Show notes
What does real allyship for transgender youth look like in a year marked by fear, legislation, and rising hate?
With nearly 600 anti-trans bills introduced in 2024 alone and an increase in hate crimes targeting the LGBTQ+ community, we are living in a moment where silence is harm. The time to show up isn’t next year. It’s now.
In this deeply honest and inspiring episode, Heather is joined by three remarkable guests:
- Kate Brooks, a mother who wrote a guide to affirm and support parents of trans kids
- Jeannie Gainsburg, author and educator helping allies build respectful, inclusive practices
- Jayna Sheats, a trans author whose fiction work humanizes and expands understanding of trans identity
Together, they share how storytelling, language, parenting, and political action intersect to create change—especially when the stakes are this high.
You’ll walk away with:
✔️ Practical, everyday actions to create affirming spaces for LGBTQ+ youth
✔️ The truth about pronouns—why they matter and how to use them with confidence
✔️ Science-backed ways to improve LGBTQ+ mental health through simple affirmations
✔️ A toolkit of actions you can take before the election—even from your kitchen table
✔️ Real stories that help reframe fear into empathy, connection, and courageous love
Whether you're parenting a trans teen, leading a classroom, or speaking up in your community, this conversation will give you the language, confidence, and heart to take action.
Listen now to learn how you can move from passive support to fierce, informed allyship—because protecting trans youth requires more than love. It requires action.
Key Takeaways:
- Allyship isn’t neutral—it’s proactive, consistent, and uncomfortable at times
- Affirmation from family is one of the strongest protective factors for LGBTQ+ youth
- Using correct pronouns isn’t “polite”—it’s essential for safety and belonging
- Books, media, and stories humanize the trans experience and challenge fear-based narratives
- There are doable actions you can take ahead of the 2024 election—no burnout or perfection required
Bios
Jayna Sheats (she/her) is the author of Hanna’s Ascent. She is also a noted chemist and
entrepreneur, who has published over 60 articles and started 3 companies. Today she lives in
Northern California with her children.
Jeannie Gainsburg (she/her) is the founder of Savvy Ally Action and is an award-winning
educational trainer and consultant in LGBTQ+ inclusion and allyship. The second edition of her
book, The Savvy Ally: A Guide for Becoming a Skilled LGBTQ+ Advocate, is now available.
Jeannie lives with her husband in Upstate New York.
Kate Brookes (she/her) is a former TV reporter/anchor turned writer/producer/filmmaker. Her
memoir, Transister: Raising Twins in a Gender-Bending World, was published last summer.
These days she produces videos for non-profits and speaks to schools, hospitals and groups
about raising a trans child.
Links Mentioned
www.Jaynasheats.com
www.savvyallyaction.com
www.transistermom.com
https://kamalaharris.com/
https://www.turnoutpac.org/postcards/
https://www.inequalitymedia.org/aboutus.
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.
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.
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