About Us
Our History
Our Mission: Support, Educate, Advocate
Our History
PFLAG was born of advocacy. Jeanne Manford marched with her gay son in the 1972 New York's Christopher Street Liberation march, not long after the Stonewall Riots. When many gay and lesbian people ran up to Jeanne during the parade and begged her to talk to their parents, she realized the need for a support group for parents and families
PFLAG was born of advocacy. Jeanne Manford marched with her gay son in the 1972 New York's Christopher Street Liberation march, not long after the Stonewall Riots. When many gay and lesbian people ran up to Jeanne during the parade and begged her to talk to their parents, she realized the need for a support group for parents and families. After that, the movement, which had been simmering among parents in other parts of the country who were determined that their gay and lesbian children would not be discriminated against, picked up momentum. It was in 1979 that the scattered groups actually met and loosely formed PFLAG when they marched together, this time in Washington D.C. The actual organization was incorporated nationally in 1981 in Southern Californian by Adele Starr and her husband Larry. (Adapted from Jean Eileen-Durgin Clinchard's accounting. Jean Eileen was the Lincoln chapter's first president.)
The Lincoln chapter started in 1983, and was incorporated in 1987. Ours was the first chapter to establish in Nebraska.
Our chapter incorporated as PFLAG Cornhusker, Inc. We named it PFLAG Cornhusker…. we did that sort of, with tongue in cheek, thinking of all those well built football players. We incorporated, applied for and received a grant from the Chicago Resource Center to put out a newsletter and buy some PFLAG educational literature. Our dear Phebe Francis took care of folding and stuffing the newsletters and, of course then as now, we only put our P.O. Box number on the envelope (Jean Eileen Durgin-Clinchard's accounting). Ironically, our board eventually formally added additional "also does business as" referents, which is why we typically go by PFLAG Lincoln. This also is consistent with our sister Nebraska chapter identities.
Our Team
Our Mission: Support, Educate, Advocate
Our History
Our amazing team of regulars and part-time volunteers are committed to helping others. We take our convictions and turn them into action. Think you would be a good fit? Get in touch for more information!
Board Officers: Kristin Grosskopf, President; Linda Cady, Vice President; Jackie Miller, Treasurer; Pat Tetreault, Secretary; plus valued volunteers!
Our Mission: Support, Educate, Advocate
Our Mission: Support, Educate, Advocate
Our Mission: Support, Educate, Advocate
PFLAG Lincoln chapter promotes the health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender persons, their families, and friends through: SUPPORT, to cope with an adverse society; EDUCATION, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and ADVOCACY, to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights. PFLAG provides an opportunity for
PFLAG Lincoln chapter promotes the health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender persons, their families, and friends through: SUPPORT, to cope with an adverse society; EDUCATION, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and ADVOCACY, to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights. PFLAG provides an opportunity for dialogue about sexual orientation and gender identity and acts to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity.
PFLAG Cornhusker, Inc. is a non-profit, tax exempt 501(c)3 all-volunteer chapter of PFLAG, Inc. It is not affiliated with any ethnic, religious, economic, or political group. Also do business as Cornhusker PFLAG, PFLAG Lincoln, Lincoln PFLAG.
Since our chapter's inception, we have, and continue to offer, monthly support groups on the fourth Tuesday of every month. The Unitarian of Lincoln Church has, since their inception, opened their arms to the LGBT community, so we hold our monthly meetings there, at 6300 A Street. Our format is as follows, on the 4th Tuesday of each month:
6:00pm - Socialize with light snacks
6:30pm - Informational presentation
7:30pm - Split out into three optional
support groups:
1. TRANS 2. PARENTS 3. LGB
8:30pm - Conclude
All are welcome to these meetings. Confidentiality is key: What is said at the meetings stays at the meetings. No recordings or photos are allowed without pre-approval from our board. Identities are not to be assumed, as we have people of various identities at our meetings, including cis-gender and straight individual allies. This is a safe environment where people are safe to be who they are, as well as safe to ask questions. Not everyone knows how to be an ally, but this is a place to learn how to be an ally as much as it is to provide support to those who seek it.
Help Our Cause
JOIN WITH AN ANNUAL GIFT, OR DONATE WHAT YOU ARE ABLE TO NOW!
Your support and contributions will enable us to carry out our mission, providing support, education and advocacy. We provide fellowship and connections among individuals, holiday meals for our LGBTQ+ individuals/families, provide popular educational materials in addition to all of our volunteer activities and advocacy.
Donations may be made in any amount. Membership levels include:
$100.00 - Supporting member
$45.00 - Household
$40.00 - Individual
Support / Educate / Advocate
SUPPORT
ADVOCATE
SUPPORT
One of the primary ways we support the LGBTQA community in the monthly support groups on the fourth Tuesday of every month. We typically have three breakout groups:
1) TRANS - This might be the group you attend if you want to better understand how trans-identifying people have to navigate in the private, and social spheres. This would also be the group to attend to find support for related issues.
2) PARENTS - This might be the group you attend to learn how to respond after your child comes out to you. It might also be the group you attend to help let parents know what LGBTQ youth need from parents.
3) LGB - This might be the group where you would seek, or share things similar to that in the trans group, but specifically regarding lesbian, gay, and/or bisexual identities.
Because we are aware that families do not always embrace their LGBTQ-identifying family members, we take July, and November to turn our regular meetings into potlucks where we provide the bulk of the food, so that community members may celebrate with their "second family."
EDUCATE
ADVOCATE
SUPPORT
We regularly attend a variety of conferences, especially those geared toward counselors, and school social workers. Here, we regularly hand out educational pamphlets published by PFLAG National. PDF versions of these are available from their website, but we find people favor the printed materials, so we continue to buy, and distribute those.
We especially enjoy invitations to LPD's annual training, where we update our law enforcement personnel about changes in referents, what appropriate and respectful interactions look like and are expected from our community members.
ADVOCATE
ADVOCATE
ADVOCATE
Advocacy takes on a number of forms as well. We have been called upon to visit with company administration on behalf of an employee, or group of employees. We have visited with school principals about specific issues experienced by a student, or group of students there.
After LPS modified existing bathrooms as much as was physically possible, we advocated for gender-neutral bathrooms and locker rooms. LPS agreed, and designed exactly this for new schools. We appreciate their leadership on this matter, and look forward to having these in the new schools currently under construction!
Other times we engage in, and encourage letter-writing campaigns to legislators. Other times we appear to speak at legislative hearings. Other times we invite legislators to speak about their bills, or have other agencies represented at our presentations to discuss specific advocacy events related to our constituency.