PFLAG Alamance's latest

Continuing Virtual PFLAG Alamance Zoom Meetings

Tuesday, March 9, 2021, at 7:00 p.m.

You're using Zoom in many places . . . why not Zoom in for our PFLAG Meeting next week?

A good number have been joining in, finding that just seeing and hearing friendly, accepting faces and voices can be encouraging.

It's easy and secure if you follow the simple instructions below.

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If you wish to join in and haven't been with us before, just call (336-584-8722) or email (info@pflagalamance.org), giving us your FIRST name and your email address and we will send you an invitation. If you have previously participated in our Zoom meetings you don't have to call us.

From from the New York Times . . .

More Adult Americans Are Identifying as L.G.B.T., Gallup Poll Finds

By Christina Morales

Feb. 24, 2021

A Gallup survey released Wednesday has found that more adult Americans are identifying as L.G.B.T., a shift that pollsters see as driven, at least in part, by people in younger generations who are more likely to consider themselves to be something other than heterosexual.

The poll found that 5.6 percent of adults identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, rising from 4.5 percent in 2017, the last time Gallup reported an annual update. The poll also found that more than half of L.G.B.T. adults identified as bisexual.

One in six adults in Generation Z, people born between 1997 and 2002, identify as L.G.B.T., the poll found. The growth in Americans who identify as L.G.B.T.Q. is likely to continue to increase, Gallup’s senior editor, Jeffrey Jones, wrote in announcing the results. That is because those in younger generations are more likely than those in older generations to to consider themselves L.G.B.T., he said.

Americans have been more supportive of equal rights for L.G.B.T.Q. people, Mr. Jones said, prompting an increase in people who identify themselves as L.G.B.T.

See the full Times article

Something to Think About . . .

by Cindy Davis

What Do You Miss the Most?

These days it’s pretty commonplace for my partner and I to engage in lengthy, often introspective conversations, much because we enjoy them and too, because we have much more time on our hands. The topics vary and usually include discussions about our adopted kittens, the last delicious meal I may have cooked, or my partner’s ingenious solution to the latest house challenge. Our most recent discourse involved exploring what we miss the most as a result of the pandemic.

We agreed that dining out is definitely at the top of the list. It’s safe to say that we’re both foodies and always looked forward to an evening out, which provided us with the opportunity for a bit of pleasant socializing and a lovely change of scenery – not to mention the delicious cuisine. Often on a first name basis with many restaurant staff, we’d also enjoy engaging in small talk. For the record, we’re anxiously awaiting the re-opening of our favorite breakfast spot. It’s a stone’s throw from our house so we pass by it often, and not without checking to see if the lights are on. It’s been over a year.

Going to the cinema was major fun. In spite of the large variety of entertainment offered on television, there’s nothing quite like a half hour of coming attractions on the big screen and movie popcorn. And I do miss live music and theatre. We actually have tickets to a stage performance that never happened, keeping them handy in case the curtains go up soon. Though we are by no means international travelers, we never tired of making overnight trips to the mountains and beaches of NC. All of the above is on hold.

I know that Zoom must be credited with bringing people together for family gatherings and support groups, and providing a setting for professional consultations. But what I miss the very most are my friends. I am an authentic social animal. My need for interaction with other human beings is primitive. Literally, there is an energy I experience when in the company of a good friend. I miss the physical proximity, I miss the warmth, I miss the hugs. I love sharing personal thoughts and feelings, otherwise unspoken, rooted in trust and validation. Meeting at a local coffee shop and schmoozing over pastries. Driving to a community park and taking a leisurely stroll. Apart from being with my spouse, and family, it seems, there is little else that equals spending time with my friends. Delaying this gratification isn’t always easy. Having phone dates, coupled with emails and texts (and tons of emoji’s) help some. Don’t they say that “absence makes the heart grow fonder”? If that’s true, my heart’s about to burst with longing.

Cindy Davis is a retired Licensed Professional Counselor.

She was an advice columnist for the Times-News, and is also a PFLAG Board Member.

Watch for Cindy's column each month on our Newsletter

Get an Update Next Week on Elon University's GBLC

In support of the mission of Elon University, the Gender & LGBTQIA Center (GLC) partners across campus and community to support, advocate, and educate around gender and LGBTQIA identities to create an inclusive campus community of equity, justice, and academic excellence for students, employees, and alumni. As a result, our students will feel: Validated, Valued, & Victorious.

Validated in their identities
Valued for their contributions and who they will become
Victorious in their academic and social life at Elon

Luis Garay, Director of the Center, a member and supporter of PFLAG Alamance, will be with us through Zoom at our meeting to give us a report on how the Center has handled a difficult year of the Pandemic. He, his staff and volunteers have continued to be a meaningful resource for the students and the broader Elon/Burlington community.

Help us welcome Luis through your Zoom presence next Tuesday. Your presence will be a message of support for the important work that Elon does through the GLC.

In The News

Another Netflix offering for your viewing and information

"Based on a true story as a crisis of faith sets renowned fundamentalist preacher, Carl Pierson, on a new spiritual path that jeopardizes everything he holds dear." In addition to his theological break with his mentor in Tulsa, it has a powerful, personal story of his newly gained insights into the truth of LGBTQ issues. Don't miss this powerful movie on Netflix.

House passes Equality Act, expanding LGBTQ discrimination protection

Summer Meza

Thu, February 25, 2021, 5:32 PM

The House voted on last week to pass the Equality Act, an LGBTQ rights bill that prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. The bill passed with a 224-206 vote, with three Republican lawmakers joining all Democrats in supporting its passage.

The Equality Act is essentially an amendment to the 1964 Civil Rights Act, writes CNN, noting it's intended to expand protections against discrimination in housing, employment, and various public spaces. The act previously passed the House in 2019, but was not taken up for a vote in the Republican-controlled Senate.