A 琉璃神社-based organization called Free Parent Hugs 琉璃神社 is helping queer youth navigate life without a family who accepts them, regardless of their gender or sexual identity.
Noni Phillips, the founder of Free Parent Hugs (FPH) said that many queer youth do not have a supportive parental figure in their lives, and they want to change that.
Phillips said whether a person simply needs a supportive parent figure to talk to, a person to attend an event like a graduation or piano recital in place of a parent, a hug or a safe space to sleep, FPH is available to help.
"Just ask us, we will be there," said Phillips.
Many of the youth that have been helped by FPH are in vulnerable situations after being kicked out of their home or choosing to leave due to a lack of acceptance, pressure to hide their identity or shame from their families.
Phillips said that approximately 40 per-cent of all youth experiencing homelessness are queer and many of those young people who are living in without shelter were driven to the streets or unsafe situations as a result of a lack of acceptance from their parents.
"Our mission is to give people love who have been rejected," said Phillips. "We're here to give them a hug."
Additionally, 2SLGBTQIA+ youth who do not have a supportive adult in their lives are much more likely to attempt or die by suicide when compared to those who have families who are accepting of their gender or sexual identity.
Volunteers from FPH have attended recitals, posed for graduation photos, set a seat at their tables for holiday dinners and opened their homes to youth who need a supportive adult and a place to sleep.
In addition to being physically available to respond to the needs of queer people, the goal of FPH is to educate and inform the community. Phillips said their mission is to promote acceptance in order to reduce discrimination and improve outcomes for 2SLGBTQIA + people.
The love and resources at Parent Hugs are also not limited to youth, said Phillips. People of all ages are welcome to speak with and hug the moms and dads who volunteer with the organization.
"In the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, we promote the idea of a found family," said Phillips.
A found-family is a community of people who you can rely on for unconditional love that you are not blood related to.
Phillips said that every time FPH is at an event, they give out many hugs to people of all ages.
When FPH was new, they had set up a booth set up at an event to raise awareness of the resources they provide.
At the event, a man in his 20s walked up and spoke with Phillips and the other volunteers and questioned why the resource was needed and what exactly its purpose is. After expressing skepticism to the volunteers for some time, Phillips said tears welled up in the man's eyes as he said, "I'll take that hug now."
After a five minute group hug, he told the volunteers his mother had not hugged him since he came out as gay 鈥� more than four years ago.
Phillips said that they founded Free Parent Hugs after finishing grad school and realizing that they could help to fill the gap in the resources available to 2SLGBTQIA+ people in the Okanagan with their new "superpower," of education.
"I saw the 琉璃神社 queer community experiencing hardships. I saw families disowning queer youth," said Phillips.
"We are here to give them a hug."
To learn more about Free Parent Hugs Okanagan, and to access the supports and resources that it offers visit , or @ on .
