What Your LGBTQ Teen Hears When You Say, “Let’s Not Tell Anyone Yet”

About this episode

Heather Hester discusses the emotional impact of secrecy on LGBTQ teens and their parents during the coming out process.

Are you an overwhelmed mom of a gay or lesbian teen who's feeling lost trying to navigate the coming out process, and wants to let go of shame and embarrassment, as well as build a deeper connection of trust within yourself and your teen? Click here to learn how to work with me 1-1. You may have said, “Let’s not tell anyone yet,” believing you were protecting your child. And maybe you were trying to. But what if that silence communicated something deeper than you intended? In this episode, Heather explores the emotional impact of secrecy after a child comes out. She names the fears many parents feel: fear of judgment, conflict, misunderstanding, or how others might react and gently challenges the hidden cost of making silence the family norm. You’ll hear: what secrecy can communicate to a child how protection can unintentionally become shame why hiding creates distance, even in loving families the difference between privacy and secrecy one powerful question every parent needs to ask If you’ve ever felt torn between loving your child and fearing the world’s response, this conversation will help you move from fear toward understanding, and from silence toward connection. Hi, I’m…

People in this episode

Host: Heather Hester

Topics covered

• LGBTQ
• coming out
• parenting
• trust
• secrecy
• communication

Keywords

• LGBTQ teens
• coming out process
• parenting advice
• secrecy
• trust
• emotional impact
• communication

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Parenting with Pride

More episodes of More Human More Kind: Guidance for Parents & Allies of LGBTQ Teens

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• You Love Your LGBTQ Child—But Are You Being an Ally? · June 9, 2026 · 11 min
• The Hardest Pride Conversations Aren’t With Your LGBTQ Teen · June 5, 2026 · 13 min
• The Ultimate Pride Checklist for Parents of LGBTQ Teens · June 3, 2026 · 19 min
• Helping LGBTQ Kids Stay Safe At Pride Events (Without Scaring Them!) · June 2, 2026 · 14 min
• What Happens When You Stop Abandoning Yourself | For Parents of LGBTQ Teens · May 29, 2026 · 10 min