We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sara Cunningham a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sara, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We love heartwarming stories – do you have a heartwarming story from your career to share?

My youngest son tried coming out gay to me since he was 10 or 12, when we turned 21 he came to me and said “Mom, I met someone and I need you to be okay about it.” I didn’t take the news very well. I thought being gay was bad, that something bad had to happen to my son to make him gay, or that I failed at being a Christian mom. I said some things, and acted in ways I regret, even today.

When my son come out of his closet, I went into mine. I had to re-examine everything I believed. I was frozen in my fear and ignorance until I found other mom’s like me, got educated on things like the history of homosexuality, science and evidence that convinced me that homosexuality is not wrong, that being LGBTQIA+ is a gift from God to be celebrated as a gift to my family and the world. It took some time to process, it was a journey that took us from the church to the Pride parade – without losing my faith or my son.

In 2014 my son invited me to join him and his friends to our local Pride parade, I met a beautiful, Spirit filled community. I spent the next year volunteering, meeting and supporting our LGBTQIA+ Community. Hearing stories and getting educated about laws that dangerously effect families like mine.

In 2015 I made a homemade button that read “Free Mom Hugs” and went to our local Pride festival and offered hugs to anyone who made eye contact with me. The first hug went to a beautiful young girl who said “It’s been 4 years since I got a hug from my mom because I’m a Lesbian.” I pulled her in close, and whispered in her ear, I’m a mom, here’s a hug and I’m not letting go until you do.

I went home that day covered from head to toe with glitter, and real horror stories ringing in my ears. So many young and old shared how they have been alienated from their family, from their church home and from many parts of society. That experience lead to the national non-profit Free Mom Hugs.

Today we have Free Mom Hugs Chapters in every state, over 230 thousand registered volunteers with one goal in mind. To empower the world to celebrate the LGBTQ+ through visibility, education and conversation.

Go to FreeMomHugs.org – find your state chapter, donate and get plugged in.

Sara, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

See previous page.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your firm or practice?

In Febuarary of 2016 I went to what I thought was a meeting for mom’s with LGBTQ+ youth, turns out it was a support group for the adult transgender community. I had never been in the same room with a transgender person (that I know of) until that day. I stayed bc I brought the cookies, I new the facilitator and truth be told I was curious. I heard their stories and then cried hot tears in my jeep bc I thought how much better and different their lives would have/could have been with just one supportive person and access to gender affirming care.

From that experience I created an event I call the Transgender Valentines Banquet. Free to the community and those that love and support them. A banquet, a photo booth, support vendors and speakers with empowering stories. Anything to create a night of good and lasting memories.

A fellow mama bear heard about the project and wanted to donate 500 dollars, though she would only donate to a non-profit and I had no money. A local affirming church offered me to umbrella Free Mom Hugs with their NP so I did.

That mama bear never donated the money.

All that to say we scrambled around and someone donated a space, another person donated some food and we had an amazing night.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Offering a platform for people to show up.

Contact Info:

• Website: freemomhugs.org
• Instagram: freemomhugs
• Facebook: freemomhugs
• Twitter: freemomhugs
• Youtube: freemomhugs