GREENSBORO PFLAG CHAPTER
PFLAG was originally begun to offer support to parents of lesbian and gay individuals. It came
out of the courageous act of a parent walking in a PRIDE parade in New Your City. Jeanne
Manford made a cardboard sign that said "Parents of Gays Unite for support of our children".
She walked with her son in the New York Christopher Liberations Day March in 1972.
Slowly small groups began meeting to share their experiences and seek support. Now there are
chapters all over the United States and new chapters pop up every now and then.
The Greensboro PFLAG Chapter starts in 1993 (?) led primarily by Retta Gray, a lesbian woman
who had come out late in life. She facilitated most of the meetings attended primarily by
parents. Retta had attended meetings of the Winston-Salem PFLAG Chapter and recognized a
need for a chapter in Greensboro.
We had a small group made up about half gay people and half straight allies. We had about 8 -
10 people attending regularly and occasionally up to 20 people.
Members paid dues by the year and this provided most of the financial resources for our group.
We gladly accepted donations as well.
We met at the Friendship Friends Meeting on College Road for several years and gave the
Friends a donation of $100.00 per year to help with utilities for the PFLAG meetings.
PFLAG provides support, education, and advocacy but in the early years the emphasis was on
support for family members of gay and lesbians. We spent much time and effort helping gay
and lesbian people develop a plan for coming out to their family: how to come out -
telephone, letter, or personal visit. One suggestion for timing coming out was NOT to do it on a
holiday or other special day such as
Mother's Day or birthday, etc.
No matter how carefully one plans the coming out process and how much one anticipates the
reaction of family members, no one cannot always predict how parents and other family
members will respond. Some people would face being told they were going to Hell. Some
were told they were no longer considered to be a member of the family and not to contact
them in the future. This was particularly difficult due to the intensity of the coming out event
and the need for much support from family members during the process. The coming out
person has agonized for a long time about coming out to people who are considered close and
GREENSBORO PFLAG CHAPTER
PFLAG was originally begun to offer support to parents of lesbian and gay individuals. It came
out of the courageous act of a parent walking in a PRIDE parade in New Your City. Jeanne
Manford made a cardboard sign that said "Parents of Gays Unite for support of our children".
She walked with her son in the New York Christopher Liberations Day March in 1972.
Slowly small groups began meeting to share their experiences and seek support. Now there are
chapters all over the United States and new chapters pop up every now and then.
The Greensboro PFLAG Chapter starts in 1993 (?) led primarily by Retta Gray, a lesbian woman
who had come out late in life. She facilitated most of the meetings attended primarily by
parents. Retta had attended meetings of the Winston-Salem PFLAG Chapter and recognized a
need for a chapter in Greensboro.
We had a small group made up about half gay people and half straight allies. We had about 8 -
10 people attending regularly and occasionally up to 20 people.
Members paid dues by the year and this provided most of the financial resources for our group.
We gladly accepted donations as well.
We met at the Friendship Friends Meeting on College Road for several years and gave the
Friends a donation of $100.00 per year to help with utilities for the PFLAG meetings.
PFLAG provides support, education, and advocacy but in the early years the emphasis was on
support for family members of gay and lesbians. We spent much time and effort helping gay
and lesbian people develop a plan for coming out to their family: how to come out -
telephone, letter, or personal visit. One suggestion for timing coming out was NOT to do it on a
holiday or other special day such as
Mother's Day or birthday, etc.
No matter how carefully one plans the coming out process and how much one anticipates the
reaction of family members, no one cannot always predict how parents and other family
members will respond. Some people would face being told they were going to Hell. Some
were told they were no longer considered to be a member of the family and not to contact
them in the future. This was particularly difficult due to the intensity of the coming out event
and the need for much support from family members during the process. The coming out
person has agonized for a long time about coming out to people who are considered close and
