Advancing Equality Through Support, Education and Advocacy
|
Building on a Foundation of Loving Families |
Letter From the President:
November, in addition to Thanksgiving, is also the month of two important days for the LGBTQ+ community:
-
Intersex Solidarity Day, November 8, is also known as Intersex Day of Remembrance and marks the birthday of Herculine Barbin, a now-famous French intersex person.
-
International Transgender Day of Remembrance, November 20, memorializes those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice and honors Rita Hester, who was murdered on November 28,1998.
This second day has personal significance to me as my oldest child is non-binary and it reminds me that this world does not yet accept them for the beautiful person that they are solely because they don't conform to society's views of gender. As a parent of a non-binary child, I have learned so much about gender and about the inherent beauty, strength, insight, and creativity of those who identify outside of the binary. However, I have also learned of the hatred and violence that many who identify in ways other than cisgender experience. This is one of the reasons that I am so thankful for PFLAG and the work that it does. By supporting , educating and advocating, PFLAGers continue to change the world one heart at a time, so that hopefully, one day, all children can be who they are meant to be without fear. This is why, even after PFLAG helps families move from crisis to a place of understanding and acceptance, the continued involvement of these families in PFLAG is so critical. The more voices we have engaged in activities of support, education and advocacy, the faster change can happen. For those of you who we haven't seen in a while, we invite you to reconnect. For those of you who we see, we invite you to increase your level of engagement. Contact us and we can talk about how you'd like to help. Together, we can do amazing things.
All the best for a beautiful fall,
Lisa Levy
pronouns: she/her/hers
President PFLAG Danville-San Ramon Valley
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL:
Please consider renewing or starting a 2020-2021 membership** today! Here’s how:
Print and fill out this membership form and send it along with your check to the address listed on the form. If you have any questions please call Faye Isaacson, Membership Chair of PFLAG Danville-San Ramon Valley at 510-872-8363.
OPEN BOARD POSITIONS:
We have a few Board positions open, some brand new to the chapter.
- Vice President (new position)
- Membership Chair
-
Marketing and Events Chair (new position)
If you are interested or know anyone who is (they do not have to be a current PFLAG member), please let us know at srvpflag@gmail.com.
|
|
Dr. John Malloy
Superintendent SRVUSD
Monday 7:00 PM 11/16/20
|
|
- Please join us at our monthly support meetings which are held on the 3rd Monday of EVERY month from 7-9 PM - currently being held on ZOOM. This month Dr. John Malloy the new Superintendent for the San Ramon Valley Unified School District will be joining us.
- If you are 18 and older join our PFLAG Zoom Social every Monday from 8-9ish PM on Zoom. Contact us at srvpflag@gmail.com for these invitation only events.
-
NEW!: If you have a teenager who is looking for a social opportunity with other LGBTQ+ teens, our PFLAG Highschool Zoom social will be held on the first Sunday evening of each month from 7:00-8:00 PM, please contact us at srvpflag@gmail.com for these invitation only events.
|
|
Changing Hearts and Minds |
|
In late October, PFLAG Danville-San Ramon Valley met with the school counselors in the San Ramon Valley School District for an educational refresher. We discussed LGBTQ+ terminology, the concepts of gender identity and expression, inclusive spaces and language, and how to best meet the mental health needs of our LGBTQ+ students. Our hope is to continue these mini education sessions with different members of staff throughout the district over the next few months.
Movie Recommendation:
State of Pride (2019): Fifty years after the Stonewall uprising, filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman travel to three diverse communities, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to document LGBTQ Pride. The movie manages to be inspirational, heartbreaking and educational all at the same time.
|
|
As November 4th nears, we want to give one last reminder to please VOTE! This election is critical to the rights of our LGBTQ+ loved ones. You can find your local polling place HERE.
We know that many of us, particularly our LGBTQ+ loved ones, are dealing with a lot of stress around this election. HERE is a new resource by the Chief Clinical Operations Officer at The Trevor Project, Dr. Tia Dole, about supporting LGBTQ youth around the upcoming presidential election. The resource includes tips for how to cope with intense emotions, take care of yourself, and approach difficult political conversations with people in your life. It also provides nonpartisan guidance on how to vote safely amid COVID-19.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
