Waving to the crowd

Waving to the crowd

 

Meetings

Regular meetings are held each month on the 2nd Tuesday, 6:30-8 p.m. at Lane Community College, 3149 Oak Street, Florence, during the academic year. From June through September, meetings are held at the Siuslaw Public Library and at area restaurants. Attendance averages 10-25, with a wide range of ages (teens-80’s) and a mix of PFLAG parents, gays and straight allies.  At each meeting  there’s a program, refreshment break, and support group time.  Recent programs have included speakers on internalized homophobia, LGBT history, and on the impact of welcoming churches.

Special Projects:

GSA Groups: PFLAG Florence Oregon is committed to supporting the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) at Siuslaw High School. The GSA president provides regular updates at monthly board meetings and  PFLAG Florence provides encouragement, council, and donations.

Annual Forum: In 2012, our first community wide forum entitled “Please Help Me! I Think My Loved One Might Be Gay!” was held at the  library. Four panelists—a local physician, pastor, parent of a lesbian daughter, and a lesbian—addressed how to respond, how that impacts the life of the loved one, and how to strengthen relationships.

In 2013, PFLAG second forum, “Families Reconciling Faith and Homosexuality”, included a showing of the documentary “For The Bible Tells Me So” followed by a discussion led by the pastor of the Florence United Methodist Church.

Farmer’s Market Booth: During the summer months, members volunteered to staff an information booth with free materials at the local farmer’s market. Contact was made with Florence residents and with visitors to the area.

Library Books and Materials: Books—fiction and non-fiction—can provide readers with an opportunity to see non-traditional viewpoints, build tolerance, and learn about basic human similarities and differences. PFLAG Florence Oregon researched current library materials available for middle school students that discuss gender-identity differences, bullying, sexual orientation, and how these affect relationships with family and friends. Materials were then purchased and donated to the Siuslaw Middle School. Plans are being made to provide materials at the high school as well.

In addition, materials for teens and adults have been purchased as part of an “in-house” library. Books and dvds are available for check out at each PFLAG  monthly meeting.

This year we expect to have a page devoted to DVD media you can order on-line and return by mail, similar to Netflix.

The National PFLAG organization has issued the following statement:

Unity and Inclusion

From its founding in 1972 to its work today, PFLAG’s membership of LGBTQ people, families, and allies have united in love, embracing each other and people whose communities are often marginalized, erased or ignored.

PFLAG reaffirms that unity and inclusion and a shared commitment to human dignity of all people are critical to fight discrimination and bigotry in any form so that all families can live free of fear. We commit to fight for fairness inclusive of people’s sex, race, ethnicity, national origin, socioeconomic position, religion, level of mental or physical ability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other perceived or actual characteristic.

PFLAG also reaffirms its commitment to this goal which requires us to learn to be the allies that communities need. We commit to better educate ourselves, listen to others, and engage in critical conversations, ensuring that we model the inclusive behavior we wish to see in the world.

We will be more inclusive allies to create space for voices that might not otherwise be heard and amplify personal stories so that the storytellers are visible. We will listen attentively and actively, and speak out with due diligence and clear conviction, across all barriers and borders, to ensure that all people are included, respected, and treated equally.

(Approved by the PFLAG National Board of Directors in December 2016.)