#158 | What If Peaceful Protest Is Democracy’s Last Lifeline? What It Means for Democracy, LGBTQ Rights, and Civil Liberties

More Human More Kind: Guidance for Parenting LGBTQ+ Teens & Growing Into a Courageous Ally

Is the right to protest quietly disappearing — while most people don't even notice?

In the final episode of the Foundations of Freedom series, Heather Hester explores one of the most misunderstood and under-discussed First Amendment rights: the right to peaceably assemble. From the Boston Tea Party to Stonewall to Standing Rock and modern anti-protest legislation, Heather connects the historical roots of assembly with the present-day risks to democracy — and how our right to gather, grieve, and resist is being slowly eroded.

• Learn how peaceful assembly became a foundational tool for civil rights, LGBTQ+ liberation, and women’s equality
• Understand the difference between assembly and insurrection — and why the language we use matters
• Discover the legal protections (and new threats) around protest, mutual aid, and public gathering — including how surveillance, intimidation, and new laws are reshaping what’s possible

Press play to understand why showing up — in the streets, online, or in solidarity — is more than protest. It’s how democracy breathes.

Links referenced in this episode:

• aclu
• national lawyers guild
• protect the protest

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

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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 foster courageous, compassionate connection.

If you’re in the thick of parenting, allyship, or pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming 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 part of this journey.

More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive space where a mom and mental health advocate offers guidance on parenting with empathy, inclusion, love, and open-minded allyship, fostering growth, healing, connection, and empowerment within the LGBTQ community while addressing grief, boundaries, education, diversity, human rights, social justice, and the power of human kindness through a lens of ally support and community engagement.

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