{"id":197541,"date":"2026-06-03T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/?p=197541"},"modified":"2026-06-05T13:21:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T19:21:10","slug":"dragon-dads-fierce-love-loud-support-and-a-community-that-shows-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/community\/dragon-dads-fierce-love-loud-support-and-a-community-that-shows-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Dragon Dads: Fierce Love, Loud Support and a Community That Shows Up"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every June, as rainbow flags rise over Salt Lake City and the streets fill with celebration, one group stands out \u2014 not because of the giant inflatable dragon, but because of the unmistakable warmth they bring wherever they go. They are Dragon Dads, a community of fathers and caregivers who have transformed their own journeys of learning, loving and unlearning into a powerful force for LGBTQ+ youth.<\/p>\n

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Dragon Dads began with the mission to help fathers become confident, compassionate advocates for their LGBTQ+ children. Photo: Brent Landes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Founded in 2015, Dragon Dads began with a simple but radical mission: help fathers become confident, compassionate advocates for their LGBTQ+ children. What started as a handful of dads walking together in the Pride parade has grown into a vibrant network of mentors, educators and allies who show up for kids who need them and for the parents learning how to support them.<\/p>\n

Vice President Drew Armstrong<\/strong><\/a> remembers exactly how it began. When his son came out as transgender at age three, Armstrong and his family were still deeply rooted in LDS culture. \u201cWe didn\u2019t know how to deal with that,\u201d he recalls. \u201cWe were looking for support, trying to figure out how to give him what he needed.\u201d That search led him to other fathers navigating the same questions and eventually to the idea that dads needed their own space \u2014 one built on honesty, vulnerability and fierce love.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of us are recovering homophobes,\u201d Armstrong says. \u201cNone of us had done this before. But we knew we wanted to learn.\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n

From that desire grew Dragon Dads: a group that welcomes anyone who wants to support LGBTQ+ youth, regardless of gender or parental status, while focusing its outreach on fathers who often lack role models for affirming parenting. Their work centers on education, mentorship and connection, helping dads understand their children\u2019s experiences and build the confidence to advocate for them at home, at school and in the community.<\/p>\n

\"Five
This has led to the Dragon Dads\u2019 \u201cfree hugs\u201d menu. Photo: Brent Landes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Board member and events leader Rob Reich<\/strong> found Dragon Dads in a very different way \u2014 on the back of a motorcycle. After being invited to ride in the Pride parade to drown out protesters, he brought his daughter along. The experience changed him. \u201cThere was no animosity, and everyone was helping each other,\u201d he recalls. \u201cIt was a whole community supporting one another.\u201d<\/p>\n

When he put on a \u201cFree Dad Hugs\u201d shirt, the response was overwhelming. Kids, adults, elders \u2014 people who hadn\u2019t felt a father\u2019s embrace in decades \u2014 lined up for a moment of connection. \u201cPeople don\u2019t realize the hugger gets as much as the person being hugged,\u201d Reich says. \u201cIt\u2019s powerful.\u201d<\/p>\n

This has led to the Dragon Dads\u2019 \u201cfree hugs\u201d menu \u2014 one of their staple offerings at the many Pride festivals and other events across the country that they attend. (The group has attended 15 this year alone.) Beyond offering hugs, conversation and a table full of LGBTQ+ stickers that draw young people in long enough for a meaningful exchange, they ask gentle questions: \u201cIs your dad supportive?\u201d \u201cCan we help?\u201d Many kids leave with a QR\u2011coded card to pass along at home.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople don\u2019t realize the hugger gets as much as the person being hugged \u2014 It\u2019s powerful.\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Some dads eventually show up at the group\u2019s monthly Affirming Fathers Breakfast, where they discover they\u2019re not alone \u2014 and that loving their child is not only possible, but transformative. \u201cWe want to normalize having an LGBTQ+ kid,\u201d Armstrong says. \u201cThe only thing that really has to change is the parent\u2019s point of view. You stop leading the way and start walking beside them.\u201d<\/p>\n

This June, as Salt Lake City celebrates Pride, Dragon Dads will be there \u2014 fierce, loving and impossible to miss. Their message is simple: Every child deserves a parent who shows up, and every parent deserves a community that helps them learn how.<\/p>\n

More information about Dragon Dads can be found at dragondads.org<\/em><\/a>. <\/em>You can also follow them on Instagram @thedragondads<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Read more of what’s going on in the LGBTQ+ community:<\/strong>
\nFunky, Fun & Girly: Spritz! Brings the Sparkle to Salt Lake\u2019s Queer Nightlife<\/a><\/strong><\/em>
\nRestorative Health: A Holistic Haven for LGBTQ+ Care<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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To help SLUG continue its support of the LGBTQ+ community,\u00a0consider joining our community of donors.\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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