2017 SUMMER “Your existence is not a burden” #prideelevated #pflag #pflagprovo #lgbtq #Equality Act would #takeonestep allow my daughter, a #lovenotetoself law-abiding citizen, DONNASHOWALTER: to travel freely within I love you, JD!! her own country, using restrooms anywhere. #takeonestep ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: 03 Notes from National 06 The Ninth Annual Straight Building On a Legacy for EqualityTM Gala 07 A Decade of Engaging 45 YEARS LATER, PFLAGERS #TAKEONESTEP Allies through Straight AND PFLAG MOVES INTO THE FUTURE for Equality A LETTER FROM OUR INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Building on PFLAG’s Legacy of Success We are sending out the PFLAGpole having which we now operate as an organization. and our collective mission better and just celebrated the 45th anniversary of This requires not only building on our more efficiently, especially given our Jeanne Manford’s iconic march by her collective legacy but also taking new limited resources. One big change gay son’s side. I doubt Jeanne realized— and different approaches to reach our coming? A new Executive Director to although I suspect her son Morty did— destination point on the horizon. help build on PFLAG’s legacy of success that she was quietly sparking a revolution and move us into the future. Over the that would help shape so many lives, but “ PFLAG must be as summer, the PFLAG National Board will spark she did. We are so pleased to share begin conducting interviews to select a with you LGBTQ author and historian Eric entrepreneurial as new Executive Director who will write Marcus’ recollection of the moment, and this next chapter in collaboration with his subsequent conversations with Jeanne. possible, adapting, the Board, the staff and, most importantly, In the weeks before that anniversary we pivoting and responding all of you. asked you to join us and #TakeOneStep, to the dynamic times in Many of you, including members of the sharing with us the efforts you were PFLAG National Board and the Regional taking to follow in Jeanne’s footsteps which we now operate Directors Council, have been kind enough and create your own legacy of support. to encourage me to throw my hat into The action culminated on June 28th, as an organization.” the actual anniversary date, and the the Executive Director ring. I want to response was powerful. We have captured To hear more about how the PFLAG share with you all that, for many reasons, just some of the stories and photos we National Board of Directors is creating I did not put my name in the mix for received on social media, but we know this roadmap for the organization’s consideration of the position. Though that so many more steps and efforts future, please read the letter from Susan it was not the right personal path for occurred during this time—more than Thronson on the work of the Strategic me, I remain as committed as ever to the could ever be shared in one short piece in Review Task Force. Another member success of PFLAG, the small-but-mighty a newsletter. June was also Pride month of our Board, Isolda Atayde, has also PFLAG National staff, and to all of you. for so many, which always brings endless written a letter to all of you, sharing how Once a PFLAGer, always a PFLAGer. actions by PFLAGers across the country, she personally is helping PFLAG expand but in typical PFLAG fashion, all of us available resources to ensure access for Thank you, as always, for everything built not only on Jeanne’s legacy, and all who need them. We’re also thrilled to you do. on the legacy of countless pioneers who celebrate the tenth anniversary of the each day took steps to get us to this point launch of our Straight for EqualityTM and create the legacy of tomorrow. There program, a decade’s worth of success at is no doubt that the fight for equality— engaging allies as we all look to expanded and PFLAG—are both at a crossroads strategies to welcome the influx of allies on this journey. turning to PFLAG. PFLAG must be as entrepreneurial The PFLAG National staff have also Beth Kohm as possible, adapting, pivoting and been examining what we do well and Interim Executive Director, responding to the dynamic times in what we can improve upon to serve you PFLAG National 2 PFLAGpole NOTES FROM NATIONAL Expanding PFLAG’s Impact This is an exciting time for PFLAG, a moment Therefore, in order to do a deeper dive into We will present our rife with opportunity to move our organization the challenges and identify opportunities for recommendations to the strongly into the future. us to apply that unique value to our mission, board at our July meeting, and then present the The movement is at a critical crossroads, the PFLAG National Board of Directors Strategic Plan to PFLAG with historic advances in national equality created a Task Force, which has embarked members at We Are the giving way to an unprecedented backlash on the process of a Strategic Review. Change, the 2017 National of discriminatory local and state legislation. I am proud to chair this Task Force, and Convention, in October. While LGBTQ youth are receiving more family happy to work alongside my colleagues: support than ever before, there continues to be We look forward to sharing the outcome and a need to advance those support efforts, as well Board President Jean Hodges; Vice President recommended next steps from the Strategic as the education required to move parents and and Regional Directors Council Chair Kathy Plan with you all, so that together we may others further along on that journey. Sadly, as Godwin; Development Committee Chair enter 2018—our 45th anniversary year— evidenced by the backlash mentioned above, Chuck Middleton; board members Peggy with confidence, purpose, excitement, and LGBTQ people continue to experience both Moore and Larry Ryan; Business Advisory a renewed promise and commitment to latent and overt hostility from friends, family, Board member Matt Koehler; and Interim achieving our important and lifesaving goals. co-workers, peers and more. Executive Director Beth Kohm. We’ve also The LGBTQ movement has many organizations engaged nonprofit strategic planning expert that share PFLAG’s vision of a diverse world David LaPiana to facilitate the development where all people are respected, valued, of the plan. His book, The Nonprofit Strategic Susan Thronson and affirmed, but we also know that we Revolution, has provided an excellent template Board Secretary; Chair, Strategic Review bring unique value to the work that we do. for the work at hand. Task Force, PFLAG National As a member of the board translations of PFLAG National’s revised a part of the Spanish-language translation of PFLAG National, I am publications. Beginning with OUR TRANS team for NCTE’s Injustice at Every Turn. committed to supporting LOVED ONES, and then continuing on with After reviewing the drafts and compiling this wonderful organization’s other beloved publications such as OUR the edits, I make edits based on suggestions, vision of creating a world CHILDREN and BE YOURSELF, I and a consistently checking in with the team to that is truly diverse and team of excellent contributors are working be sure we are capturing the important inclusive. As a fierce together to ensure that families which are nuances of the information we are sharing. advocate for the LGBT primarily Spanish speaking have the same community and especially gender-expansive good access and trusted resources as families By late summer, we know we will have an and transgender children and youth—and that primarily speak English. excellent and informative resource that will as a woman of color of Latinx descent— no doubt help thousands of families just like The process is a lengthy and detailed one: so many I already know. I live that vision in my own life every day. I first sit down and read and re-read the When a close relative of mine came out as trans, publication at hand. I then go line by line If you speak another language fluently I remember how valuable it was to connect to translate, guided not only by the wording and would like to see PFLAG publications with other families and allies of trans kids, and concepts used in the publication but the available to others who speak that language, including members of PFLAG. However, as intent behind them, and how I believe those please contact Director of Communications will be best reflected and shared with Spanish crucial as those connections were, what my Liz Owen via email at [email protected]. All speakers from a variety of cultures and Latinx community needed most—and what I of us at PFLAG National welcome your input backgrounds. My first draft translation then could see was a dire need for other families— to make our resources available as widely goes to a wonderful review team made up of were Spanish-language resources. Beyond as possible, and to help fulfill our shared volunteers from other organizations as well that, we needed resources that were culturally mission of support, education, and advocacy. competent, which reflected our understanding as staff members Diego M. Sanchez and Cesar of the issues and spoke across a great many Hernandez. Each member of the team brings their own understanding of the language, the Spanish-speaking backgrounds, each of which terms used, the LGBTQ community, and more was diverse and different from the next. to their recommended edits. Those edits are Isolda Atayde This is why I am so excited and profoundly then reviewed by me and Diego, who brings Board member; Member, Diversity honored to lead efforts to create new unique insight into this project, having been & Inclusion Committee, PFLAG National SUMMER 2017 3 COVER STORY Jeanne Manford — Quiet Revolutionary by Eric Marcus Jeanne Manford was fearless.