| Dear Chapter Leader, Last week, PFLAG National’s legal team filed a new lawsuit in Texas, PFLAG v. Office of the Attorney General of the State of Texas. The suit was filed in response to an outrageous action taken by the Texas Attorney General, demanding that PFLAG National turn over information about our support of families in Texas seeking medically necessary care for their trans kids. While this directly impacts our chapters in Texas, PFLAGers across the country—including your own chapter members—might also have questions. To help support answering those questions, we have an updated FAQ that includes information on this new case, as well as our other two current Texas cases—PFLAG v. Abbott and Loe v. Texas—so if you get questions, you can direct folks to this important link. Important: If you get questions outside of this FAQ, please email our team right away at txlegal@pflag.org. I want to re-emphasize what our CEO, Brian, said in the video he shared widely last week: Loving your LGBTQ+ child is always the right thing to do. PFLAG National won’t back down, and we will never stop fighting for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them. We know that as PFLAG chapter leaders, you will continue to do what you do best: providing support, education, and advocacy until every LGBTQ+ person is safe, celebrated, affirmed and loved. Thank you for all that you do…and for always leading with love, Jamie Curtis (she/her)
Director of Chapter Engagement |
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| | Introducing Our New Director of Advocacy |
| We’re excited to share a new and exciting addition to the team! Katie Blair (she/her) has joined PFLAG National as our new Director of Advocacy. Leading all Advocacy-related programs, she’ll be joined in this new department by Patrick Cochran (he/him), Advocacy and Policy Engagement Manager—with whom many of you have worked for five years—and will also work in close collaboration with Diego M. Sanchez, APR (he/él), who continues to lead the organization's efforts on policy and government affairs. Katie will take the lead on all things advocacy from coordinating PFLAG National campaigns, to working in coalition with our allies and state equality organizations, to mobilizing PFLAG chapters and PFLAG members and supporters to advance change at the state and local levels. Katie comes to PFLAG National having previously served for over a decade as Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at the ACLU of Indiana, spearheading the organization’s work on issues including LGBTQ+ rights, criminal legal reform, racial justice, reproductive freedom and voting rights. There she led the fight alongside PFLAG chapters in Indiana to defeat Indiana’s controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act, spearheaded the fight against Indiana’s abortion ban, and led the charge against the state’s most recent legislative attacks on LGBTQ+ youth and their families. Prior to her work at the ACLU of Indiana, Katie served as the Director of Activism for Planned Parenthood of Indiana. Diego is now our Director of Policy & Government Affairs, bringing his decades of expertise—and close relationships in Congress, The White House, federal agencies, and across organizations—to work more in-depth on federal policy, representing PFLAGers and ensuring that our collective voices are heard by our all branches of our federal government. If you need support with chapter or community advocacy efforts, reach out to your Chapter Engagement staffer, and be sure to cc the Advocacy team at advocacy@pflag.org. As always, our team is here to support your advocacy efforts as you work toward our PFLAG’s mission of creating a caring, just, and affirming world for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them. |
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|  | Pride Packs Reminder: The Deadline is Just Two Weeks Away |
| The deadline to sign up for a 2024 PFLAG National Pride Pack is just 10 short days away! We’ll fully replenish your supplies of all of our most popular branded items, including PFLAG logo buttons, pronoun buttons, Pride flags, fans, pens, and more! We’ve got a whole box of goodies coming your way, landing on or around Monday, April 15th. **If your chapter never received a personalized banner and table runner, we’re happy to get you one this year. Please note that in the sign-up form so we can connect directly with you for support in ordering.** Ready to sign up for all of the great #PFLAGProud swag? Have one member of your board visit pflagnation.al/2024PridePack to get started. Please check with your board before submitting in case someone from your chapter has already signed up. |
| | Media and Branding Monthly Office Hours |
| We’re pressing pause on our monthly drop-in media and branding office hours. As always, we’re still here to help! If you need support or guidance about talking to the media, please reach out to Laura McGinnis, Sr. Press and PR Manager, at lmcginnis@pflag.org. If you need support or guidance around our branding (including Canva, chapter websites, social media, etc.) please reach out to Jackson Alder, Sr. Digital Strategist, at jalder@pflag.org. We’re happy to help with any questions or concerns you may have. |
| | PFLAG Academy Online: March 2024 |
| Tuesday, March 26, 2024 | 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT: Safety Tips for PFLAG Chapters: Protecting Our Communities from Direct and Indirect Threats of Violence PFLAG members and supporters have voiced their deep distress regarding the current national climate surrounding LGBTQ+ issues. There has been a noticeable uptick in anti-LGBTQ+ activities, such as protests, political violence, and the distribution of propaganda through flyers. Leaders from the PFLAG network all across the country have observed a rise in harassment and threats directed at their local chapters and LGBTQ+ community events. Consequently, many are seeking advice on strategies to evade, anticipate, and counteract these hostile actions. Register today! On-Demand Sessions |
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| | Access through the PFLAG Member Portal to find resources, toolkits, branding materials, and more for Chapter Leaders! |
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| All of PFLAG's branding assets, including the chapter logo generator, the branding guide, and more! |
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| Use the PFLAG Member Portal to update your chapter contact info, membership lists, leadership rosters and meetings. |
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| |  | PFLAG National
(202) 467-8180 | love@pflag.org |
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