Advancing True Family Values: PFLAG's 2006 Achievements

Throughout 2006, PFLAG National and thousands of volunteers have worked relentlessly to advance family values that value all families: equality, fairness, inclusion, and security. Our achievements in this remarkable year include:

Equality

PFLAG fought tenaciously to ensure that GLBT and straight people have equal opportunity and access to all the rights and responsibilities of citizenship by: Defeating the Federal Anti-Marriage Amendment. When the forces of extremism and hatred tried in June to amend the Constitution to enshrine discrimination against a group of people for the first time ever, PFLAG worked with other organizations to help lead the fight against them. After sending 10,000 postcards to ­Congress saying “All I want for Mother’s Day/Father’s Day is a ‘No’ on FMA!” and holding over 60 meetings with elected officials, the so-called Federal Marriage Amendment went down to defeat for the second time in two years.

Leading the Charge Against State Anti-Marriage Initiatives. While the results of anti-marriage ballot initia- tives in 2006 largely replicated those in 2004, PFLAG succeeded in laying the long-term groundwork to build support for marriage equality, and in keeping a number of initiatives off the ballot. PFLAG was instrumen- tal in helping change hearts and minds in every state battling anti-GLBT legislation. For example, with the support of PFLAG National, chapters in Illinois helped to find enough ineligible petition signatures to kill a proposed initiative, and Alaska chapters persuaded the state legislature not to put legislation on the November ballot that would deny benefits to domestic partners in the state.

Expanding PFLAG’s State-by-State Initiatives. Throughout the year, PFLAG’s statewide coalitions of chapters grew stronger and more active than ever. Coordinating their activities through meetings, conferences and e-mail listservs, they have become a strong lobbying force on legislation affecting marriage, adoption and other rights, and mobilized for strong responses to major court rulings. Twenty-two new PFLAG chapters were launched and eight state and regional conferences were convened to help strengthen our family voice for equality.

Keeping Our Eyes on the Court. Despite the eventual confirmation of Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court, our vigorous opposition to his nomination gave us the opportunity to educate senators and the public about the need for GLBT equality. To continue this work, PFLAG launched the All Eyes on the Court project. This initiative highlights issues before the courts that affect the lives of our members and supporters, and their loved ones. Through All Eyes on the Court, PFLAG is now reporting to members about vital judicial develop- ments, how they will impact our community, and what we can do about them. Fairness and Inclusion

PFLAG achieved new breakthroughs in making all elements of our society and economy more accepting and supportive of GLBT diversity by: Ringing the Closing Bell™ on Homophobia at the New York Stock Exchange. On June 30,PFLAG made history by becoming the first family-focused GLBT organization to ring the Closing Bell™ at the New York Stock Ex- change. PFLAG President Sam Thoron was joined by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), NYSE President and Co-Chief Operating Officer Catherine Kinney, Broadway star Barbara Cook, and other business and political leaders to sound the call that equality in the workplace and the marketplace is not just the right thing but the smart thing for busi- nesses to do. PFLAG demonstrated the enormous buying power of GLBT family members and allies. .

Strengthening PFLAG’s Diversity Initiatives. Achievements in reaching minority families with a GLBT loved one included growing membership in the Families of Color Network, a three-year project to translate all of PFLAG’s Safe Schools materials into Spanish for use in South Florida, and a major presentation before the International Con- ference on , , Bisexual and Human Rights in Montreal.

Launching the Military Community Services Network. Due to the military’s shameful “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, GLBT service people often cannot get needed assistance through the military. That is why PFLAG is help- ing chapters located near military bases refer members of the armed forces to community-based social services, with particular successes in Manhattan, KS, and Columbia, MD. Security

PFLAG took bold action to advance the value that every school should be a safe school for every student and that no one should be subject to physical, verbal or emotional harassment by: Expanding PFLAG’s Safe Schools Initiative. For the third year in a row, PFLAG participated in the National PTA’s Annual Convention, distributing Safe Schools information to hundreds of attendees representing thousands of schools. PFLAG chapters, with the support of PFLAG National, participated in state PTA conventions in Cali- fornia, Colorado, Florida, New York, North Carolina, Texas and Washington. And PFLAG made an important presentation to the National Association of Secondary School Principals Convention, reaching more than 500 professionals.

Countering “Reparative Therapy”Peddlers and the “Ex-Gay” Industry. Afast-rising threat to the security and health of GLBT youth comes from homophobic hucksters who peddle the malignant myth that gays can be “cured.” That is why PFLAG National armed chapters with the weapons they need to wage effective counter-rallies against “Love Won Out” conferences and the newly introduced “Change is Possible” campaign. Successes ranged from a triumphant protest in Palm Springs, CA, to a victory over the PFOX group in crafting a GLBT-tolerant health curriculum in the Montgomery County, MD, schools.

Recognizing Courageous GLBT and Straight Ally Students. PFLAG’s National Scholarship Program provided $38,500 in awards to 28 high school students because of their commitment to GLBT equality, academic achieve- ment and community involvement.

2006 PFLAG National Office Information*

National Office Staff* Board of Directors* Executive Office Judy Hoff SAMUEL THORON WALTER SCHUBERT Jody M. Huckaby Senior Safe Schools Coordinator National President Treasurer Executive Director Brooke Smith , CA New York, NY Ron Schlittler Associate Field & Policy Coordinator JOHN CEPEK SHELLEY CRAIG Deputy Executive Director Development Department Vice-President Secretary Nina Sevilla Christopher Vance Indian Head Park, IL Miami, FL Executive Office Administrator Director of Development SANDY BROWN EX-OFFICIO Communications Department Craig Ziskin Vice-President/RDC Chair SY ZIVAN Jean-Marie Navetta Development Manager Sturgeon Bay, WI Nominating Committee Chair Pittsford, NY Assistant Director of Communications Finance and Field and Policy Department Administration Department Jamie Curtis Vacant Regional Directors* Senior Field & Policy Coordinator Director of Finance & Administration CAROLE BENOWITZ MIKE NEUBECKER Elizabeth Hampton Brown Stephen Euell Delray Beack, FL Brownstown, MI Senior Field & Policy Coordinator Accountant PEG GAGE DAVID N. PARKER Charles Cook David Manuel Tallahassee, FL Greensboro, NC Field & Policy Coordinator Finance & Administration Technical Coordinator DIANE GHERSON ANGELA PETTIT Somers, NY Fresno, CA 2006 Corporate Sponsors DODY GOLDSTEIN ROBERT REEDER Amethyst Sponsor Stanford, CA Conway, SC IBM DAVID HOROWITZ NADINE SMITH Akron, OH Tampa, FL Topaz Sponsors Orbitz JERRY MILLER WALT SWANSTON Out in America Citigroup Hendersonville, NC McLean, VA Dow Chemical Company Pfizer, Inc. ALAIN MONTOUR DANIEL TEPFER Ford Motor Company Replacements, Ltd. New York, NY Beavercreek, OH Logo Wal-Mart PepsiCo Wyndham Hotels & Resorts MARGARET D. MOORE ERIC WATSON Greenwich, CT Salisbury, NC Garnet Sponsors Ruby Sponsors Chubb American Airlines Food Lion, LLC About PFLAG Comcast General Motors Corporation Heart of the Beholder Sodexho Our Mission Hyperion Interactive Media Corp. Kimpton Hotel Other Sponsors PFLAG promotes the health and well-being of gay, ­ and Restaurant Group Aetna lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons, their families and Motorola, Inc. Public Interest Data, Inc. friends through: support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and advocacy­ , 2006 Foundation Sponsors to end ­discrimination and to secure equal civil rights. ­Parents, ­Families and Friends of and Gays ­provides Agnes Gund Foundation John D. and Catherine T. ­opportunity for dialogue about sexual orientation and ­gender MacArthur Fund identity, and acts to create a society that is healthy and Astraea Foundation Inc. Kevin J. Mossier Foundation ­respectful of human diversity. Foundation Kicking Assets Fund David Geffen Foundation Rainbow Endowment, Inc. PFLAG in Your Area: Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund The Saint Paul Foundation Serving 200,000 members and supporters, PFLAG has more Gill Foundation Tides Foundation than 500 chapters located in all 50 states. To find support in Horizons Foundation your area, contact PFLAG by visiting our website at www..org or calling (202) 467-8180. *As of 9/30/06

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays 1726 M Street, NW • Suite 400 • Washington, DC 20036 Phone: (202) 467-8180 • Fax: (202) 467-8194 • E-mail: [email protected] • Web: www.pflag.org