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PODCAST

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

Heather Hester | Advocate for Parents of LGBTQ Teens

"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

kids & family parenting

All Episodes

06:59

The Unperformed Version of You: For Parents of LGBTQ...

More Human. More Kind. | Parenting LGBTQ Kids,... ·

2026/08/21

Have you ever felt like the more put together you are on the outside, the more chaotic you feel on the inside?This Butterfly Effect episode carries Tuesday's conversation about performance and honesty into one small, practical moment you can catch this week: the pause before you say "I'm fine" on autopilot.In this episode, you'll learn how to:Catch the moment you're about to perform "fine" instead of telling the truthSay one honest sentence this week that you'd normally edit outCheck in with

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12:06

What More Human Actually Means: Being Less Performed...

More Human. More Kind. | Parenting LGBTQ Kids,... ·

2026/08/18

Continue being more human on Substack!What does being “more human” mean to you?This episode is a personal one, tracing how performing "fine" for most of my life, learned as a survival mechanism, gave way to embracing the vulnerable, raw, and messy parts of who I actually am. It's a direct answer to the question at the center of this whole show, and an invitation for you to ask it of yourself.In this episode, you'll learn how to:Understand "more human" as more honest and less performed, not more

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07:48

Stop Apologizing for Being a Mama Bear: A Reset for...

More Human. More Kind. | Parenting LGBTQ Kids,... ·

2026/08/14

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

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11:05

Five Back to School Thresholds Every Parent of an...

More Human. More Kind. | Parenting LGBTQ Kids,... ·

2026/08/11

Grab the Panic to Plan Guide Join me on SubstackEvery August, before a single backpack gets packed, there's a threshold parents like us cross. Not the kids. Us.Interest: For parents of lgbtq teens, or kids who are neurodivergent, anxious, or otherwise vulnerable, back-to-school anxiety isn't extra worry stacked on top of normal parent worry. It's the baseline. This episode names five distinct versions of that threshold so you can walk in with your eyes open instead of just white-knuckling it.Desire:

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06:53

The One Question Every Parent of an LGBTQ Emerging...

More Human. More Kind. | Parenting LGBTQ Kids,... ·

2026/08/07

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

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16:21

Parents: The Slow Shift From Protecting Your Queer...

More Human. More Kind. | Parenting LGBTQ Kids,... ·

2026/08/04

Join me on SubstackThere's a day every parent of a queer kid hits, and nobody warns you it's coming: the day you realize you don't get a vote anymore.Parenting guidance for a queer teen looks nothing like parenting guidance for a queer adult, and almost nobody names the difference out loud. This episode walks through what actually changes, from gatekeeping their world to trusting them to build their own, and why that shift can feel like loss even when it's exactly what healthy allyship is supposed

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06:58

Ready to Cross the Threshold: Bold Allyship for...

More Human. More Kind. | Parenting LGBTQ Kids,... ·

2026/07/31

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

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17:38

When Advocacy Gets Hard: How Parents of LGBTQ Kids...

More Human. More Kind. | Parenting LGBTQ Kids,... ·

2026/07/28

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

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07:39

What Comparison Cannot Touch: Your Friday Reset for...

More Human. More Kind. | Parenting LGBTQ Kids,... ·

2026/07/24

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

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14:59

You Are Not Behind: What Parents of LGBTQ Kids Need...

More Human. More Kind. | Parenting LGBTQ Kids,... ·

2026/07/21

Get the Panic to Plan Guide hereThere is a particular kind of pain that does not announce itself loudly. You see another parent who seems to have it figured out, who has been advocating longer, speaking more fluently, loving more visibly. And something in you goes small. You know that feeling. This episode is for that moment.The comparison trap hits parents of LGBTQ+ kids in a specific and painful way. Because this journey does not come with a clear map, a certification, or a moment where someone

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06:32

Travel Prep as Love: A Friday Reset for Parents of...

More Human. More Kind. | Parenting LGBTQ Kids,... ·

2026/07/17

The research, the conversations, the paperwork, the permission you give your kid before you ever leave home. That is not just preparation. That is love made practical.On Tuesday we talked about what it actually takes to travel safely with an LGBTQ+ family. Today Heather brings it home with your Friday Butterfly Effect, reframing travel preparation not as a burden but as one of the most concrete acts of allyship you can offer your kid.In this episode you'll get:* This week's word, prepared, and why

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15:03

Traveling With Your LGBTQ Kid: What Every Parent...

More Human. More Kind. | Parenting LGBTQ Kids,... ·

2026/07/14

Summer travel should feel like joy. But if you have an LGBTQ+ kid, you already know there is a layer of preparation most families never have to think about. This episode is for you.The world is not equally safe for LGBTQ+ travelers. Not internationally, and not here at home in the United States. In this episode, Heather Hester walks through what the current global LGBTQ+ safety landscape actually looks like, including which US states have enacted restrictive legislation that directly affects LGBTQ

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06:15

Genuine Joy Is Countercultural: Your Friday Reset for...

More Human. More Kind. | Parenting LGBTQ Kids,... ·

2026/07/10

Real joy doesn't come from a feed. This week's reset will help you find it, feel it, and help your kid do the same.In Tuesday's episode, we explored what queer creators are teaching our kids about authentic joy and identity. Today Heather brings it home with your Friday Butterfly Effect, one small shift designed to create a meaningful ripple in your week and in your relationship with your LGBTQ kid.In this episode you'll learn how to:* Use this week's word, genuine, to notice the difference between

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12:47

Who Is Your LGBTQ Kid Following Online, and What Are...

More Human. More Kind. | Parenting LGBTQ Kids,... ·

2026/07/07

Your kid has a feed full of people they've never met, and some of those people are quietly teaching them what joy looks and feels like. Do you know what they're learning?For LGBTQ teens especially, finding creators online who live and love the way they do can be genuinely life-changing. But not all joy is created equal. The most successful queer creators have discovered something worth understanding: authentic, lasting joy comes from within, and it shows. In this episode, Heather Hester unpacks the

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06:04

You Can Love Fiercely and Still Be Running on Empty:...

More Human. More Kind. | Parenting LGBTQ Kids,... ·

2026/07/03

You don't need a complete overhaul to start recovering from ally burnout. You need one small, doable thing.Interest: This week's quick follow-up to our episode on ally burnout and compassion fatigue gives you something tiny and real to carry into your week, no grand gestures or new routines required.Desire: In this episode you'll learn how to:Name your own stress pattern out loud, in one sentenceProtect one non-negotiable need like it's non-negotiableHold onto a single line that quiets the guilt

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10:15

Bonus Episode: I'm Not Okay, and I Don't Think You...

More Human. More Kind. | Parenting LGBTQ Kids,... ·

2026/06/30

My Raw Reaction to This Week's SCOTUS RulingsA note before you press play.This isn't a normal episode. There's no outline, no structure, no neat takeaways. It's me, talking through what I'm feeling after two days of Supreme Court decisions that I'm still trying to process myself.If you've been doom-scrolling the news the way I have, you already know some of what's in here. The trans rights ruling. Birthright citizenship. Campaign finance. But this isn't a breakdown of the legal details. It's rage

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16:53

Up at 2AM Researching Everything: What Ally Burnout...

More Human. More Kind. | Parenting LGBTQ Kids,... ·

2026/06/30

Talk to other parents who are experiencing burnout, too. Learn more about the Kindred Collective.Loving your child through a hard season can quietly burn you out, and most allies never see it coming.When a child comes out and struggles, parents often carry an invisible weight: vicarious stress, ambiguous grief, and a nervous system stuck on high alert. This episode names what compassion fatigue looks like for allies, and why it shows up differently depending on how you're wired.In this episode,

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35:56

PFLAG National on Creating Pride in Families: The New...

More Human. More Kind. | Parenting LGBTQ Kids,... ·

2026/06/29

What if the support you've been looking for was one conversation away, right where you work?PFLAG National's Jamie Henkel joins the show to talk about Creating Pride in Families, a brand new resource library designed to help parents and caregivers of LGBTQ+ people build peer support networks inside their workplaces. Whether your company has a thriving ERG or you're starting from scratch, this episode will show you what's possible and how to get there.Jamie also gets honest about what allyship

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07:22

When Your Kid's Identity Shifts: How to Love Before...

More Human. More Kind. | Parenting LGBTQ Kids,... ·

2026/06/26

Check out in depth essays, meditations, and tips and strategies on the More Human More Kind Substack!Your kid changed how they describe themselves again, and some part of you is still waiting for the "real" answer.This Friday Reset picks up where Tuesday left off. One small shift, one word, one line you can carry into the week for the moments when not-knowing feels like too much, and you need a gentler way to hold it.In this episode you'll learn how to:Use one simple word to make space for what's

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14:46

Beyond the Binary: Why Fluid Doesn't Mean Unsure...

More Human. More Kind. | Parenting LGBTQ Kids,... ·

2026/06/23

Find connection with other parents in the Kindred Collective!Your kid said something different about who they are than they did six months ago, and some part of you panicked.For a lot of parents, fluidity feels like the hardest version of this journey, not because it's harder to love, but because it doesn't offer the relief of a finish line. This episode is about what happens when you stop needing one. It's about a conversation that changed how one parent saw not just their child, but everyone

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310 results

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