Safety Tips for PFLAG Chapters: Strategies for Protecting Communities from Threats of Violence Recording and Training Toolkit
PFLAG members and supporters were horrified and angered about the recent shooting at Club Q in Colorado. But that incident wasn’t isolated. According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, Anti-LGBT+ mobilization — including demonstrations, political violence, and offline propaganda activity like flyering — increased by over four times from 2020 to 2021. PFLAG leaders nationwide have reported an increase in harassment and threats to their chapters and LGBTQ+ events in their communities. Many have asked for guidance on how to avoid, prepare for, and respond to these behaviors.
Remember: If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
One of our key goals is to help you take the information that you learned in this session and use it to make your chapter stronger and more effective. To do that, we’ve created this page to provide you with tools, resources, and references to materials mentioned in the workshop. As always, the PFLAG National staff is here to help. If you have any questions, comments, or just need some good advice, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
PFLAG Resources:
- PFLAG Chapter Leader Guide to Safety at In-Person Events (PDF)
- PFLAG Connects: Handling Doxing and Trolling (PDF)
- PFLAG’s Guide to Safe Protesting (PDF)
- Staying Safe Online While Facing Anti-LGBTQ+ Rhetoric
- Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation, Rhetoric, and Violence: Beyond ‘Thoughts
- Be Kind, Not Just Nice: Transforming Your Conversations
Partner Organizations:
- ACLU
- Anti-Defamation League
- Department of Justice Civil Rights Division
- Equality Federation
- Lambda Legal
- National LGBT Bar Association
Additional Resources:
- ACLED: Fact Sheet: Anti-LGBT+ Mobilization on the Rise in the United States
- ADL: Report an Anti-Semitic, Bias, or Discriminatory Incident
- ADL: H.E.A.T. Map
- ADL: Empowering Young People in the Aftermath of Hate (In English and Español)
- Alice Training Solutions: Active Shooter Preparedness
- ColoradoSprings.gov: Shooting at ClubQ
- Department Of Justice: Threat and Intimidation Response Guide
- GLAAD: Social Media Safety Index
- Lawyers.com: How to Deal With Telephone Harassment (Legally)
- LGBT Tech: Online Safety
- MEDIC Training: 3 Ways of Learning
- Mental Health First Aid: Get Trained
- National Cybersecurity Alliance: What LGBT Communities Should Know About Online Safety
- NYC Pride; Safety and Sustainability
- PEN America; Online Harassment Field Manual
- PEN America: Online Abuse Defense Training Program
- San Francisco Police Department: Pride Safety Tips
- Unitarian Universalist Association: A UU Guide to Effective Safety Policies and Practices
- USA.gov:Reporting Crime