Liz De Jesus

In 2007, Liz’s son invited her to Pittsburgh Pride, where she met the PFLAG Pittsburgh chapter. Now a fifteen-year member of the chapter, she served for two years as the chapter Vice President and Advocacy Chair, then spent three years as the chapter president, finally continuing for an additional two years as a past-president advisor. Liz applied her skills and knowledge in those roles to broader work, serving six years as Pennsylvania state coordinator. As state coordinator, she had the opportunity to mentor other chapter leaders as she had done with the leaders that followed her in her chapter and provide peer-to-peer support to PFLAG leaders and members across the entire state.

Liz has facilitated support groups for her chapter and as a formal facilitator across multiple PFLAG chapters in Western Pennsylvania. She also served as a member of her local Speakers Bureau and established the first support group in her local tri-state area for families of trans and gender-expansive people. That work led her to the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, where she helped to support families through the adolescent medicine program and their transgender clinic. Liz has volunteered with the Shepherd Wellness Community to support individuals and families affected by HIV and AIDS.

Liz served as the Regional Director in the North Atlantic Region before advancing to Chair of the Regional Director Council and Vice Chair of the PFLAG National Board of Directors.

Liz is married with three adult sons and five grandchildren and is proud to call herself a PFLAG Mom. She looks forward to working with all while striving to achieve the changes necessary to bring about a society that embraces and respects diversity.