Next Meeting - Dec. 19, 2010Holiday Celebration The December meeting will celebrate our history as one of the longest continually running PFLAG chapters in the nation, and celebrate our newest partnerships with schools, faith communities and healthcare facilities. We will honor our Founding Mother, Jane LaFlash, and hear how she came to establish this chapter. We will also have a potluck holiday party. Please join us to celebrate both our past
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Our January meeting topic is Oscar Wilde. In preparation for this meeting it is recommended that you read the Oscar Wilde play, "A Woman of No Importance." We will discuss how this play reflects Wilde's own sexuality and relationship to the society of his time. Don't forget to do your homework.
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We are invited to participate in "Respectful Dialogues with a Purpose," facilitated by Ms. Gladis Benavides.
This month as we look back at the 27 years of history of PFLAG Madison it is clear there are many individuals deserving of a big THANK YOU for helping to found our chapter and keep it active. First, we thank Jane LaFlash who began our chapter when her son told her he was gay. She says that for the first couple of years membership was very small. As other parents of LGBT children heard about our chapter they contacted Jane and our group began to grow in size.
We have always welcomed LGBT people to our chapter. They have
helped us learn. The paperwork was completed to become more "officially"
recognized by National PFLAG. New members volunteered to be chapter officers
and board members. A monthly newsletter was mailed to members and now goes
to most by email. As the group increased in size a meeting place was needed.
The So-ciety of Friends Meeting House became our home on the third Sunday
of each month. We have remained true to our mission statement: to provide
support for parents, family and friends and LGBT people; to educate our-selves
and others; to advocate for our children and all LGBT people. We've learned
to stand up and speak up for the rights of LGBT people. We sit Saturdays at
the Farmers' Market in heat and cold to get the word out.
So, to Jane as our founder, and to those who served as officers, board and
committee members and to all those members who came to meetings to learn and
paid dues and gave contributions to support our work we say THANKS! You deserve
a big hug for a job well done. Please continue working to keep PFLAG Madison
strong and active.
Please remember to pay your 2010-11 dues. Our treasurer needs to send National PFLAG's share to them by the end of October. Sned your check and completed membership form to:
PFLAG Madison, Sharon Whitney, treasurer
2410 Prairie Rd., Madison, WI 53711-4154
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Click here to see where states stand on gay marriage.
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Planning a vacation? Fly on American Airlines and support the preferred airline
of PFLAG National. PFLAG national staff gets free miles (and you do NOT lose
any bonus miles).
When booking on www.AA.com, follow these instructions:
Step One - Choose your travel dates and your best flight option.
Step Two - Login. (If you have an AAdvantage Number and a password, key it
in. If not, click "continue" without logging in.)
Step Three - Confirm your itinerary and complete passenger details. LAST STEP
- Important! - Key in PFLAG's Business ExtrAA Account Number (527590).
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In the early planning stages is another partnership project with GSAFE. We will co-sponsor a public screening of the documentary "BULLIED" about Wisconsin's own Jamie Nabozny. Plan to attend this event on January 28, 2011 6:45 pm at Sequoya Public Library at the corner of Mid-vale Blvd and Tokay Blvd. Ample parking is available.
In keeping with our advocacy theme in partnership with schools,
PFLAG members participated in the Boxes and Walls project at Sennett Middle
School in Madison on December 7th & 9th. Four theme "boxes"
were set up in rooms; bullying, Hmong language, disabilities and gay straight
alliance. Every homeroom spent 15 minutes in each "box" participating
in activities to increase sensitivity to others and break down the "walls"
that can divide people. PFLAG was invited to be a part of the GSA "box".
We displayed our literature, gave out rainbow flags and stickers and showed
pictures of our LGBT children. Students asked many questions and good discussions
were had. This activity reached 640 students and their teachers! PFLAG members
agreed this was time well spent.
Members at the November 21 meeting received copies of Straight for Equality in Healthcare to hand deliver to their doctors, dentists, podiatrists, cardiologists, etc. The guides suggest to the professionals ways in which to make their offices more GLBT friendly. The guides will be available at the Dec 19 meeting if a member wants to take one to his/her health professional. If you want one, you can also notify Kay at kahegges@yahoo.com. To see it on line, see the na-tional site at www.pflag.org.
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Wins:
Fair Wisconsin and 5 representative couples have been allowed to intervene in Wisconsin Family Actions legal challenge to domestic partnerships.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison LGBT Campus Center is tackling bullying through awareness. On April 15, 2011, students and community members from across the state will accept the call to action and rise to the challenge of combating homophobia and transphobia with a march to the Capitol.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- The Illinois House of Representatives and Senate passed landmark civil unions legislation Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 respectively. Gov. Pat Quinn has pledged to sign the bill. If he does, Illinois would become the 11th state to recognize civil unions or marriages between gay and lesbian couples. (NCROnline.org, Dec. 3rd, 2010)
Losses:
Adele Starr, the founding president of PFLAG, died Friday, December 10 in Santa Monica, CA. She was 90. Starr established a support group for parents of gay and lesbian children in 1976 after her son came out to her. She was the first president of the national PFLAG organization.
UW Whitewater has been plagued by a series of hate crimes and harassment against gays.
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Less than halfway through his first term, President Obama has appointed more openly gay officials than any other president in history.
Gay activists say the estimate of at least 150 appointments thus far - ranging from agency heads and commission members to policy officials and senior staffers - surpasses the previous high of about 140 reached during two full terms under former President Bill Clinton.
The pace of appointments has helped to ease broader disappointment among gay rights groups that Obama has not acted more quickly on other fronts, such as ending the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that bans gays from serving openly in the military.
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