Episode Details

What if Pride events are about far more than celebration, and are actually shaping the future of LGBTQ allyship and inclusive leadership?

In this powerful conversation, Heather sits down with LGBTQ advocate and Whistler Pride founder Dean Nelson to discuss the urgent need for compassionate leadership, stronger allyship, and safer communities for LGBTQ people, especially LGBTQ teens. Together, they explore how Pride events, visibility, activism, and civic engagement can challenge discrimination, inspire inclusion, and empower allies to create meaningful change.

In this episode, you’ll discover how to:

• Become a stronger LGBTQ ally through advocacy, education, and inclusive leadership
• Support LGBTQ teens and communities by creating safer, more affirming spaces
• Understand how Pride events and visibility movements inspire connection, courage, and long-term social change

Press play to learn how compassionate leadership, allyship, and everyday advocacy can help create a more inclusive future for LGBTQ teens, families, and communities everywhere.

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

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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 orie