April 2016 Program

Please join us for our monthly meeting on Thursday, April 14th starting at 7pm at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greenville, 131 Oakmont Drive.  UUCG is an officially designated Welcoming Congregation with the UUA and features non-gendered restroom facilities.

The first hour (7-8 pm) is a PFLAG Support Group.  The next hour (8-9 pm) varies depending on the month, to include any organizational business needing to be conducted, as well as educational or advocacy issues time.  In April, we will have a program about healthy relationships presented by Glee Dunbar.

We are very excited about this important and needed effort as well as the enthusiasm of our participants!  We hope to see you Thursday starting at 7pm.

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PirateFest and HB 2

Despite a small amount of rain, not quite seasonable temperatures, and a LOT of wind, our table at PirateFest got a very good amount of traffic and our Friendraiser got a lot of interest, and we’ll update you with the numbers as soon as they’re compiled.  We’ve also started a raffle for a rainbow stained glass piece created and donated by Mark Rasdorf. We sold a good number of tickets at PirateFest and will continue selling them until the drawing at our May meeting. We will post more information on the raffle soon.

As expected, a lot of people who stopped were concerned about HB 2, so we had a fact sheet compiled to answer many questions and explain our concerns about the bill. You can view and print copies of the fact sheet or share digitally with others. Confused about HB2

Thanks to Sandy, Deb, Robert, Holly, Rich, and Jeannette for staffing our both, and to Gina and Yeshi from Aim Higher Now who did voter registration with us.  This is likely to become a regular annual event for PFLAG where we can get the word out about our purpose so people know how to find us.

Trans Support Group Forming

There is a peer support group forming to provide a safe, affirming, and empathetic space for members and allies of the transgender community to find resources, make new friends, and support each other. We welcome all members of the transgender community, as well as their significant others, family, friends, and advocates.

We meet the third Tuesday of each month at Winterville Christian Church (257 Cooper St., Winterville, NC 28590). For more information email: pitttransgroup@yahoo.com

Our first meeting will be April 19, 2016 at 7pm.

Note: this group is not affiliated with PFLAG, but PFLAG Greenville has endorsed the effort, seeing a real need for this in our community.

HB 2 Rally Remarks by Deborah Thomson

Hello Friends,

I’m Deborah Thomson and I am the president of PFLAG Greenville. PFLAG is our nation’s oldest and largest organization supporting and uniting families, friends, allies, and LGBTQ people.  And I am proud to say that Greenville has one of the newest chapters in the nation, being less than one year old.

I got a call on Tuesday night from Mara Keisling at the National Center for Transgender Equality. I had met Mara just a few weeks ago when she spoke here on campus through ECU’s LGBT Resource Office’s speakers series. In our call Tuesday night Mara let me know about the transphobic legislation that was going to be railroaded through our state legislature on Wednesday in the surprise “special session”. This was a special session, the first in 35 years, that was likely called to the capitol on one day’s notice in order to give any opposition minimal chance to organize. Mara asked “Can you be there?” Of course there was only one answer. Hell Yes.

Local PFLAG reacts to HB2

PFLAG Greenville Statement on Recent Legislative Action in North Carolina

PFLAG Greenville Board President Deborah Thomson stated, “We are extremely disheartened by the legislation passed yesterday that legalized discrimination against LGBTQ people in our state.  PFLAG Greenville opposes this legislation because it puts the lives and well-being of our LGBTQ community at risk.  We will continue to work to support families across the region whose loved ones often face a hostile environment in the place they live and work.”

Affirming Faith Communities Panel March 10th

The regular 2nd Thursday meeting this month will be March 10th at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greenville.

From 7-8pm we have our confidential support group time, followed by an informative program or discussion.

Our March discussion topic is LGBTQ-Affirming Faith Communities and will feature a panel of clergy and lay-leaders from a few faith traditions who welcome LGBTQ members.

 

List of panelists:

• Rev. Rod Debs, Unitarian Universalist
• Donna Kraus, The Well
• others TBA

We hope you will join us for one or both portions of our meeting.

Holiday Family Adoption

As one of several projects to undertake during their organizational period, OUT Greenville expressed an interest in adopting a family for the holidays. OUT Greenville member and PFLAG Board Member, Rich Elkins suggested a family he had become aware of through Rev. Rod Debs at the UU Congregation of Greenville as the family to adopt rather than getting a random family through Social Services.  The Board of PFLAG voted to join with OUT Greenville on this worthy project.