🌈 PRIDE Month REPLAY 🌈
In celebration of PRIDE, we're revisiting one of our most powerful and heart-warming episodes — my unforgettable conversation with Sara Cunningham, founder of FREE MOM HUGS, based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Last year, I attended the local Oceanside Pride festival where I stumbled upon a group of incredible women wearing shirts that read FREE MOM HUGS. Not only did I receive one of the most affirming hugs of my life, I also knew instantly that I had to learn more about this beautiful movement — and the woman who started it.
In this special replay, Sara shares her deeply personal journey of faith, family, and transformation. After initially rejecting her son Parker’s sexuality due to her conservative Christian upbringing, Sara found herself in spiritual turmoil. But instead of turning away, she turned inward — and then outward — exhaustively searching her faith for answers. What she discovered led her from the church pews to the Pride Parade… without losing her faith.
Her first act of visible allyship came on June 20, 2015, when she attended Oklahoma City's Pride festival wearing a homemade FREE MOM HUGS button. The first hug she gave was to a young woman who tearfully confessed, “It’s been four years since I got a hug from my mom because I’m a lesbian.” That hug — and the hundreds that followed — sparked a nationwide movement of love, visibility, and radical acceptance for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Sara's story is one of unconditional love, healing, and the brave power of showing up. She's a mom, a trailblazer, and truly, a gift to us all.
❤️ Don't miss this beautiful conversation. And if you’ve heard it before, it’s well worth another listen — especially during Pride.
🔗 Learn more about FREE MOM HUGS: https://freemomhugs.org/
🎥 Watch the Mama Bears documentary: https://kinema.com/films/mama-bears-wskofa
Thank 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!
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