Nonstop social media. Quarantine. Political unrest. Baggage. And so many deadlines. Nearly everyone strives to be a more inclusive, kind leader, but getting it right is rarely easy. We are all...
People who are LGBTQ and their families deserve to be safe and secure, no matter where they live, work, study, pray or play. Through our mission of support, education, and advocacy, PFLAG works to make sure that all communities provide this type of security, and have the resources needed to help those communities thrive.
Muslim communities have been subjected to Islamophobia, racism, and violence based on ignorance. The contemporary Muslim experience in some way mirrors the LGBTQ experience, making support for those whose identities intersect all the more important.
For too many of our children, attending school can be a frightening experience. And for parents, teachers, counselors, and administrators, providing a safe environment for young people can seem like a daunting task. Read our new updated publication!
Answers to your most urgent questions regarding the rescission of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Education (DOE) Title IX Guidance for transgender students.
Nonstop social media. Quarantine. Political unrest. Baggage. And so many deadlines. Nearly everyone strives to be a more inclusive, kind leader, but getting it right is rarely easy. We are all...
PFLAG National is proud to partner with The Mattachine Society of Washington, DC and Lisa Linksy, Partner at McDermott, Will, & Emery,...
PFLAG National is proud to partner with The Mattachine Society of Washington, DC and Lisa Linksy, Partner at McDermott,...
PFLAG National is proud to partner with The Mattachine Society of Washington, DC and Lisa Linksy, Partner at McDermott,...
PFLAG’s #TransKids #SoFierce video and photo campaign is a way for families and allies to build up trans kids by sharing positive support while letting lawmakers know they can’t get away with it.
PFLAG National is a part of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) LGBTQ National Advisory Council, which was launched in 2017 to support capacity building efforts for the LGBTQ youth...
There are an estimated four million incidents of housing discrimination in rental and sales each year. The majority of those incidents are not reported and an even smaller number result...
Estamos muy orgullosos de anunciar el primero de nuestras nuevas traducciones actualizadas en Español de todas nuestras publicaciones nacionales de PFLAG. La miembro de la junta Isolda Atayde lidera el...
The media coverage that took root in the aftermath of these deaths gave LGBT suicide unprecedented visibility and sparked long-overdue public conversation about suicide risk in LGBT communities. But a lot of what was being said about the suicides of young people known or believed to be gay was deeply concerning. The singular focus on bullying oversimplified the complex factors that can lead people to take their lives, and suicide was widely portrayed as an almost inevitable response to the rejection and abuse suffered by so many LGBT youth. Fears began to mount that the rampant publicity would lead other vulnerable LGBT young people to identify with the experiences of the suicide victims and copy their behavior.
For the past month, parades, marches, festivals, workshops, picnics, and parties have taken place around the world to celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month, which honors the Stonewall riots which took place in 1969 in New York City. PFLAGers...
As part of our #TakeOneStep initiative to honor our founder’s steps in support of her gay son, we’re proud to partner with Equality Florida on #HonorThemWithAction, launched in memory of the event that happened at Pulse Nightclub. The goal? To...
In addition to transgender youth, gender expansive (also called gender nonconforming or nonbinary) youth are receiving a great deal of attention in the media and among educators and policymakers. However,...
Equal protection under the law should mean just that: equal protection. This decision confirms that premise, and is especially important given the efforts in Indiana to create legal exceptions to nondiscrimination protections under the guise of “Religious Freedom” during then-Governor Pence's tenure. We are heartened, too, that this decision which affirms that people who are lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) are protected under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act was written by an overwhelming majority of the court.
Lisa Seelmann is the vice president of PFLAG Port Huron, a local chapter of a national organization that exists to support and advocate for those in the LGBTQ community, families, friends and allie
Today’s decision did not change the meaning of Title IX, although we are disappointed that the Supreme Court will not take the opportunity now to provide further clarity around the discrimination protections it provides transgender students.
“Tomorrow we will fight even harder for the protections that Title IX still affords all transgender youth across the country.”
And PFLAG executive director Elizabeth Kohm said, “PFLAG hearts everywhere are with the worried parents who will be kept awake tonight, and the kids who will be scared to go to school in the mornin
PFLAG National and GLSEN have relaunched our #ClaimYourRights Campaign to help anyone affected by or witnessing anti-trans discrimination in schools file a complaint with the Office for Civil...
Answers to your most pressing questions.
We need to share some disturbing news: There is a real possibility that the life-saving Title IX nondiscrimination guidance to protect transgender students might be rescinded.
We have neither commented on nor responded to rumors in the past month, but...
Beginning this morning, PFLAG, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the Equality Maryland Foundation will distribute nearly 50,000 flyers in all 25 Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) high schools. The flyer addresses issues raised by dangerous anti-LGBTQ materials previously...
Facing Fear, a short Oscar-nominated documentary by Jason Cohen, is now available online.
As a 13 year-old, Matthew Boger was thrown out of his home for being gay. While living...
Just as it would be impossible to tell the story of PFLAG without telling the story of founder Jeanne Manford, it would be impossible to tell the story of PFLAG National without telling the story of Adele Starr. So we chose today, December 10th, the 10th anniversary of her passing, to re-share it.
Adele and her husband, Larry, founded PFLAG LA, and Adele subsequently became the first President of PFLAG National. There is no question that she and Jeanne Manford were a formidable team. Much like Jeanne, Adele was a mama lion, willing to do whatever it took not just to protect her own cubs, but all of the others who came her way. Adele, by all accounts from those who knew her, was a true force to be reckoned with.
Caregiving and advocating for family members or friends is a challenging and sometimes heart-rending labor of love.
Given the diversity of the LGBT community, it should come as no surprise that the varieties of religious experience (if we may borrow a phrase from William James) is also varied among them. Below are some organizations outside the Judeo-Christian/Abrahamic (Christian, Jewish and Muslim) faith traditions that offer assistance to LGBTQ people and their allies.
NCLR has launched the Transgender Youth Project to make it easier for transgender youth to live authentically—and with respect—in all aspects of their lives. Building on more than 20 years of advocacy on behalf of the transgender community, the project takes on precedent-setting cases to expand legal protections for youth, advocates for inclusive, affirming, and welcoming policies at all levels of government, and furthers equality through public education.
June has been a somber month for Pride. Our collective grief over Orlando is new territory for some, but in the days ahead our solidarity and unity will continue to be needed by so many who have been affected.
Corporate America is leading the way in creating LGBTQ-friendly and inclusive work environments by adopting inclusive workplace policies protecting LGBTQ employees from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation...
Through training programs and practical guidance built on years of experience, we give our members the skills necessary to advocate for federal bills like the Student Non-Discrimination Act and...
Our LGBTQ loved ones do not have equal access to quality healthcare to address their unique health needs. Often they face financial, personal and cultural barriers to healthcare, caused...
If you have experienced bullying, harassment, or discrimination in school because of sexual orientation or gender identity, you’re not alone. According to GLSEN, approximately 85% of high school...
Whether you celebrate Pride in June or elsewhere on the calendar, community events are a key place to let people know what you do, the services you provide, your commitment to supporting all people, and how they can connect with...
The backlash to successful movement forward for equality continues to grow, week by week, with state legislatures looking to erase existing protections and enact bills harmful to LGBTQ people.
Yet, no matter what state or community...
For too many of our children, attending school can be a frightening experience. And for parents, teachers, counselors, and administrators, providing a safe environment for young people can seem like a daunting task, especially when dealing with the issue of how to make not only classrooms, but all school facilities, more welcoming for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students.
The Half in Ten Act of 2015 establishes a Federal Interagency Working Group on Reducing Poverty in the Department of Health and Human Services and requires it to...
The National Statistics on Deadly Force Transparency Act requires the Attorney General to collect comprehensive data from law enforcement agencies in all cases when...
This bill directs the National Park Service to designate one city per year as an “American Civil Rights City” to highlight that city’s commitment to protecting civil rights and...
This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to prohibit employers from retaliating against an employee in response to a sex discrimination complaint or...
This bill directs the Bureau of Prisons to create comprehensive policy to provide testing, treatment, and prevention of HIV to federal prison...
This bill will help service members discharged for no other reason than their sexual orientation correct their military record to reflect their honorable service.
This bill will expand the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans to include LGBT veterans.
This bill will change the Basic Center Grant Program to include safe shelter to runaway and homeless youth and provide them with services while there, extending...
This bill will amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to require the Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs to review the procedures when it comes to...
This bill will amend the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance section of Title II of the Social Security Act to make sure that...
This bill will amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to designate LGBTQ older adults as a population with "greatest social need," permanently establish...
Corporate America is leading the way in creating LGBTQ-friendly and inclusive work environments by adopting inclusive workplace policies protecting LGBTQ employees from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or...
The Veteran Spouses Equal Treatment Act amends sections of Title 38 of the US Code to give all LGBTQ veterans and their families access to their VA benefits regardless of their...
When the Hobby Lobby decision was announced in 2014, PFLAG National issued the following statement: a clear, fair, and firm message on the organization’s position on freedom of religion.
The Respect for Marriage Act (RMA) repeals Section 2 of DOMA and provides same-sex couples with certainty that federal benefits and...
SNDA would establish a comprehensive Federal prohibition of discrimination in public schools based on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. SNDA would provide...
SSIA would amend the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Act—part of the No Child Left Behind Act—and instruct school districts to...
This bill redefines “surviving spouse” to include all legally married spouses at the time of a veteran’s death rather than only opposite-sex spouses for the purposes of...
For the first time, Healthy People 2020--the key science-based, 10-year national list of objectives for improving the health of all Americans--includes LGBTQ health. This historically documents and addresses...
The Transgender Day of Remembrance in November 2015 marked the most violent deaths in the U.S. of transgender women of color ever since counting formally began in 1998, and it...
Anti-LGBTQ violence – both reported and unreported – continues along with hate crimes based on race, religion, gender, national origin, and other real or perceived identities. Too many of us...
The work done between and among faiths is an important part of the movement toward full equality, since it brings together communities of faith with the LGBTQ community and their...
“Coming out as an atheist can cost an academic his or her job in some parts of America, and many choose to keep quiet about their atheism.” -- Richard Dawkins...
If you have experienced bullying, harassment, or discrimination in school because of sexual orientation or gender identity, you’re not alone. According to GLSEN, approximately 85% of high school students report...
Straight for Equality in Healthcare will only be as effective as our outreach with it. We must work together to ensure that this key resource makes it into the hands...
This guide helps healthcare professionals understand how they too can help move equality forward. By being more inclusive in their language and learning more about the unique challenges that LGBT...
be not afraid – help is on the way! straight for equality in faith communities aims to move the way we understand our religious beliefs and our relationships with LGBTQ people...
Are you ready to be an advocate for safe schools for all kids? Start here, with this publication created to give you the tools and resources you need to make...
Disagreements over the roles and rights of LGBTQ individuals in society are not enough for us to label an organization anti-LGBTQ: It is the intersection of beliefs with actions taken...
What do you get when you combine s’mores, archery, arts, wilderness skills, and bug juice with a safe space for LGBTQ youth and families? The camps below all fit the...
For many people of faith, coming out or learning a loved one has come out can bring up several questions. PFLAG offers some answers, advice, and considerations for working through these difficult questions.
The Holidays Are Here and Straight for Equality is Ready to Celebrate
Heading into the New Year is a great time to reflect on where we’ve been, all that we have to celebrate this year, and where we’re...
Exciting safe schools work coming from PFLAG Metro DC and a coalition of partners, and we're happy to share their work with you, courtesy of the following from handbook author David Fishback:
With the school year beginning, I am reminded...
Today we are sharing an open letter that our parent organization, PFLAG National, signed on to along with 46 other LGBTQ organizations, in regards to the recent outcry in our country. PFLAG was formed by a brave mother who stood up...
PFLAG National—the nation's largest organization of parents, families, and allies united with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people (LGBTQ)—announced today at its annual membership meeting the election of Jean Hodges of Boulder, Colorado, as its new board president. She...