A Pennsylvania father has gone viral for giving out free 'dad hugs' at the Pittsburgh Pride parade and comforting strangers rejected by their families for their sexual orientation.
Howie Dittman headed to the Pride parade with a group of friends wearing 'free dad hugs' and 'free mom hugs' shirts on June 9, opening up his arms to strangers and offering a comforting embrace.
He took to Facebook to detail how he gave out 'hundreds of hugs' and while most were joyful, 'way too many' fell into his arms with heartbreaking stories.
'He was kicked out at 19 when his parents found out. They haven't spoken to him since. He cried on my shoulder. Sobbed. Squeezed me with everything he had. I felt a tiny bit of that pain that he carries with him every minute of every day. He was abandoned because of who he loves,' he shared on Facebook.
Pennsylvania father Howie Dittman has gone viral for giving out free 'dad hugs' at the Pittsburgh Pride parade and comforting strangers rejected by their families for their sexual orientation. Pictured above at the June 9 parade hugging strangers
Dittman was inspired by his friend Dena Hays (pictured together) who attended the Pride parade with Free Mom Hugs, an organization that advocates for LGBTQ equality
He opened up about eye-opening experience on Facebook sharing stories about some of the heartbroken strangers he comforted
'And on June 9th, 2019, he was participating in a celebration of love when he was brought to his emotional knees by a shirt that said "FREE DAD HUGS" on a complete stranger,' he added.
He opened up about another woman who fell into Dittman's arms with tears in her eyes.
'She stood in front of me and looked up at me, with a look of sadness and helplessness that I'll never forget. She hugged me with everything she had. And I hugged her back. She held on for so long, melting into me, and thanked me endlessly. And I can't stop thinking about her. What she
