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'Recovering Bigot' Giving Out Free Hugs At Denver Pride Parade Is Giving Us All The Feels

screenshots from tiktok of man giving hugs at pride
ooh_lalalivia/TikTok

Videos and images of a self-identified 'recovering bigot' giving out hugs to make amends for his past quickly went viral.

Peter Karleby
By Peter KarlebyJun 29, 2023
Peter Karleby
Peter Karleby is a writer, content producer and performer originally from Michigan. His writing has also appeared on YourTango, Delish and Medium, and he has produced content for NBC, The New York Times and The CW, among others. When not working, he can be found tripping over his own feet on a hiking trail while singing Madonna songs to ward off lurking bears.
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A Denver man has gone viral for the "free hugs" he doled out at Denver's recent LGBTQ+ Pride celebration, his way of making up for once being homophobic and transphobic.

During Denver's parade, the man sat on the sidelines in his wheelchair holding up a sign describing himself as a "recovering bigot" and offering an apology to LGBTQ+ people.

The sign also offered "free hugs" to those who might need them due to their own experiences with anti-LGBTQ+ bigotry, and scores of people took him up on it.

TikToker @ooh_lalalivia and others documented the hug-fest, as seen in the video below.

@ooh_lalalivia

WATCH UNTIL THE END!!! Thank you sir for owning up to prejudices & saying sorry! I wish everyone could learn something here. My heart is so full seeing the community so accepting of his apology. #denverpride #prideparade #denverprideparade #lgbtq #lgbtqcommunity #lgbtqally #loveislove

They captioned the video:

"Thank you sir for owning up to prejudices & saying sorry! I wish everyone could learn something here. My heart is so full seeing the community so accepting of his apology."

All too often people get lambasted for not having changed their bigoted views sooner instead of applauded for their growth and doing the right thing, but there seemed to be none of that spirit at Denver Pride that day.

There were plenty of people ready to give the gentleman a hug, and the emotional display made the TikTok quickly go viral--so much so that it ended up reaching the man's child, who commented on the video.

They wrote:

"This is my dad!! I just got a text earlier today from my mom (also there) saying how happy my dad was to be a part of something so special. #LoveWins"

The TikTok also circulated on Twitter, where a Christian held it up as a perfect example of what other Christians should be doing during Pride Month rather than, say, destroying Pride displays at Target.

Several other Christians were inspired by the man's "free hugs" mea culpa.

Some shared similar moves they made for Pride to try to make amends with the LGBTQ community.





On TikTok, people were overcome with emotion over the "recovering bigot."

@kimbrooke887/TikTok

@shaunabiggs/TikTok

@themichellefunk/TikTok

@pebbles_callisto/TikTok

@___sarahbeth___/TikTok

It just goes to show, it's never too late to change.

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