Dad Gives Out Over 700 Free Hugs At Pride Parade To Kids Rejected By Their Parents

LGBTQ+ youth sometimes have a tougher time in life because not all families are understanding. Many children who tell their families that they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or trans do not receive love and understanding. Many are shunned, abandoned, and kicked out of their homes and families. Sadly, some LGBTQ+ youth are more likely to experience negative health and life outcomes. Scott Dittman thought that many of those children and adults could use a loving hug from a dad. His idea was to attend the Pride Parade and give out free dad hugs, and it ended up being so much more than he could have ever imagined.

Scott Dittman decided to attend the Pride Parade and to wear a 'Free Dad Hugs' shirt because he believed that dad hugs would be needed. Dittman was right, as he gave out hundreds of hugs to people that day. 

At the parade, Scott Dittman's shirt resonated with many as attendees approached him throughout the day with tears, smiles, and heartbreaking stories to share with him. Scott gave hundreds of hugs and listened to many parade-goers' stories. 

Scott Dittman founded and volunteers with a local charitable organization called Helping Butler County. The organization's goal is to assist the less fortunate in their surrounding communities in any way they can. 

While Scott Dittman was at the parade giving out hugs, there were a few that stood out to him. One was a man in his fifties that revealed that his parents kicked him out of the house when he was nineteen years old. 

Another person that stood out to Dittman at the parade was a woman in her early twenties. He stated that the young woman noticed his shirt from across the street and went and found him. He said, "I turned around, and this young woman was standing there in front of me with tears in her eyes. She had a look of sadness and helplessness that I'll never forget. 

Scott had many people at the parade that clung to him while sobbing and sharing their overwhelming pain. Since going to the Pride Parade and opening up about his experience, Scott said that his post has gone viral. 

Scott Dittman also received many messages from parents, thanking him for opening their eyes and encouraging them to reunite with their estranged family members. He stated that it is humbling to have parents message him but also sad. 

Project CommUNITY is an organization that helps kids make good choices. Project CommUNITY has been providing youth with the knowledge to navigate the situations that every teen encounters since 1985. 

A Pride Parade is an outdoor event that celebrates gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer achievements, social and self-acceptance, legal rights, and pride. Pride Parades typically happen annually, usually in June, and all over the world. 

LGBTQ+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer, and it is a community for all people who identify as such. It is a community of individuals united by a common culture and social movements. Generally, LGBTQ+ communities celebrate diversity, sexuality, pride, and individuality. 

The group 'Free Mom Hugs' was founded by Sara Cunningham in 2018 as a nonprofit group. She had read stories about LGBTQ+ individuals whose families had turned their backs on them, abandoned them, and kicked them out of their homes. 

More than twenty-six percent of LGBTQ+ youth have stated that their biggest problems and fears are not feeling accepted by their family, trouble at school, and bullying. The consequences are tragic, as some of these children are abandoned just for who they love. 

The Trevor Project was founded in 1998 and is the world's largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people. It is a nonprofit organization that offers a toll-free telephone number, The Trevor Lifeline, that offers trained counselors. 

Scott Dittman has two children, a ten-year-old boy, and an eighteen-year-old girl, neither of whom identify as LGBTQ+, and Dittman is one hundred percent a guy's guy. Even so, he has felt the pull to be there for those who do identify as LGBTQ+. 

Dittman hopes that this movement will continue to move forward, but he also stresses to parents that even those children who seem to be just fine on the exterior are still in need of their foundational support system. He stated that there isn't one person that doesn't need the foundational love and support of their parent.

Scott Dittman wrote a letter to parents on social media because long after his hug, he still wonders what their reality is like. He urges parents to consider the implications of that stance. 

Scott Dittman wrote the book titled Beyond The Hugs: Testimonies of Pain, Joy, Fear, Support, and Courage. It was published in 2019 and is a collection of messages, statements, and testimonies that he received after a social media post about giving out 'Free Dad Hugs.' 

Sara Cunningham founded the group 'Free Mom Hugs,' which gives LGBTQ+ youth the same warm, loving embrace that only moms can offer. She started this because of her own story with her son. 

"Return The Key" is a true story about a boy who is kicked out of his home because he is gay. Chris told his mom on the phone that Brendan wasn't his roommate; he was his boyfriend. His mother hung up on him; the next day she called him back and requested that he meet her at a cafe. 

There have been many studies done that show a higher rate of health and mental health problems among LGBTQ+ teens than in heterosexual youth. Typically, social rejection is the culprit and parental rejection. 

The main goal in helping families learn to support their LGBTQ+ children isn't to change their beliefs or values. Instead, they aim to meet parents, families, and caregivers where they are to build an alliance to support their LGBTQ+ children. 

It is most important to just listen to your child and let them know you are there. Hug them if you can't find the words, and don't make them feel as though they have done something wrong. 

When your child is coming out to you, it should be happy and prideful. As a parent, you might find it surprising or confusing, and that is okay. However, if that is the case, look at the moment as a great opportunity to listen to your child and find out what they need. 

Something not recommended for parents is to try and scare their child back into the closet. You will make your child feel even more like they are something bad and something to be feared. You should celebrate your child's future, whether they are LGBTQ+ or not. 

Children are usually scared and confused when coming out but really want to come out because holding it in is work. Your child wants to trust you and trust that they can tell you anything, and you will still love them and be there for them. 

Being there for someone coming out shouldn't be difficult, regardless of your beliefs and values. You just simply need to be there, to listen, to offer tenderness, to be joyful, to celebrate, and to love. 

Many children that come out to their families are told to leave and are abandoned by the people they thought would always love them. It may take time to come to terms with your child being part of the LGBTQ+ community. 

In 2014, Sara Cunningham released her book titled How We Sleep At Night: A Mother's Memoir. The book is about a Christian mother coming to terms with her son being gay. It follows Sara's personal journey that starts with the church and ends at the Pride Parade. It explores her honest chronicle of the fears, pains, frustrations, and deep love of a church-going parent dealing with a confusing situation. 

Mama Bears is a documentary about a group of conservative mothers who shed their hate and prejudice against the LGBTQ+ community. The film was directed by Daresha Kyi and follows mothers who have cut ties with their old life to keep their kids safe. 

Faith is an important part of many LGBTQ+ people's lives and the misconception that LGBTQ+ people cannot belong within faith communities has been deeply damaging. The research found that a third of LGBTQ+ people of faith aren't open with anyone in their faith community about their sexual orientation. 

Sara Cunningham has met many people at Pride Parades throughout the years. She stated her favorite story is about a young African-American transgender college student. "It was his first time 'out.' Struggling to keep a job, he became homeless. An agency helped him get an apartment. But it became unsafe because of harassment from neighbors. 

The basic concept of the Pride Parade is that you should be proud of who you are. Pride Parades are extremely important for several reasons. They are important because unity is strength, and making yourself heard is important. 

Any of us can be a mom or dad substitute to be there for, support, love, and listen to those who have been rejected by their own families and loved ones. Everyone needs love and support, and everyone deserves love and support. 

Tragically, so many LGBTQ+ youth are disowned, kicked out of their homes, or emotionally abandoned simply for being who they are. Studies have found that up to forty percent of homeless youth are LGBTQ+ people who have been kicked out of their homes and left to fend for themselves. 

Scott Dittman also has written a couple of children's books. One of his books is titled What If and is a short story that will spark the imagination of both children and adults and encourages boldness in life. 

In addition to Sara Cunningham attending Pride Parades and offering Free Mom Hugs, she also offers to be a 'stand-in mom' at any LGBTQ+ wedding where the biological mom won't be present. 

The PFLAG is a national organization in Canada that helps Canadians with issues of sexual orientation, gender expression, and gender identity. 

During Covid-19, a father allowed his twenty-year-old son to come and quarantine at his house. He also brought a friend, which the father quickly realized was more than just a friend when he caught them sleeping in the same bed together. 

Drew Price is a trans person from Australia, and he went on Twitter when his parents surprised him with matching tattoos of the trans flag in the shape of a heart. "My parents got trans flags tattoos to represent their trans son. My heart is bursting! I felt incredibly loved and accepted. 

A teen from Oklahoma went public about trying to find a forever family because her adoptive parents abandoned her after finding out that she was LGBTQ+. They abandoned her after having become her parents more than seven years prior. 

The first Pride Parade was held in Chicago in 1970, marking the first anniversary of Stonewall. The Christopher Street Gay Liberation Day March in New York City was considered by many to be the first Pride Parade. 

Brenda Howard is a bisexual and a lifelong militant activist. In addition, she is also known as the 'Mother of Pride' because of her work in organizing the Christopher Street Liberation Day March. 

In 1999, President Bill Clinton was the first U.S. president that officially recognized June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. Clinton issued Proclamation No. 7203. 

The rainbow flag is a symbol of the LGBTQ+ community, and it first appeared in the 1970s. The openly gay San Francisco city supervisor, Harvey Milk, had Gilbert Baker create a symbol, and he created the Pride flag in 1978. 

Every color of the rainbow LGBTQ+ Pride flag means something. The first flag that flew in 1978 took thirty volunteers to hand-dye and stitch. Gilbert Baker assigned different meanings to each color. 

In 1997, the Sao Paulo Gay Pride Parade had two thousand attendees but has since grown to millions. In 2006, the parade in Brazil was named The Guinness Book of World Record's largest Gay Pride celebration in the world, with two and a half million people. 

Elizabeth Perts was just fourteen years old when she came out to her family and friends. Her brother stated he was against it, but her mother said she would love her regardless. She wrote an email to her mother telling her that she was gay and that she hoped her mom meant what she had said. Her mom took three days to talk to her about the email, and when she did, she said she loved her no matter what, but that it was probably just a phase and to not tell anyone else. 

This teen, who wanted to remain anonymous, said her first mistake was coming out to her mother. She came out to her mother when she was twelve years old, and her mother said she didn't believe her. 

Sara Cunningham spoke of the moment her son came out to her. "Mom, I met someone, and I need you to be okay with it." At first, she admitted that it was very hard for her to be okay with it, saying, "I'm a woman of faith, and we live in a conservative town. It sounds bad to say it, but I felt like I had to choose between my child and faith.