermined, and why your voice and vigilance matter more than ever.

• The Guardian – US free-speech rights shredded despite Trump vow to be First Amendment champion → link
• The Guardian – US Supreme Court tells lower courts to reconsider two free speech cases → link
• The Atlantic – Why America Protects Hate Speech → link
• Forbes – Your Free Speech Rights (Mostly) Don’t Apply At Work → link
• Politico – Trump: ‘It’s no longer free speech’ → link

• The Guardian – Global press freedom suffers sharpest fall in 50 years, report finds → link
• The Guardian – The US used to be the gold standard for press freedom. Not any more → link
• The Atlantic – The press is not the enemy → link
• AP News – West Point is violating the First Amendment with a crackdown on professors → link
• Politico – First Amendment advocates decry settlement in ‘60 Minutes’ lawsuit → link

• The Guardian – Project Blitz: the legislative assault by Christian nationalists to reshape America → link
• AP News – Supreme Court ruling opens door for religious charter schools → link
• The Atlantic – The dangerous rise of Christian nationalism → link
• BBC – Why church-state separation matters in America → link
• The Hill – Christian nationalism poses a threat to democracy, experts warn → link

• The Guardian – US intensifies crackdown on peaceful protest under Trump → link
• The Guardian – We are no longer free. But we can win our freedom back → link
• BBC – Black Lives Matter: From social media to the streets → link
• The Atlantic – The protest that could change everything → link
• Forbes – X Sues To Block California’s Anti-Deepfakes Law For Elections (relevant for digital assembly/speech) → link

• The Guardian – Civil liberties don’t collapse all at once—they erode piece by piece (analysis on cumulative erosion of rights) → link
• The Guardian – Global press freedom suffers sharpest fall in 50 years → link
• The Atlantic – Christian nationalism is an existential threat to democracy → link
• Politico – Peter Strzok loses First Amendment case over his firing → link
• WSJ – Free Speech on Campus Isn’t Free (on higher ed and speech battles) → link

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? 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.

Why do so many LGBTQ kids wait until college to come out, and what does that mean?

In this insightful and compassionate episode, Heather Hester explores why college becomes a powerful turning point for many LGBTQ young people and what parents and allies need to understand. From the need for distance and safety to the importance of chosen community, you'll learn how to support your child without making it about you (no judgement or shame on you, we promise!)

• Understand why coming out often begins with identity ownership not rejection of family
• Learn how to respond with curiosity and trust, even when you feel left out
• Discover the most meaningful things you can say and do to support your child from afar

Press play and walk away with the insight, grace, and grounded tools to support your LGBTQ+ child whether they’re just beginning to open up, or finding themselves far from home.

Resource Spotlight

• Stages of Coming Out Episode
• The Trevor Project — A lifeline for LGBTQ+ youth, offering 24/7 crisis support, peer connection, and resources to navigate coming out safely.
• Campus Pride — A national nonprofit that helps students find LGBTQ+-friendly colleges and universities, and works to make campuses safer and more inclusive.
• GLAAD Coming Out Guide — A practical, affirming guide with language, ideas, and steps for young people deciding when and how to come out.
• PFLAG National — The largest organization for parents and families of LGBTQ+ people, with chapters nationwide offering support and education.

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? 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.