As a wise man once said love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love. But nothing trumps a mother's love for her kids—just ask Heather Dubrow.
As a parent, her main role is "to support them and defend them and take care of them and guide them," The Real Housewives of Orange County star explained in an exclusive interview with E! News. "So whoever your children are and however they identify, that's your job: Love them, protect them, take care of them."
In the years since daughter Max, 20, came out as bisexual, daughter Kat, 17, announced to the family that she's gay and son Ace, 13, revealed he's transgender, Heather and her husband, Botched doctor Terry Dubrow have done just that.
"But the most important lesson I can give to a parent of an LGBTQ+ child, or any child, is to listen," stressed Heather, also mom to 20-year-old Nick, "because people just want to be heard."
As parents, she continued, it can be tempting "to talk at our kids and give them our words of wisdom and teach them our lessons. And the truth is, you learn a lot more by listening and it helps them more to let them speak."
While her kids are talking the talk, the 55-year-old is walking the walk, using her reality TV platform to bring light to issues that affect the LGBTQIA+ community.
"I work with so many different groups," said Heather, name-checking The Trevor Project and GLAAD as well as her recent partnership with Family Equality and Equality Vines that saw her release a line of wines benefitting the nonprofit. And when she turns up to volunteer at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, she noted, the rest of the fam tags along: "Everyone gets involved."
And while she'll happily don allllll the rainbow gear to celebrate Pride Month, "I look forward to the day when we don't need the parades," Heather said, "not that I don't love them and the celebrations, but wouldn't it be great when everyone can just be?"
Her crew, at least, does a fairly good job of living their best lives.
Acknowledging that "it's a beautiful thing" that her kids felt comfortable coming out at a young age, Heather said, "I came from a family that was very 1950s and no one ever talked about anything and everything was sort of brushed under the rug."
So she vowed at a young age "that if I were lucky enough to have a family, I would be the opposite of that," she continued. "And so I have to say I'm proud of them, I'm proud of me, I'm proud of us as a family for having the communication that we have." Though she's not above using her Life360 app to keep tabs on her brood when necessary, using the locator device to check, "Okay, she's in the dorm, he's at home," she said. "Everyone's good."
It's even more gratifying for Heather to imagine the sorts of talks she and her family may have sparked simply by existing.
After a four-season break from her Bravo gig, "We came back to Housewives because I thought, 'Hey we've got this great platform, they're asking us to come back, wouldn't it be nice to show our very normal family and maybe start conversations in other people's families?'" Heather explained. "And I feel like in a little way we've been able to do that, so that's all been really amazing."
In other words, while no one's life is perfect, hers is pretty close.
"I love my children," said Heather. "They're incredible human beings. And I'm so proud of who they're growing up to be."
Keep reading to see how more stars are celebrating Pride Month.
Sophia Bush & Ashlyn Harris
The two celebrated their first Pride Month as a couple.
Maren Morris
"The Middle" artist celebrated Pride Month by coming out as bisexual.
"Happy to be the B in LGBTQ+," she wrote in a June 9 Instagram post. "happy pride."
Galyna Saltkovska, Nikki Valentine, DJ Eliad Cohen, Erin Lichy & Meredith Marks
The ladies joined Cohen at his Mezcalum NYC Pride kickoff at Dimes in the Gansevoort Hotel in NYV. Also in attendance at the event: Margaret Josephs and Rachel Fuda.
Margaret Josephs, Rachel Fuda & Lexi Barbuto
The Real Housewives of New Jersey stars and Margaret's creative director/assistant were all smiles at the Mezcalum NYC Pride kickoff.
Tinashe
All hands were on deck when the "Nasty" singer deejayed at Levi’s Pride Month celebration June 8.
Billy Porter
The Pose star served as the grand marshal of Capital Pride in Washington, D.C.
Meagan Good & Sara Foster
The D.E.B.S. costars reunite at a Cinespia screening of their 2004 film in Hollywood.
Adam Lambert
The singer celebrated the launch of Jean Paul Gaultier's exclusive edition 2024 Pride bottle in LA. The party continued at Sunset at EDITION where guests enjoyed cocktails from Tequila Don Julio Blanco.
Wayne Brady
The actor and comedian gets into Marg Mode with Hornitos tequila at Out Magazine and The Advocate’s 2024 Cover Party: “Pride of Broadway'' to celebrate the LGBTQ+, allied theater community.
Katy Perry
The "Roar" singer shared an edited version of Harrison Butker's controversial commencement speech—during which he appeared to make disparaging remarks about the LGBTQ+ community and denounced Pride month—splicing his words together to make it sound as though the athlete praised the graduates over their future careers, promotes "diversity, equity and inclusion" and wished people a happy Pride Month.
As Katy captioned her post, "Fixed this for my girls, my graduates, and my gays — you can do anything. Congratulations and happy pride."
Jessica Madsen
The Bridgerton star celebrated the beginning of June with a social media shoutout to a special someone in her life.
"In Love with a woman,” she captioned her June 1 post, “loud about it and proud about it!"
Sophia Bush & Ashlyn Harris
The One Tree Hill alum shared a moving message of hope to her June 2 Instagram Story under a quote about pride.
"You are perfect," she wrote. "No matter how long it might take, you'll find your people. And they will help you find more and more of yourself. It's worth it. You're worth it."
Meanwhile, Ashlyn shared a reel of her and Sophia enjoying time in Paris, which Sophia reshared to her Story writing, "Mine. PROUD."
Taylor Swift
During her June 2 show in Lyon, France, the "You Need To Calm Down" singer yelled to the crowd, "Happy Pride Month, Lyon," while performing the 2019 anthem.
Ava Philippe
Reese Witherspoon's daughter marked the start of Pride by reflecting on her comments about her sexuality in 2022.
"Once upon a time, some gal on the internet said ‘gender is whatever' in reference to her own sexuality," Ava wrote in a June 2 post. "Many took her words out of context, but she knew what she meant. Anyways, this is her posting for the first day of pride month 2024."
Jessica Betts & Niecy Nash Betts
The songwriter and the Reno 911! star kicked off Pride Month on June 1 at the launch of Gurus magazine's #30voices30days program at Godfrey Hotel Hollywood.
Lizzo
The "Good as Hell" artist attened a pride parade in Los Angeles' West Hollywood neighborhood.
"WEHO PRIDE TODAY," she captioned her June 2 post. "SO MUCH LOVE & HUGS. IF I SEEN YA I LOVE YA."
(E! and Bravo are both part of the NBCUniversal family)