Dear PFLAG Supporter,

There is so much to respond to right now. We’ve been using the phrase “drinking from the firehose” to describe a lot of our work these days, and I think that you all would feel pretty similar. To that end, in this email you will find resources for all of the different work you are doing at this moment: advocacy updates, speaker support, social media resources, and more! We’re hoping this email can act as a bit of a bucket, so you don’t have to keep drinking directly from that hose. We’re also hoping to hear a bit from you in this letter, on the topics of speakers and board retention, so look out for sections in bold where we’re seeking your input!

In this newsletter you’ll find: 

• URGENT Update on Advocacy and Public Comments
• Survey Opportunity: PFLAG’s Strategic Refresh
• Seeking Input on Board Retention Resources
• Ideas for Finding Speakers
• Supporting Local Schools w/Open Books
• ICYMI Recap
• Resilience Roundup: Centering Joy and Connection

Advocacy Update: Public Comments

Public comment is part of the federal rule-making process where individuals and organizations can express their opinions on recently proposed regulations. The new administration has introduced several policies that negatively affect the LGBTQ+ community, including proposed regulations which will be open for public comment. 

Out of an abundance of caution, PFLAG National will not be driving our chapters, members, and supporters to submit public comments. We have concerns that providing the federal government comments opposing their proposals that include names or IP addresses from affected individuals or family members could create risk for retaliation. PFLAG National will weigh in and give chapters opportunities to join in alternative ways. Keep an eye out for an email from our Advocacy team with more information in the coming days. 

That being said, anyone can submit a public comment. Many of our partners will be providing opportunities and individuals are welcome to participate if they choose. Our recommendation would be that chapters wishing to provide public comment designate someone who is not at risk of having a family member or themselves targeted submit a comment on behalf of the chapter. This minimizes individual risk and keeps the government from having private information about trans individuals and vulnerable families in our network.

Survey Opportunity: Strategic Refresh

We are excited to share that we are kicking off PFLAG’s Strategic Refresh process! Your input is crucial in helping us strengthen PFLAG for the years ahead. Through a series of surveys and other tools, we, with our consultants at Penchina Partners, aim to gather valuable feedback from our PFLAG community – including you!

If you are interested in providing your input on what you think about PFLAG and how we should strengthen ourselves for the future, we have a survey for you! 

Please click here to take the survey. 

The survey should take about 30 minutes to complete. Please complete the survey by Friday, April 4, 2025. Your chapter's members will receive an email today requesting participation in this survey. Please be on the lookout!

We thank you for helping us shape PFLAG’s future. Your input will ensure our work remains impactful, inclusive, and community-driven, allowing us to harness our collective PFLAG power to better serve the ones we love.

Looking for Input on Board Recruitment and Retention Resources

Board recruitment and retention is a core piece of successful PFLAG chapter operations. Board recruitment is crucial; bringing on new board members on an ongoing basis leads to strong boards with the capacity for turnover. Keeping those chapter leaders on the board, or board retention, is the next key step to sustainable, thriving leadership. These processes can be challenging but there are many paths to a successful outcome. 

PFLAG National's Chapter and Communities Engagement team wants to hear your challenges, the solutions you may have found, and the advice you have for other chapter leaders. This will allow us to develop chapter-informed resources to support chapters across the network with their board recruitment and retention efforts. Can you spend five minutes filling out this survey to share your experiences and stories?

Finding and Sharing Speakers

As you plan for speakers to present at your chapters meetings, consider bringing in area experts. As mentioned in our last issue, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has a chapter network and your closest chapter may be interested in speaking in person or virtually. Similarly, reaching out to your local NAMI chapter may yield a speaker. Is there a local or state-based LGBTQ+ history group near you? Consider inviting them to share the LGBTQ+ history in your area or specific stories of prominent community members. Another option is PFLAG National staff! Reach out to me to help you find the best staff member to cover the topic you’re interested in. 

Our team is compiling a list of speakers who have been vetted by PFLAG chapters and would be able to speak virtually for other chapters across the country. Do you have speakers who fit the bill? Let me know!

Collaboration Opportunity: Open Books

If your chapter is looking to support local schools, you can help place a set of 12 LGBTQ+ affirming books in your local school library! Partner with Open Books, a 501(c)(3) organization that donates a set of 12 LGBTQ+ affirming books to public school libraries. They have currently donated to 1,381 elementary schools and will have a middle school set ready for fall 2025. If you’re interested, reach out to Jaskaran Kaur (she/her) at jaskaran@openbooks.org. Open Books works with school librarians, advocates, and administrators to place the donations in school libraries and would appreciate you helping connect them. They remain committed to creating safe, inclusive spaces in schools for LGBTQ+ students!

In Case You Missed It (ICYMI):

Pride Packs 2025 -The branding team has created a PFLAG Chapter Leader-Only Swag Shop at chapterswag.pflag.org, where you can order buttons, pens, shirts, stickers, fans, and Pride flags in bulk and at a larger discount than our public-facing shop. But here’s the BEST part: We’re giving every chapter $200 to spend on the items of your choice. Then, you’ll get an additional 50% off further orders between now and June 30, 2025. Check out this email for more details.

Resilience Roundup

Just a few things to bring you hope, light, and joy this week! The regional chapter engagement team is finding joy and resilience in some new and exciting ways. We’re connecting with nature, spending reflection time with ourselves, finding joy in movement, and anticipating the coming spring via migratory birds. Our team enjoys sharing these glimmers of joy and connection with one another and we hope you’ll enjoy them too! 

• Visdeurbel (Fishdoorbell):  A bit of joy from the Netherlands, where they’ve installed a doorbell to a fish ladder to prevent local fish  from being eaten. The livestream features identification guides, weekly highlights, and some cool fun facts. 
• Do Nothing for a Minute is a website that helps you spend a moment simply doing nothing. When things feel overwhelming, challenging, or you just need a breather–take a minute to yourself and reset! 
• Merlin Bird ID: If you haven’t had the opportunity to check out Cornell Labs awesome Merlin Bird ID app, now is the time. As we approach springtime and bird migration season, this app allows you to identify your local birds by sight and sound! It’s a fantastic way to connect with the nature happening around you and learn more about who you’re sharing your corner of the planet with.
• Biking as a mode of transport or for fun is a great way to unplug. Many biking organizations are locally based and offer classes, repair services, and other key support so you can hit the road or the trails safely and confidently.

Stay safe,

Abby Shuler (she/her)

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