The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network of Northeast Ohio (GLSEN NEO) will host a three-day training on March 23, 24 and 25 at Case Western Reserve University for future facilitators interested in assuring that all K-12 schools are safe for ALL students. The newly formed Educator Training Team will be able to offer the resources and trainings needed to help assure that teachers and schools help create safe-spaces in their communities to help students are  teased, bullied, or ostracized because of their gender expression, gender identity, or perceived or identified sexual orientation.  To become part of GLSEN NEO’s Educator Training Team and attend the Training Session on March 23, 24 and 25, send an email to gary@glsennortheastohio.org. 

Friday, September 7th - Sunday, September 9, 2012

PFLAG Cleveland will be hosting the Regional Meeting of PFLAG members and friends from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Western Pennsylvania and Northern Kentucky from Friday, September 7th through Sunday, September 9, 2012. 

Save the Dates and check back for information on registration! 

In response to a young woman's struggle with family acceptance, ABBY writes: "You cannot live your life trying to please your father and grandmother, and you have nothing to apologize for. If you need help explaining why you are the way you are, contact PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), an organization that can provide you with literature that will explain it to them. You can find more information at www.pflag.org"

Read more in the Kansas City Star: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/11/3363131/dear-abby-you-cant-spend-life.html

Support Group Meeting, JANUARY 10th, 7:30pm, at Trinity Cathedral

PFLAG Cleveland co-founder, Jane Daroff was recently featured in Case Western Reserve University's daily e-newsletter for her contribution to PFLAG Cleveland and the LGBT community. Congratulations!

From The Daily: "For Jane Daroff, life is about helping others, whether it’s in her career as a clinical social worker in University Counseling Services or her work locally and nationally for LGBT rights. Daroff is a 21-year employee, a Mandel School distinguished alumna and the co-founder of Cleveland's PFLAG chapter." Read more here.

MetroHealth and the Cleveland Institute of Art invite you to attend the opening and closing receptions, showcasing the AIDS Memorial Quilt and new quilt panels, made by local families and friends of those who died from AIDS. Both events are free and open to the public.

The AIDS Memorial Quilt will be on display at both locations from November 29 - December 7.

Please click here for additional information.
http://www.metrohealth.org/body.cfm?id=2964&fr=true

Tell the Senate: Push Forward DOMA Repeal:

Follow this HRC link to sign the Petition to the Senate:

https://secure3.convio.net/hrc/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1285

Standing on Ceremony - The Gay Marriage Plays

A Reading of 9 plays that deal with Gay Marriage and the issues surrounding marriage equality.

Presented by Tri-C West Lambda GSA

7pm Monday, November 7, 2011

Tri-C Metro Studio Theatre Woodland and East 30th Street
Also Live From Broadway, NYC - WEBCAST Pre-show and Post-show Q&A

$5.00 Suggested Donation Online at:

http://standing-on-ceremony.ticketleap.com/gaymarriageplays/

Cleveland, Ohio – Members of PFLAG Cleveland are gearing up to travel to Washington, DC for the 2011 PFLAG National Convention.  The activities during the four-day event include lobbying U.S. Senators and Representatives to support and advance the Safe Schools Improvement Act and the Students Non-Discrimination Act, federal legislation that will help build safer schools for their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) loved ones.

In addition to a day of advocacy on Capitol Hill, PFLAG Cleveland members will join hundreds of other PFLAGers from around the country, networking and attending workshops and plenary sessions on a wide array of topics, including building safer schools, fundraising strategies, dialoguing about LGBT people in faith communities, and more. Scheduled for Saturday night is an awards dinner, where long-time PFLAGer Betty DeGeneres (mother of comedienne Ellen DeGeneres) will receive the Betty DeGeneres Advocate Award and talk about her work as a straight ally and her life as a mom to a lesbian daughter.

La Cage Aux Folles Event November 18

On Friday November 18th Playhouse Square is sponsoring a social event for LGBT groups. It will include happy hour in the Allen Theater from 5:30pm to 9:30pm, which is free to attend. If anyone would also like to see La Cage Aux Folles starring George Hamilton that night they can contact Anthony Gologanoff (see below) for discounted tickets to the show.
Section                         Reg Price                      Proposed Disc Price
Orch C                          $40.00                          $30.00
Mezz B                         $40.00                          $30.00
Balc A                          $40.00                          $15.00
Balc B                          $30.00                          $15.00
 
There will be happy hour prices, music, some food, and plenty of people to meet and network with. If people are interested in doing both the show, and the social hour there will be special packages that include 2 discounted drink tickets with their La Cage tickets.
For more information, contact
Anthony Gologanoff, 
Group Service Representative
(216) 664-6046
GologanoffA@playhousesquare.org

On Tuesday, November 8, 2011,  

BULLIED: A Student, a School and Case that made History will be shown at 7:30pm at Trinity Commons. This will be another option for people interested in attending a PFLAG event other than the support group meeting.
Bullied tells an inspiring story of a young gay man who took a stand against the bullying he experienced in school.
Discussion will follow the film showing.

Congratulations to PFLAG member, Rev Allen Harris, winner of the 'Faith Based' Award of this Year's Cleveland LGBT Heritage Day Celebration. Join him at the City Hall Rotunda at 5:30 PM on Tuesday, October 11th, 2011.

CABARET
Sunday, October 16, 2011 at 3:00pm

Intermission - Connect over cocktails. Enjoy complimentary hors d'oeuvres in the Hanna Salon - compliments of Tim Downing and Ken Press.

Converse and Connect - 5:30pm
Cabaret presents a unique opportunity to explore how individuals and communities respond to issues of gender, identity, sexuality, discrimination and equality. Join leaders from the LGBT community, the community at large and members of Cabaret's artistic company for a Post Show Panel Discussion designed to foster understanding and acceptance while making meaningful connections between classic theater and our daily lives.

Reserve your seats directly with GLT's Chris Fornadel by October 10th.
216 453.1067    cfornadel@greatlakestheater.org

*A Level Seating - $43.00         *B Level Seating - $38.00
*Lounge Seating - $18.00         *Student Seating - $16.00

A good time was had by all on Saturday, September 17th, when PFLAG family and friends met at the Tremont Dog Park with our canine companions. The event was followed by a stop at the Garage Bar for refreshments for the two legged among us.
Hoping to make this an annual event!

Photos coming soon!

PFLAG Cleveland will host its annual picnic on Sunday August 14th, 1:00-5:00pm in Berea at the Coe Lake Gazebo/Pavilion Area located at 85 South Rocky River Drive, behind Cuyahoga County Library (Berea Branch) and Berea City Hall.

We will provide grill food (meat and vegetarian friendly) and beverages. Here's what you can bring (sorted by last name first initial):
A-G: Appetizers or Veggies
H-Q: Side dishes or summer salads
R-Z: Fruit, snacks, chips, cookies, or light desserts

All attending members will receive a free PFLAG Cleveland aluminum water bottle. Grill food will be catered by Eastland Inn Restaurant and Tavern (http://www.eastlandinn.com/), Berea, OH.

Support Group Meeting, August 9th, 7:30pm, at Trinity Cathedral

PFLAG Cleveland will host its next support group meeting TUESDAY, AUGUST 9th @ 7:30 PM in Trinity Cathedral (E22nd St and Euclid Ave).  Free, lighted, secure parking is available at the Prospect Ave entrance to Trinity Commons.

Mike and Donna Nedrow, owners of the Chardon BrewWorks & Eatery in Chardon, OH are promoting Cleveland Pride Day 2011, “Equality for All.”

10 % of the proceeds from Chardon BrewWorks & Eatery during Pride Day will be donated to PFLAG Cleveland on June 25, 2011. Please check out the BrewWorks website www.chardonbrewworks.com or like them on their facebook page “Chardon BrewWorks”

1. Support Group Meeting, TOTNIGHT, 7:30pm, at Trinity Cathedral
PFLAG Cleveland will host its next support group meeting TUESDAY, JUNE 14th @ 7:30 PM in Trinity Cathedral (E22nd St and Euclid Ave).  Free, lighted, secure parking is available at the Prospect Ave entrance to Trinity Commons.

Join PFLAG Cleveland at the ANNUAL PRIDE BRUNCH on Saturday, June 25th at 10:30am at the Old Stone Church. We will be awarding the Bruce G. Kriete Community Award to a very deserving person at the Brunch. Meet friends and family, have something to eat and drink, celebrate with our award winner, and then we march at 12:00 NOON!

PFLAG Cleveland will host its next support group meeting TUESDAY, MAY 10TH @ 7:30 PM in Trinity Cathedral (E22nd St and Euclid Ave).  Free, lighted, secure parking is available at the Prospect Ave entrance to Trinity Commons.

Note: In the event of inclement weather, please check first with Trinity Cathedral (216-771-3630) for information on event cancellations. If Trinity has canceled events, the PFLAG Cleveland support group is also canceled.

How do we define gender and sexual orientation? We'll discuss perceptions of sexual orientation, gender roles, gender identity, and how the meaning we assign to these words effect our thoughts, behavior and actions.

We'll explore first hand how a transgender person might live as a child through adulthood within the social constructs discussed during the presentation.

Join us at Trinity Commons at 7:30pm. We will meet with the support group for announcements and then move to another room at Trinity for this educational option.

PFLAG Cleveland will again be sponsoring a film at the Cleveland International Film Festival.

"Undertow" will be screened on Friday, March 25th at 9:30pm  and
Saturday, March 26th at 6:05pm.

More information at www.clevelandfilm.org

The Ohio State University GLBT Alumni Society Scholarship Program

www.scarletandgay.com

Click on the link for requirements and application.

PFLAG Cleveland Annual Business Meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 8th at 5:30pm, at Trinity Commons. This meeting will precede the monthly support group meeting.
A light supper will be available for those attending.

PFLAG National is proud to announce its 2011 scholarship season is now open. To apply, simply visit our website at www.pflag.org/scholarships. LGBT students and student allies are encouraged to apply online, print supporting documentation and review the biographies of our 2010 scholarship recipients.

PFLAG Cleveland will host its next support group meeting TUESDAY, February 8th @ 7:30 PM in Trinity Cathedral (E22nd St and Euclid Ave).  Free, lighted, secure parking is available at the Prospect Ave entrance to Trinity Commons.

Note: In the event of inclement weather, please check first with Trinity Cathedral (216-771-3630) for information on event cancellations. If Trinity has canceled events, the PFLAG Cleveland support group is also canceled.

Join PFLAG Cleveland for Phil*an*thro*pi*a at Landerhaven on Monday, December 13, 2010.

The cost of admission is a tax-deductible check in the amount of $75 or more made out to the 501(c)(3) charity of your choice - PFLAG Cleveland!

Executive Caterers and the generous Corporate Club sponsors are proud to underwrite the cost of hosting the event's stimulating program and special lunch so that our local non-profits can enjoy the full value of each donation without incurring any of the expenses usually associated with a fundraising event.

Click on the link below to download your registration form!

http://www.executivecaterers.com/clu+philanthropia.php

Here is the Pod cast

http://www.cityclub.org/Media/Audio/CityClubPodcast-101015.mp3

PFLAG Cleveland members honored.

LGBT Heritage Day is an annual celebration of our local history and herstory. The event will feature recognitions of local LGBT Leadership, DJ Stan, and free food & refreshments.
We will celebrate the contributions of our local 5 his-&-hers-tory makers in creating the kind of Cleveland we all want: inclusive, diverse, and thriving. The recipients are: Jeff Ramsey, E.D. of Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization in the area of Neighborhood Leadership; attorney Leslye Huff for her decades of community-based-LGBT inclusive Advocacy; Jes Sellers, PhD, co-founder of Cleveland's PFLAG in category of Education; MetroHealth's Director of Governmental Affairs, John Corlett for his work in Health Care; and Rev. Don King from Hope Lutheran Church for his advocacy for inclusive spiritual communities, especially the ELCA and other Faith-based work for LGBT Equality. Please join us in the City Hall rotunda on Tuesday, October 12 at 6pm.
http://www.gaypeopleschronicle.com/

PFLAG and GLSEN recently joined in launching their Claim Your Rights campaign, a historic effort to empower students and their allies to report incidences of bullying, harassment, or discrimination to the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Education Department. There is a link to the press release on the PFLAG home page http://pflag.org . A basic toolkit and instructions on how to submit a report online that can be found on the PFLAG National website at http://www.pflag.org/claimyourrights . It also links to a one page fact sheet (pdf) that can be a useful resource.

The Fall edition of Your Teen magazine has several coming out stories from the perspectives of the parent,  the teen and the professional. Several are written by members of PFLAG Cleveland. The magazine is aimed at parents. Its home page is at http://yourteenmag.com/ ; the coming out stories are at
http://yourteenmag.com/2010/08/coming-out-personal-stories/ .
There is also an article on teens and bullying. The print edition of the magazine is available in Barnes & Noble and Border Bookstores throughout Ohio.

Pictured: Jane Daroff, LISW and Jes Sellers, Ph.D., founding members PFLAG Cleveland

PFLAG Cleveland celebrated our 25th anniversary and honored our founding members, Jane Daroff and Jes Sellers, at a garden party on Sunday August 22nd. Nearly 100 people enjoyed the beautiful home and gardens, and a delicious buffet provided by two longtime PFLAG supporters, Ernie Cahoon and Jane Rosenberg. David Horowitz, Vice-president, PFLAG National Board of Directors, presented plaques and congratulatory letters to Jane and Jes, and to chapter president, Sharon Groh-Wargo. The event energized everyone there to contribute to the PFLAG mission of support, education and advocacy.

Please view photo highlights from our Anniversary Party here. Photography by Mark Podulka, Your Photo Here, LLC.

Sharon Groh-Wargo
President, PFLAG Cleveland

Ann and Ed Hoenigman for their education about and advocacy of LGBTQ high school students in the Cleveland Catholic High schools.
http://www.fortunatefamilies.com/Newsletters/Aug2009Newsletter.pdf

Please join PFLAG Cleveland on Tuesday, November 9th, at 6:30pm for a reception honoring Ann and Ed for their work in the Cleveland Catholic high schools. Ann and Ed will share their story, during the educational option that evening, and participate in a discussion with members.

Join PFLAG Cleveland for Stonewall Uprising at CMA!
Wednesday, October 13th at 7pm.

Please meet Alan Cohen at the Ticket Counter, at the extreme right of the Main Lobby in the Cleveland Museum of Art. Alan will then authorize the group discount price of $7.00/ticket.

http://www.clevelandart.org/calendar.aspx?eventtype=films

Stay with us following the film for a discussion and reception at CWRU's new LGBT Center in Thwing Center from 8:20 - 9:45pm.
Refreshments will be served.

Tuesday, September 14th at 7:30pm
Trinity Commons
22nd and Prospect, Cleveland

"Out in the Silence" Film will be shown as the educational option this evening. Discussion to follow.
For more information about the film, click here:

http://wpsu.org/outinthesilence

PFLAG Cleveland will host its June support group meeting Tuesday, June 8th at 7:30pm in Trinity Cathedral (E22nd St and Euclid Ave). Free, lighted, secure parking is available at the Prospect Ave entrance to Trinity Commons.

In addition to our regular support group meeting PFLAG Cleveland is offering an educational option titled "Protecting our community: Legal Issues in the LGBT Community" to be led by Maria Shinn, J.D. ( Juris Doctor). If you are interested in this educational option, please meet in the support group meeting room as usual and travel with Maria Shinn and PFLAG leaders to Room #5 in Trinity. Room #5 has a capacity of about 20 people.

Please join us for our ANNUAL PRIDE Brunch.
Saturday, June 26th at 10am
Old Stone Church
91 Public Square
Cleveland

Free and open to our allies!

PRIDE Parade steps off at 12 noon.

Cleveland PFLAG is sponsoring a tour of the Cleveland Museum of Art, http://www.clevelandart.org/, on Wednesday, May 26.  Please meet on the UPPER LEVEL LOBBY at the INFORMATION DESK at 5:30 p. m.  The tour will start promptly at 6:00 p. m.

The one-hour tour will be led by a docent who will concentrate on the LBGT connection to the museum's collection.  Also, see recent renovations made to the museum.  The tour is free of charge, however, parking in the museum garage, which is located off Jeptha Drive on the northwest corner of the museum's campus is $5.00 after 5:00 p. m.  Street parking may be available. 

Dinner is on your own at Primo Vino Restaurant, 12511 Mayfield Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44106.1931, 216.229.3334.  The restaurant is located on the lower level, and is one flight of stairs down.  This is in the nearby Little Italy neighborhood.

PLEASE R.S.V.P. to Tom Roese, treehse440@yahoo.com by 24 May, as space is LIMITED to 30 PARTICIPANTS.

Oberlin College’s Theater and Dance Program will host a benefit performance of Jonathan Harvey’s "Beautiful Thing" in support of Cleveland PFLAG on April 23 at 8:00 p.m. at Hall Auditorium.  A portion of the tickets for that evening’s performance will be held in reserve for members of PFLAG as the special price of $5/adults, with free admission for high school students.  Following the performance, the cast and audience are invited to participate in a discussion about the play, followed by an informal reception with light refreshments.  Throughout the run of the play (April 21-24) the cast will solicit donations to be given to a few nonprofit organizations dedicated to improving the quality of life for members of the LGBTQ community, including Cleveland PFLAG.

"Beautiful Thing" is a hilarious urban fairy tale that tells the story of Jamie and Ste (short for  Steve), teenage boys and neighbors in a working class housing project in south London. Over the course of one long, hot summer, the nature of their relationship begins to change from friendly to romantic, much to the surprise of the boys and their family and friends. It’s an endearing comedy about a boy who falls in love for the boy next door. "Beautiful Thing" speaks directly to the nature of love, life, and what it means to be a gay/questioning teenager in today’s world.

For ticket information to the benefit performance (or any performance),call the Oberlin Central Ticket Service at 440-775-8169. Be sure to tell the agent you’re with the PFLAG group, so that you receive the special discount or free admission.

Saturday, May 1, 2010, 8:30am The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum
The Diversity Center Annual Walk, Rock & Run
3 mile walk or 5K run
Registration and info at:
http://www.diversitycenterneo.org/walkandrock.asp

Important Information for LGBT People

http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/pdf/LGBTFactSheet.pdf

www.census2010.gov

Trinity Cathedral
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Preaching at 9am and 11:15am
The Dean's Forum at 10:10am

Harry Knox is the director of the Human Rights Campaign's Religion and Faith Program.
http://www.trinitycleveland.org/index.php

Trinity Cathedral
Wednesday, April 21, 2010, 7:30pm
"Why I, A Citizen of the 21st Century, Believe in Life Beyond Death"
http://www.trinitycleveland.org/index.php

Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C ®) Metropolitan and Eastern Campus Theatre Departments will present “The Laramie Project,” a compelling play about life in a small town after the horrific murder of a gay University of Wyoming student. In October 1998, 21-year-old Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, severely beaten and left to die, tied to a fence in the middle of a prairie outside of Laramie, Wyo. “The Laramie Project” is one of the most performed plays in America today.

http://www.tri-c.edu/events/pages/laramie219.aspx

Please call Trinity at 216 771-3630 to find out if PFLAG Support Group has been cancelled due to weather conditions. If events have been cancelled at Trinity, PFLAG meeting is cancelled.

Hello PFLAG members,
We are all deeply saddened by the loss of longtime PFLAG Cleveland member, Margot Cohen.  Margot was a tireless advocate for PFLAG's mission and an active Advisory Board member.  She was an ardent supporter of the arts.  Margot loved to attend the plays and films that PFLAG sponsored.  She was also a primary contributor to the annual brunch sponsored by PFLAG Cleveland at PRIDE. Margot's cheerful attitude and easy smile brought joy to everyone around her.  She will be greatly missed.

We grieve with Alan, their children and their extended family and friends.

A memorial service will be held Saturday (tomorrow) 1/30 at 1:00 PM at the Shaker Nature Center. I have received several requests for Alan's address (see below). Requests for more
Information can be made through mail@pflagcleveland.org.

Kindly
Sharon

A group of PFLAG Cleveland support group members and their guests are shown here enjoying a dinner at a local Cleveland restaurant, Latitude 41, before they attended a showing of the first run film “A Single Man.”  It is a film based on the 1964 novel of the same name by Christopher Isherwood about an emotionally wrenching day in the life of a 1960’s homosexual college professor. The movie was showing at the newly renovated Capitol Theater located right around the corner from the Cleveland LGBT Center and was the first gathering of what is hoped to be several social gatherings throughout the year trying to establish an alternative for members outside of the support group setting in order to keep members involved and connected.  Keep your eyes on the website and e-mails for notices of future events of this type in the coming months.

Please join us for the official public launch of the Ohio Department of Health’s “ButtOut Ohio” program, to educate and inform LGBT youth about tobacco use and resources for quitting.

The launch will take place on Wednesday, January 13, at 11:30 a.m. at John Marshall High School, home to one of the nation’s largest Gay-Straight Alliance groups, with more than 100 members.  We will be proud to have in attendance representatives from the City of Cleveland, the City of Cleveland Heights and a range of other LGBT community and health organizations, showing their support for the need to reduce tobacco use and smoking among LGBT youth.

John Marshall High School is located at:
3952 West 140th Street
Cleveland, OH 44111-4998
(Parking access off Viola Ave.)

To RSVP or for questions, please contact project coordinator Jonah Weinberg at jonahbw@gmail.com or via telephone at (619) 846-9733.

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you at this exciting event.

Graduating high school seniors:
Check out the PFLAG National Scholarship link!

http://community.pflag.org/scholarships

PFLAG Cleveland members and friends enjoyed a delicious lunch and seasonal program at beautiful Landerhaven on Monday December 8th.  Executive Caterers generously underwrites this yearly event.  All proceeds from tickets purchased for the PFLAG table come directly back to us.  Great fun and our largest fund raiser for the year.  Thanks for all you attended or purchased a ticket.  Look for Phil~an~thro~pi~a  next year when PFLAG Cleveland turns 25!

Sharon Groh-Wargo
President, PFLAG Cleveland

Show your support in Cleveland's bid for the 2014 Gay Games! Cleveland is one of three finalists bidding for the games! PFLAG will be in attendance. Please come and wear your PFLAG t-shirts!!

Dear Friends,

Sanford Asch, husband to Carolyn Asch and the father of Bob and his sister Terry Asch, died Tuesday morning. He was 91 years old. Sanford Asch was a long-time member of PFLAG Cleveland and he will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Asch family.

Please send your condolences to Bob Asch: itsabouttimein2004@hotmail.com

Thank you for supporting PFLAG Cleveland at Cleveland Pride 2009

If you are a long-time supporter or first-time visitor of PFLAG Cleveland, thank you for attending our brunch honoring Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman, thank you for marching with us and showing your solidarity, and thank you for visiting our booth at the Cleveland Pride Festival.

If this is the first time you've visited our website after reading our literature at Pride, please browse our website and learn about the services we offer and explore our online resources. If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please e-mail us at mail@pflagcleveland.org.

Thanks again!

PFLAG CLEVELAND
invites you to their annual pre-parade
PRIDE BRUNCH

== FREE AND OPEN TO ALL OUR ALLIES ==

June 20, 2009 @ 10:30am
at the Old Stone Church, 91 Public Square, Cleveland
(use Ontario Street entrance)

The 2009 Bruce G. Kriete Community Award of PFLAG Cleveland recognizes
Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman
whose extraordinary leadership helped pass the Cleveland Domestic Partnership Registry of 2008.

While PFLAG Cleveland can not and will not endorse any political candidate for public office, we will, when warranted, recognize the efforts of an elected official who courageously supports the civil rights of our LGBT community.

Thank You Fat Fish Blue for contributing food to PFLAG Cleveland's Brunch.

E-mail mail@pflagcleveland.org for more information.

State PFLAG Meeting ~ Spring 2009

Approximately forty dedicated PFLAG chapter leaders and members from around the state of Ohio bucked the urge to get out into the beautiful spring weather and attended the annual Ohio State meeting for PFLAG on Saturday, April 25 @ Trinity Cathedral in downtown Cleveland.  Chapters from throughout the state including Alliance, Akron, Youngstown/Warren, Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton arrived for the day and were welcomed by PFLAG Cleveland’s founder and support group co-facilitator, Jane Daroff with her compelling story of how she came to found the Cleveland chapter at the urging of her gay son.  PFLAG Cleveland President Sharon Groh-Wargo and her board had assembled an impressive slate of speakers for the event that started out with Patrick Shepherd, Associate Director of the Cleveland Film Society which had just presented the Cleveland International Film Festival, the largest film festival in the country between New York and Chicago. He spoke to the group about how MTV, HBO specials, and film along with a supportive family and friends helped his coming out process in the 80’s.  With this in mind he showed the group how film could be used as a “change agent” in society and for PFLAG chapters in their mission to educate by showing a short in this year’s festival, “Second Guessing Grandma.”

Tami Brown, Vice President in Marketing and Communications at Positively Cleveland Convention and Visitors Bureau also spoke to the group about the her work on the LGBT Visitor’s Guide and website, an initiative pioneered by her group and the first of its kind in the state.  This work had earned them the PFLAG Cleveland Bruce G. Kriete Community Award of 2007.  The Guide focuses on the needs of the LGBT traveler and noted gay friendly businesses useful to tourists.  She also spoke about her department’s involvement on bringing the Gay Games to the area in 2014.

After Ms. Brown’s presentation, an emotionally charged session was presented by Mary Lou Wallner and her husband Bob about their journey after the suicide of her lesbian daughter, Anna.  Following her death, the couple had to reconcile their condemnation of her homosexuality that was based in their church and its interpretation of the Bible.  They founded “TEACH” (To Educate About the Consequence of Homophobia) Ministries and have worked with many pro-LGBT groups such as SOULFORCE to present her life-changing story.  It was spotlighted in the 2007 Sundance film festival Grand Jury award winner, “For The Bible Tells Me So,” a movie which chronicles several individual and family experiences with their sexual orientation and the church’s teachings and also in the November 2007 issue of PEOPLE magazine.

Brooke Smith, National PFLAG Field and Policy Coordinator, rounded out the program with a workshop on chapter financials despite fighting an awful cold.  All the chapters shared their current projects in their communities such as scholarships, fundraising events and of course the PRIDE celebrations in the upcoming month of June. Overall it was an enjoyable and moving day disguised as a meeting!

Submitted by,
Pat Brandt
PFLAG Cleveland Newsletter Editor

PFLAG Cleveland gratefully acknowledges the generous gift by Tim Leiden and Robert Dubbs which makes PFLAG sponsorship of a film and reception at the annual Cleveland International Film Festival possible.

Please click on the Events tab more information.

2008 - Senator Dale Miller Ohio 23rd District

Previous Awardees:
2007 - Convention & Visitors Bureau Of Greater Cleveland
2006 - Dick Feagler, Plain Dealer Columnist