S1E38 Sara Cunningham - The Hug That Created A National Movement

Join me this week as I sit down with Sara Cunningham, founder of FREE MOM HUGS based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  Earlier this year, I attended a local pride festival and came upon a group of women wearing a t-shirt with FREE MOM HUGS emblazoned across the front.  In addition to receiving the most amazing hug from one of the moms, I instantly fell in love with these women and needed to learn more about this incredible organization and their founder!   During our time together, Sara shares her journey which included many years rejecting her son Parker's sexuality after he came out in his early 20s. Very conflicted by her love for her son and her deep rooted spirituality, Sara exhaustively searched her faith to find answers and what she learned through this process not only transformed her powerful journey from church to the Pride Parade, she was able to keep her faith. As Sara became involved in the LGBTQIA+  community, the hurt, shame, and injustice the community frequently experiences was painfully clear.  Remembering that she too once was in the crowd that rejected this loving, vibrant community, Sara took action. On Saturday, June 20th of 2015, Sara wore a homemade button with the words, FREE MOM HUGS on it to the Oklahoma City pride festival and offered hugs to anyone who made eye contact.The first hug Sara gave was to a beautiful young girl who whispered, "It's been four years since I got a hug from my mom because I'm a lesbian." Sara embraced her and hundreds more that day, all with similar heart-wrenching stories. On that very day, FREE MOM HUGS, a nationwide movement of love, visibility, and acceptance for the LGBTQIA community was born.  A movement that shows the world that EVERYONE belongs and EVERYONE matters.  Sara is an absolute delight and a gift to us all.   To learn more about Sara and her FREE MOM HUGS National organization, click here:  https://freemomhugs.org/To watch the Mama Bears Documentary, visit here:  https://kinema.com/films/mama-bears-wskofaSend us Fan MailThank you for joining us and we can't wait to welcome you back again next week! New episodes drop every Thursday and can be found wherever you find your favorite podcasts!  Remember to like, rate, share and subscribe to the JUST DO YOU. podcast in order to receive our weekly episode updates!  If you like what you hear, please leave us a review at Apple Podcasts! To follow us on Instagram, visit: https://www.instagram.com/justdoyoupod/ Want to learn more about our host, Eric Nicoll?  Visit:  https://ericnicoll.com