2012
Gina Crivello blogs about creating a GSA club for a high school in American Fork, UT.
Meg Hendrix blogs that she had always been a mother bear but when her 13-year-old son Jon came out she became a "mama dragon".
“I have always been a mother bear. Once I found out about Jon, that didn’t seem a fierce enough title. There is a whole new level of protection that has come over me. I now call myself a Mama Dragon."
2013
A private Facebook Messenger thread is started by Gina Crivello in search of support for one of her GSA students. Adopting the name from Meg's blog, the group calls themselves the Mama Dragons.
(Members of this group include mothers Sara Cook, Nancy Meyers, Leslie Cordon, Liz Deane, Wendy Montgomery, Jill Rowe, Meg Hendrix, Yvette Zobell, Diane Oviatt, Vicki Johnson, Christy Florence, Christy Beach, Neca Allgood, and Hollie Hancock.)
December
Mama Dragons begins
2014
JANUARY
The first Facebook group starts and is titled Mama Dragon Council (MDC-Secret).
May-July
Mama Dragons begins meeting in small groups locally and tabling at events including the Salt Lake City Pride Festival.
2015
MAY
Jill Rowe organizes the first Mama Dragons Retreat.
News article about Mama Dragons is published in the Salt Lake Tribune drastically increasing requests to join Mama Dragons.
Jen Blair creates an additional Facebook group named“Mama Dragon Council” (now called Mama Dragons Main Group) as knowing someone personally for admittance in the MDC secret group wasn’t maintainable. The two groups run side by side.
DECEMBER
Mama Dragons creates subgroup for Spanish speaking Mothers called Madres Dragones.
Mama Dragons' first Facebook Regional Groups are set up in
Utah & Washington areas.
OCTOBER
2016
JULY
Mama Dragons launches official logo and the first mission statement is developed and adopted, representing courage, protection, and love.
SEPTEMBER
36 Mama Dragons gather at the annual Mama Dragons retreat in Heber, UT.
October
Mama Dragons is awarded Equality Utah, Ally of the Year.
NOVEMBER
MEMBERSHIP REACHES
1,000
MARCH
Neca Allgood is selected as the first Mama Dragons President and drafts the first organization bylaws.
Kimberly Anderson self publishes the Mama Dragon Story Project, a photo journal project that features twenty mothers who share essays of love and support to their LGBT+ children.
Julie Turnbull is elected to serve as President-Elect serving beside Neca Allgood as President of Mama Dragons.
MAMA DRAGONS HISTORY TIMELINE
Mama Dragons was created by Gina Crivello when she gathered a small group of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon) mothers together as they navigated supporting their LGBTQ+ children in a culture that was not affirming. Since then Mama Dragons has grown to become a leader in affirming parent education and offers support to more than 11,000 members worldwide.
2017
August
Mama Dragons participates on stage at first annual LOVELOUD concert in UT, a new foundation founded by Dan Reynolds, lead singer of Imagine Dragons.
Mama Dragons shortens its mission statement to “We are a supportive group of mothers. We are shelter for one another’s children. We are champions of faith, family and LGBTQIA communities. We are sisters. We are Mama Dragons."
2018
Mama Dragons™ trademarks name and new logo.
MAY
FEBRUARY
Mama Dragons holds its first Leadership Summit in St George, UT.
JANUARY
JulieTurnbull serves as Mama Dragons President and Wendy VonSosen is elected as Mama Dragons President-Elect.
Mama Dragons Board of Directors clarifies Mama Dragons is not intended to be an LGBTQ+ support group or allies group, but instead it is a support group for mothers of LGBTQ+ children intended to help build affirming mother allies.
Mama Dragons QPR certified trainers begin offering Mama Dragons' members QPR suicide prevention gatekeeper trainings.
March
After weeks of work stemming from the first leadership summit, Mama Dragons reveals new mission and vision statements.
We support, educate, and empower mothers of LGBTQ children.
MISSION:
VISION:
We envision a world in which all mothers fiercely love and advocate for their LGBTQ children.
JUNE
Mama Dragons becomes an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, governed by its new mission statement.
September
Paper Hugs program originates after Mama Dragons member Lindsay Kinman's child received cards of encouragement. She collects names of Mamas' LGBTQ+ children who could use a little lift by receiving cards/notes in the mail.
2019
JANUARY
Wendy VonSosen serves as Mama Dragons President, Lisa Dame is elected as Mama Dragons President-Elect, and Julie Turnbull serves as Mama Dragons Treasurer.
June
Mama Dragons is featured in an episode of CNN's United Shades of America show.
MEMBERSHIP REACHES
3,000
OCTOBER
Wrapped in Hugs Program is developed after a Mama Dragon sees a quilting article about Shannon Downey using her Instagram community to build quilts.
Mama Dragons presents QPR Suicide Prevention Training at United Nations Conference in New York City.
2020
Mama Dragons Board of Directors hires Celeste Carolin as Executive Director and ends president and president-elect positions.
SEPTEMBER
MEMBERSHIP REACHES
4,000
December
MEMBERSHIP REACHES
5,000
Mama Dragons trademarks Parachute program, Wrapped in Hugs, and Paper Hugs programs.
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2021
July
Mama Dragons launches Parachute eLearning platform, for Mama Dragons members.
MEMBERSHIP REACHES
7,000
MEMBERSHIP REACHES
6,000
May
August
Mama Dragons is accepted into Facebook Community Accelerator Program (31 US organizations are selected out of the 2,600 applicants).
September
MEMBERSHIP REACHES
8,000
2022
March
March
Mama Dragons launches & markets Parachute to the Public.
Mama Dragons launches Embracelets to allow folks in and out of the organization to build friendship bracelets for Mama Dragons events to be given out to participants.
JULY
OCTOBER
MEMBERSHIP REACHES
9,000
Mama Dragons launches In the Den with Mama Dragons Podcast.
2023
January
AUGUST
NOVEMBER
Mama Dragons launches LIFT Group Therapy for parents of LGBTQ kids in crisis.
MEMBERSHIP REACHES
10,000
2024
MAY
The Mama Dragons podcast, In the Den, published its 100th episode and continues to provide a new episode weekly.
OCTOBER
The Mama Dragons board hires Liz Welch as the new Executive Director.
SEPTEMBER
Mama Dragons holds its first annual LUV conference in Salt Lake City, Utah welcoming speakers from local and national LGBTQ+ organizations to present to over 200 attendees.