PFLAG Meeting!
PFLAG Alamance Monthly Meeting
Welcoming new people and old friends
June 8, 2021
7:00 p.m.
Community Life Center
Elon Community Church UCC
271 N. Williamson Ave.
Elon, NC
Please enter the building through the covered walk behind the sanctuary.
Plenty of parking there.
11, 2021, at 7:00
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OUR MAY MEETING ON THE PATIO
Last month's Ice-Cream Social was a great experience as 19 people gathered to share their stories, raise questions and offer thoughts about the future.
Next week's meeting will be indoors to utilize the air conditioning (summer is coming, though in NC you never know what to expect).
We will continue to follow Covid protocols and Elon Community Church policies.
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Vaccinations recommended, but not required.
- Social distancing will be practiced. Meeting in the CLC will allow for plenty of room to space our chairs
- Masks are optional in the building now, but if you are more comfortable wearing a mask, please feel free to do so.
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Something to Think About . . .
by Cindy Davis
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I promised myself that I would not mention the Covid-19 virus in this month’s newsletter, but it’s a topic that continues to show up in a starring role. We’re literally beginning to breathe again. Not quite as much talk about quarantining, although the same cannot be said about whether to wear a mask. What constitutes proper mask etiquette is still, at times unclear, which can be frustrating, so I make sure to stuff one in my pocket in case I need it. Meanwhile I am busy welcoming the emergence of light, of options, of reasons to plan and celebrate. Along with these freedoms, new and alternate dialogues have emerged – “Have you been vaccinated yet? Was it your first or second? Has it been two weeks since the second shot? Which shot did you get, the Pfizer or Moderna? I hope you didn’t get the Johnson & Johnson. Are you going to vaccinate your kids? What do you think about inspiring people with incentives? Actually, bribing them? Why don’t some people plan to get vaccinated?” At a glance we’re able to identify mask wearers from non-wearers, but not so with vaccine recipients.
Understandably, after this long battle, we will grapple with the ever present need to keep on taking good care of ourselves, which currently includes wanting to know how others take care of themselves, the latter over which, we have no control. Life has definitely improved, however, let us not be fooled into believing that this pandemic is behind us. There are still protocols in place guiding us about how to stay healthy, even if they are sometimes confusing.
After my partner and I received both shots, I think that we felt a little euphoric, (if there is such a thing as a “little” euphoric). There was a surprising feeling of levity, of cheerfulness. Some scientists are saying that the time to return to normal is now! We felt rewarded for hanging in there during the many months of insanity, as if reclaiming some sort of prize. When asked if I’ve been vaccinated, I practically crow. If I’m being perfectly candid, I feel a certain satisfaction in being personally responsible. So I’m particularly stumped when some people I love tell me they’re on the fence about getting the vaccine. My first response is to want to converse, to tell them how liberating it is, how much protection it provides. I am driven by my beliefs. These conversations involve passion and earnest that are equal to my own, despite being diametrically opposed, reminding me to remain respectful. I can only do what I can - stay committed to taking good care of myself, and living my best life, whatever that looks like right now. I’m looking forward to so much, both the indoor and outdoor events that have been off limits for over a year. There are so many people I want to hug. Yes, I’m even looking forward to booster shots.
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning how to dance in the rain.”
-Vivian Greene
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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
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From NGC OUT ....
U.S. revises policy that denied citizenship to children of gay couples
Some children born abroad to married same-sex couples had been denied U.S. citizenship if they didn’t have a biological tie to one parent.
May 19, 2021, 4:17 PM EDT
The United States has ended a policy that denied U.S. citizenship to some children born abroad to gay Americans.
The State Department announced Tuesday that children born outside the United States to married parents, at least one of whom is an American citizen, “will be U.S. citizens from birth if they have a genetic or gestational tie to at least one of their parents.” Previously, the department required children born abroad to have a biological tie to a U.S. citizen.
For example, under the previous policy, a child born in Mexico to an American woman and her Mexican wife could be denied U.S. citizenship if the child had no biological tie to the American, even if the two women were legally married in the U.S. before the child was born.
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THE WHITEHOUSE
Statement by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia
Jill and I are proud to recognize the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia — the anniversary of the day in 1990 when the World Health Organization took the long overdue step of declassifying ‘homosexuality’ as a mental disorder.
So much has changed for the LGBTQI+ community since that day — not only in our laws, but in the hearts and minds of the American people. Courageous activists in America and around the world have championed progress, and won. Here at home, marriage equality and greater protections against hate crimes are the law of the land. Overseas, foreign governments, civil societies, and international organizations like the United Nations finally recognize that LGBTQI+ people are deserving of the full measure of dignity and equality.
Despite this progress, both COVID-19 and rising authoritarianism around the world continue to widen economic, social, and safety gaps for LGBTQI+ people — and an epidemic of violence still rages, with a particular impact on the transgender community, specifically transgender women and girls of color. Around the world, some 70 countries still criminalize same-sex relationships. And here at home, LGBTQI+ Americans still lack basic protection in 25 states, and they continue to face discrimination in housing, education, and public services.
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This is a Story worth a Few Minutes
of Your Time
My name is James Perez Servino. I’m proud to be a Pacific Islander and of CHamoru heritage (the indigenous people of the Pacific islands of Guam and the Marianas). Guam was the first U.S. territory to pass fully inclusive LGBTQ workplace protections and marriage equality into law. And I’m proud to be a member of the Human Rights Campaign staff… and to share my story with you today.
My grandma must have been exhausted and cold that winter in 1963 when she and my grandfather squeezed their 5 kids and all their belongings into the car for their move from California to Massachusetts. It was a big move, but it wasn’t their first. At one stop my grandmother rushed back to the car, squeezing my mom and the rest of the kids back in with her, angry tears falling on the carseat and on my grandma’s dress.
This was the first of many roadside diners where they weren’t just stared at, but denied service. It must have been dehumanizing and frustrating for my grandparents, who were making this move because my grandpa was serving in the U.S. Air Force and was stationed in Massachusetts.
Both of my grandparents survived World War II on the island of Guam, which was one of the few U.S. territories that was bombed, invaded and occupied. Like many indigenous people on Guam, their families were moved to concentration camps during the Japanese occupation -- there were many CHamorus who were punished for their loyalty to the United States. My grandparents survived only to find themselves feeling the scorn of discrimination and indifference stateside.
This is incomprehensible for veterans from the territories like my grandfather, who serve in the U.S. armed services and die for their country at higher rates than any state in the union. Yet, like many other minorities, can be easily ignored and discriminated against just because of where we come from and what we look like. And still, they persevered.
One of my favorite photos of my grandma is of her wearing an HRC shirt supporting equal rights on Guam (included below!). She loved all her kids and grandkids. I think because of all that she experienced in her lifetime, she knew that she didn’t want her kids and grandkids to face the same struggles. She was the person who inspired me to begin working with HRC in Guam. In addition to passing marriage equality into law and passing fully inclusive LGBTQ workplace protections, Guam even has an openly LGBTQ Lieutenant Governor.
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A Word from Equality NC
In a huge win for our communities recently, the Biden Administration announced that they will interpret and enforce federal policy to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in health care based on gender identity and sexual orientation. This is welcome news at a horrific time when the transgender community is under attack within the majority of states across this country.
Today’s update was made in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock v. Clayton County. That decision affirmed federal nondiscrimination protections in employment and said that sex discrimination includes discrimination against people on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Research shows that one-quarter of LGBTQ+ people who faced discrimination postponed or avoided receiving needed medical care for fear of further discrimination.
While this is cause for celebration, we can’t give up the fight. If anything, this correct interpretation of binding federal law underlines how misguided and dangerous bills which attempt to ban healthcare for trans youth are. Transgender people already face disproportionate discrimination in all areas of public life, including housing and employment. Ensuring they have equitable access to health care is a step towards building a better world for our most marginalized community members.
Thank you, President Biden, for showing up for our communities when we need you most.
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Email
info@pflagalamance.org
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P.O. Box 623,
Elon, NC 27244
Phone Number:
+1 336-584-8722
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