Dear Metro DC PFLAG Friends and Families, 

My name is Linda Heilman. I am writing to introduce myself as the newest member of the Metro DC PFLAG Board of Directors, where my role is to represent parents in our local LGBTQ community.
 
I am a German historian by training and a lifelong introvert by nature. As an introvert, I originally declined the Board's request to write this email because I was uncomfortable telling people about myself. I hesitated to share my concerns as the mother and mother-in-law of two 33-year-old gay men who will hopefully make me a grandmother before long. But then I spoke to my children, thought about my own research on how economic insecurity feeds political extremism, and realized that these are not ordinary times we are living through.
 
As we look ahead to 2017, all the gains of the LGBTQ community in recent years could very well be at risk once the new administration takes office. Equal rights in our schools, nonviolence in our neighborhoods, safety in our businesses, marriage equality in our homes, and so much more is at stake. In this environment, Metro DC PFLAG's work in our community will be more important than ever in the months ahead.
 
A big part of my commitment to Metro DC PFLAG stems from wanting to make our little corner of the world a better place for my own children, for their children and their contemporaries. I want all of them to be able to live their lives as productive members of an inclusive society. That's why I just wrote my largest check ever to a charity and why I am asking you to join me in supporting Metro DC PFLAG's mission to keep families together. Please do whatever you can to ensure a brighter future for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities with a generous tax-deductible contribution today.
 
Thank you and best wishes for a happy, healthy, and inclusive 2017,

Linda Heilman, Ph.D., MBA


Wishing you health and happiness this Holiday Season and
prosperity in the New Year.
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