Winter 2010-11 Newsletter

Here’s a link to the PDF version

New Website Up and Running

Have you had a chance to check out the PFLAG Atlanta website recently? If not, you are in for a treat! The new website has been up and running since late August. While much of the basic information from our old site is still available, the new look has a more proactive and energetic feel. Our new website connects with Twitter (@pflagatl) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/pflagatl). Upcoming events are detailed on the home page and we’ve added loads of pictures, the latest GLBT news stories and other articles of interest we normally don’t have room to put in the newsletter.

Here’s some of the interesting things you can see on the website today:-

Pictures from the Pride Parade 2010
Mary Lynn being interviewed by Aleck Ragsdale fromWABE NPR
Our new brochure design
Personal stories and advice for parents and LGBT people

Our website is www.pflagatl.org

Save the Date – Saturday May 14!

Our annual fundraiser is scheduled for Saturday May 14! Make sure you mark your calendars. We have some great entertainment events planned at a beautiful location. Stay tuned!

Don’t Forget!

Our PFLAG Library works on the honor system. We’ve been noticing that some of our books that have been lent out have not made it back. If you have a library book that you need to return, please bring it to a meeting or mail it to PFLAG Atlanta, 1379 Tullie Rd., Atlanta, GA 30329 or call 770-487-2291. If you have misplaced the book, please call us so we can let you know how we can replace it.
Have you renewed your membership this year? You can renew your membership by visiting our website at www.pflagatl.org/support and making donation using a debit or credit card. Alternatively mail a check to PFLAG Atlanta, Attn: Diana Burdette, 1295 Home Place Drive, Lawrenceville, GA 30043.
Making a donation this year? We want to remind you that your donations are tax-deductible and allow us to keep doing what we do for the LGBT community and family. Make sure you leave us your postal address when you donate on the website so we can mail you a tax receipt.

Board Elections & Changes

At the beginning of our September PFLAG meeting we took time to elect board officers. Conal Charles was elected co-president, Diana Burdette was elected treasurer and Linda Marson was elected secretary. Each officer will serve for a two year period. One co-president is elected each year so that there is a continuity of experience in the position. Karen Turner is in the second year of her two year term. We have also had some changes in the composition of our board. Mary Lynn Merkle and Jeannie Senter have stepped down, but both remain active Atlanta members and advocates. Steven Bratsen has been transferred back to Texas. Happily, Sarah and Dick Patterson have joined the board. We will have an article on our Indianapolis PFLAG transplants in the next newsletter. In the meantime, we welcome them with open arms! Our board now has 11 members: Sarah & Dick Patterson, Tori & David Stivers, Rick & Linda Marson, Billiee Pendleton-Parker, Diana Burdette, Fran Brandino, Conal Charles, & Karen Turner.

Congratulations!

Dale Merkle has recently accepted the position of PFLAG Gulf Regional Director. This region is comprised of Alabama, Florida, Georgia Mississippi and Puerto Rico. If you have been a reader of our newsletter for any length of time, you will know that Dale is more than qualified to do this job and how lucky we are to have him accept it!

GSCA Conference

This year’s annual Georgia School Counselors Assoc conference, Empowering Students to Imagine, Believe, Achieve, was held Nov 3- 5 in Athens. PFLAG Atlanta staffed an exhibit table at this conference as it has for many years. Unfortunately the set up for the exhibition hall was less than desirable this year. Exhibitors were in a separate building from all the meetings, connected by an overhead walkway, but not located where folks would wander through during a 15 minute break between sessions. The workshop presented by the Georgia Safe Schools Coalition went very well with much interest and participation from a medium sized audience of about 20 people. Several were from UGA – faculty and grad students, with diverse regions represented by the others. PFLAGers Jeannie Senter and Dale Merkle were part of the workshop. According to Jeannie, “It was a great collaborative presentation and I think we trained a number of enthusiastic trainers.”

Safe Schools at GA Perimeter

November 15, Jeannie Senter spoke to a rather diverse group at GA Perimeter College – Clarkston Campus, in DeKalb about bullying and safe schools. It was hosted by the Triangle Club, the GLBT club for students, and open to the college in general. About 35 people attended with ages ranging from true freshmen to some ‘middle aged’ folk. There were some faculty members who attended as well – one who wrote a book about bullying! Jeannie did a combination of power point, film (DVD) clips, and audience interactive role plays. Many people had never heard of PFLAG or the GSSC. One gentleman talked with Jeannie after the session and said he had been trying for years to get his mother to come to PFLAG! He took her card and PFLAG information and she encouraged him to bring her. Elizabeth Lathrop, the Triangle Club’s advisor emailed Jeannie, “I want to thank you for your wonderful presentation yesterday. I think that the audience was especially able to relate to your message when you spoke about your own feelings about your daughter. I really appreciate your time in putting this event together. Hopefully you can come back to GPC to speak again some time!”

Feature Story: Comfortable Coming Out

Coming out as a lesbian was an hours-long ordeal for Amanda Brandino. At 15 years old, Brandino told her best friend she had a secret. After about three hours of sidestepping, that friend became the first person Brandino told she was gay. Read the rest of the story online.

Panel Discussion at GSU

On October 19, Jerry Hajdusiewicz, Dale Merkle and Sarah and Dick Patterson participated in a panel discussion at Georgia State University hosted by their glbt group. PFLAG was well received and hopes to make this an annual event.

Clark County HS Presentation

Diana Burdette was the invited guest of the Gay Straight Alliance at Clark County High School on October 27th. Eleven students, three student mentors from UGA’s Lambda Organization, and three faculty members attended. They asked Diana to talk about the parent’s side of the story when a child comes out. In particular, she told them students were her heroes as her daughter, Kitty, came out to classmates and one of her teachers before she came out to Diana. Kitty had found a safe place at school and she was thankful to the students for that. She talked about students finding safe spaces and their need to take care of one another.

PFLAG Atlanta Scholarship Program Ends

At our December board meeting, the members of the PFLAG Atlanta Board decided to terminate the scholarship program. It has been difficult to interest donors in this part of our program in the last several years. There are many more scholarship for glbt students now than when this effort originated. And we are thankful for the many contributions that have been made in the past. You have made a difference in many lives.