Start a Chapter

PFLAG is a grassroots organization with a growing network of chapters in the United States. PFLAG chapters provide education, advocacy, and support to: families with LGBTQ+ loved ones, LGBTQ-people themselves, and allies of the community. Historically, chapters host a monthly meeting providing opportunities for support and conversation, learning and immersion, and to discuss how to advocate for LGBTQ equality in our society’s institutions.

Use the “Find a Chapter” section of pflag.org to determine if there is already a chapter in your area. If there is a chapter nearby, please reach out to them to see how you can get involved. To support our existing chapter network, we do not establish new chapters within a 30 to 45-minute driving distance of another chapter.

All new PFLAG chapters go through our Affiliation Process, a 3-6 month process required to establish your chapter with our National office, the IRS, and your state. You’ll work directly with our National staff to ensure we can help set you up for success!

Step 1: Assess Community Interest Talk with other people in your community to determine interest in starting a chapter. PFLAG primarily provides education, advocacy, and support to families with LGBTQ+ members, allies, and LGBTQ+ adults. If the immediate need is for youth services or an LGBTQ+-specific group, another organization may be more suitable.

Step 2: Create Your Organizing Team To form a chapter, you’ll need 5-7 people, including 3 who will serve as your initial president, secretary, and treasurer. Requirements:

• Everyone must be at least 18 years old
• Leadership team members cannot be married to each other, related, or living together

Your organizing team should include a diverse mix of people. We strongly recommend including:

• Straight parents of LGBTQ+ people
• LGBTQ+ individuals
• People with ties to the non-binary and trans community
• Allies

Also consider diversity in age, race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and ability.

Yes! All PFLAG chapters are tax-exempt nonprofits. During the affiliation process, we’ll assist your forming chapter with the necessary state and IRS paperwork. As a result, all chapters have annual reporting requirements, which chapter leadership will need to manage each year.

No. PFLAG chapters must operate separately from any other organization or entity. Members of existing organizations may be involved with establishing a PFLAG chapter, but must do so independent of their roles and responsibilities associated with any other organization. PFLAG chapters also cannot be started in schools or universities.

No. PFLAG chapters cannot exist solely to support youth. If your desire is to form a gay-straight alliance, or to work with youth in a more direct capacity, please consider reaching out to GLSEN (glsen.org) for more information.

PFLAG National is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and, thus, follows the rules of the IRS with regard to political activity. PFLAG’s advocacy work is issue-based and does not directly support or oppose political candidates, parties, or ideologies. It is a core belief of PFLAG that we “meet people where they are,” and provide a welcoming place regardless of a person’s political beliefs. PFLAG chapters fall under PFLAG National’s 501c3 and therefore must follow the same rules.

Unfortunately, we do not establish PFLAG chapters outside of the United States. International PFLAG groups are listed on our website, but they are not formally associated with us. We do have a variety of online support options, including virtual support meetings hosted by our National office.