Affirmation Over Acceptance: Suicide Prevention & Queer Parenting | Ep. 4 (with Dr. Lulu)

“Affirmation is not just saying, ‘I accept you.’ It’s saying, ‘You are beautiful — exactly as you are.’”

⚠️ Content Warning: This episode discusses suicide and mental health within the LGBTQIA+ community. Please listen with care.

In this powerful and deeply personal conversation, host Bryan Stanton (he/they) sits down with Dr. Lulu (she/they) — a retired U.S. Air Force pediatrician, TEDx speaker, author, and parent coach — to explore how affirmation can save lives.

Born and raised in Nigeria, one of Africa’s most homophobic nations, Dr. Lulu brings both medical expertise and lived experience as a queer woman and mother of a transgender daughter. Together, Bryan and Dr. Lulu unpack the difference between tolerance, acceptance, and affirmation, the colonial roots of homophobia, and the life-saving power of parental love and visibility.

Dr. Lulu’s work reframes suicide prevention as a form of radical parenting and offers educators, caregivers, and allies new tools to support queer youth with compassion and courage.

About the Guest

Dr. Lulu (she/they) — also known as The Momatrician — is a Nigerian-born, U.S.-based pediatrician, retired Air Force officer, TEDx speaker, and award-winning LGBTQIA+ advocate. She now works as a life coach specializing in parents of queer and trans youth, helping families move from fear to affirmation.

A passionate storyteller, Dr. Lulu hosts The Parent Hour radio show and has delivered multiple TEDx Talks on suicide prevention, vulnerability, and rethinking the closet. She lives in San Antonio, Texas, and is a proud mother of three, including a transgender daughter.

Resources & Links

• 🌐 Dr. Lulu Official Website
• 📻 The Parent Hour on KLMO 98.9 FM / 92.1 FM
• 🎤 TEDx Talk: Rethinking the Closet — Inviting In vs. Coming Out
• 📚 Invited In (upcoming book by Dr. Lulu)
• ✉️ teachingwhilequeerpodcast@gmail.com
• 🔗 teachingwhilequeer.org
• 📲 Follow @TeachingWhileQueer

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Teaching While Queer is a podcast centering LGBTQ+ educators and the real-world realities of teaching while queer. We explore queer representation in education, including burnout, tokenism, doxing, visibility, boundaries, and advocacy for inclusive classrooms, safe schools, and anti-bullying practices.

This podcast supports gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, asexual, aromantic, agender, and two-spirit teachers, and addresses how gender identity in schools can be honored to reduce isolation, protect educators, and build community.

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Keywords: Teaching While Queer, queer educators, LGBTQ teachers, inclusive education, gender identity in schools, safe classrooms, anti-bullying strategies, educator burnout, LGBTQ advocacy, queer visibility in education