What If Curiosity Changed Everything?

Written By Samantha Mackey

One year ago, Parenting with Pride made its way into the world.

It was born from my family’s journey, my own transformation, and the deep desire to offer guidance and grounding to other parents navigating unfamiliar terrain.

This Pride Month, I’m reflecting on five of the most powerful lessons I’ve learned since the book’s release. These reflections come from the intersections of parenting, advocacy, visibility, and personal growth. They are not meant to be a blueprint. They are offerings. Starting points. Invitations to look inward, speak outward, and walk with intention.

Before we dive in, I want to take a moment to ground us in why Pride Month exists.

Pride is not just a celebration, it began as a protest.

In June 1969, queer and trans people (many of them people of color) stood up to ongoing police brutality in a series of events now known as the Stonewall Uprising. The first Pride march was held the following year to honor that resistance.

We celebrate Pride today to continue what they started: a demand for visibility, dignity, and safety. And we celebrate because, for so many, simply being seen is still an act of courage.

We begin with one of the simplest and most powerful shifts: curiosity over judgment.

When my son first came out, I felt a tidal wave of emotion, love, fear, protectiveness, confusion, and everything in between. I wanted to get it right. I wanted to say the perfect thing. I wanted to understand, immediately.

What I’ve learned is that understanding is not a moment. It’s a practice.

What builds connection in those early moments (and continues to strengthen it) is the simple, brave act of choosing curiosity over judgment.

Curiosity says:

  • Tell me more.

  • I’m listening.

  • I may not understand yet, but I want to.

  • Your experience matters to me.

Judgment shuts down possibilities. Curiosity opens them.

When we lead with curiosity, we create space for our children and loved ones to be seen. We offer them safety in our presence. We teach them, through action, that their truth is not something to be managed, but something to be honored.

This Pride Month, I invite you to practice curiosity. Practice in your conversations, in your parenting, and in your advocacy.

Ask a question instead of jumping to a conclusion. Notice where you feel discomfort and get curious about that too. Curiosity is how we connect and it’s also how we grow.

And if this is new to you, or if you’ve been doing this work for years, you are welcome here.

This is the first in a five-part series. In the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing more lessons from the past year, on progress, language, unlearning, and the layered experience of visibility. Each week, you’ll receive a reflection paired with a new podcast episode and a simple way to take action or reflect further.

If you’re not yet subscribed to the newsletter, now is a great time to join. I’ll be sending these reflections every week in June, and I’d love to have you in this space.

And if you know someone who’s parenting through change, or who wants to be a stronger ally, please forward this to them.

Reflection Prompt:

Where in your life or relationships might curiosity make more space for connection?

Action You Can Take Right Now:

  • Practice asking “Tell me more” this week.

  • Notice when judgment sneaks in and pause.

  • Let love guide your response, even if you don’t fully understand yet.

Stay tuned for next week’s reflection: Allyship Isn’t a Checklist, It’s a Practice

And thank you, always, for being part of this journey.

Keywords: Parenting with Pride, LGBTQ+ parenting advice, Pride Month parenting reflections, curiosity vs. judgment parenting, how to support LGBTQ+ children, allyship in parenting, Heather Hester podcast

Samantha Mackey