Dear PFLAG Supporter,

October is LGBTQ+ History Month, a month filled with significant dates that hold great importance for the LGBTQ+ community. As a PFLAG leader it is important to honor and celebrate these occasions, not only to raise awareness and visibility, but also as a natural point of engagement with your community. 

Let’s explore some of the awareness days in October that deserve recognition and support from PFLAG.

• National Coming Out Day (October 11th) is dedicated to not only celebrate the act of coming out, but also to raise awareness about the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals when coming out, and to emphasize safety first when they make the decision to do so. 
• International Pronouns Day (October 18th) is dedicated to respecting, sharing, and educating about personal pronouns and the importance of using someone’s pronouns.
• Spirit Day (October 19th) PFLAG National is a proud partner of GLAAD Spirit Day, an annual observance that aims to raise awareness about the harmful effects of bullying and discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ youth. 
• Ace Week (October 22nd-28th) is a week dedicated to raising awareness and expanding education of asexuality.
• Intersex Awareness Day (October 26th) is dedicated to raising awareness about intersex individuals and the unique challenges they face.

There are awareness days throughout the year, and all are great opportunities to demonstrate your chapter’s commitment to visibility, inclusivity, support, and education. Not sure what engagement can or should  look like for a PFLAG chapter? Check out the social media resources for chapter leaders for October and look to connect with the Chapter engagement team for support. We’ll be adding more content for these awareness days in October to that page, so stay tuned!

Annual Chapter Responsibilities

The new fiscal year has started, and Angel Kearns, our Chapter Services Coordinator, has laid out all the information needed to know for Chapter Responsibilities season, including helpful links to ensure your chapter remains in good standing.

Check out the Annual Chapter Responsibilities page in the new Member Portal and please reach out to Angel at akearns@pflag.org if you need support or have any questions.

Convention Corner

Learning With Love: The 2023 PFLAG National Convention is nine days away! If you’re attending, here are some handy things to know before you go! 

• PFLAG Gives Back: This year, we’ll host a PFLAG Gives Back event in support of LGBTQ+ young people accessing the housing and street outreach services at SMYAL. You can learn more about SMYAL’s life-saving work at smyal.org.
  To participate, please consider purchasing a gift card of $25 or more from retailers like Sephora, Ulta, Target, Giant, Safeway, Amazon, Uber, and Visa to give to LGBTQ+ young people who are in need of some holiday cheer. Then, at the convention, you can drop your donation off at the PFLAG Gives Back table in the exhibit hall and use our craft supplies to write a supportive note to accompany the gift, letting them know they’re not alone and that PFLAG has got their back.
  After Learning With Love has concluded, a member of the PFLAG National staff will deliver everything we’ve collected to the team at SMYAL for distribution. Have questions? Reach out to us at convention@pflag.org.
• Convention App: Our convention app is now live and ready to make it easier to plan your days at Learning With Love easy. You can learn more about workshops, presenters, the convention schedule, and more. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and make sure to register with the email you used to register for the convention. 
• Half-Day Media Institute: Join us for “From the Heart: How to Lead with Love in the Media,” an engaging, empowering and highly interactive half-day media training! You’ll get a mini-bootcamp (the fun kind) that will have you practicing your on-camera skills, leaving you confident and comfortable speaking on behalf of PFLAG. You’ll get to polish your presence, perfect your pivot, and proudly share your PFLAG story until it sizzles and pops. Registration is required for this half-day training on Friday, October 20th. Spaces are very limited, so be sure to register now, either by RSVP’ing in the Convention app or emailing us at convention@pflag.org.

Regional Roundup

Join us on November 8th for our next Rural Think Tank session, focused on strategies for serving expansive geographic regions. Whether you're successfully supporting a PFLAG presence across a broad area or are seeking innovative ways to amplify your chapter's reach, this collaborative space is for you! Join us to collaborate with chapter leaders serving rural areas from 8-9:30pm ET/5-6:30pm PT.

Stay safe,

Shaun Connors (he/they)

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