By Jean Hodges
I was so proud of our Boulder County delegation at the National Convention on Nov. 3-6. We were joined by other Coloradans: three members from PFLAG Colorado Springs, two from Ft. Collins, Shari Wilkins from Denver and six from Boulder—Kristen Kinard, Maureen Cassulo, Jean and Jack Hodges, Karen Adams and Karina Doyle (and her Illinois PFLAG mom). We all participated in the best national convention of the five I have attended.
On Lobby Day some 180 PFLAGers from across the country met with senators and representatives from their respective states. As a Colorado group we met with Mark Udall’s legislative aides and with Michael Bennet and his staff. The emphasis in both meetings was to tell our stories. Sen. Bennet asked that written, brief stories be sent to his office for use in future legislative work. Karen and Jean’s visit to the office of John Boehner was not as well received, but a visit to Barney Frank’s office scored us a promise by aide, Diego Sanchez, to do a screening of our film “Faces and Facets” for legislators in the near future. Senator Al Franken, Representatives Barney Frank, Jerrold Nadler, and Jared Polis, and other government officials inspired everyone to make the visits because we could make a difference about upcoming bills: H.R.1648/S.506 focuses on preventing student-on-student bullying and harassment. H.R.998 addresses discrimination by schools or school employees and provides for legal remedy in cases of bullying and harassment.
The PFLAG National Convention was opened by Dr. Jill Biden, the Second Lady, a mom, a grandmother, life-long educator and a much sought-after speaker. One of her aides, who is gay, convinced Dr. Biden to choose PFLAG as one of her many speaking invitations because of what PFLAG meant to him and his family. After her affirming words of support for the PFLAG mission, she walked backstage to see her aide in tears. Both wept as they embraced with a new bond of understanding.
Other plenary speakers included Caitlin Ryan, as well as a special FBI agent and persons from the Department of Justice and the Civil Rights Commission who asked to speak to PFLAG about partnering to stop LGBTQ hate crimes and bullying. Workshop topics included anti-discrimination legislation, safe schools, hate crime investigation, bi-national families, religion, making sports safe, starting chapters, rural chapters, social media, scholarships, fundraising, marriage, board leadership development, to name just a few. Our two board members came away empowered to create a stronger chapter here at home. Karen Adams and Melissa Druckman, a former Boulder board member now living in New York State, were both invited to join a National PFLAG Transgender Advisory Council.
Our film, “Faces and Facets of Transgender Experience” was featured in one workshop led by Karen and Jean. But the biggest impact was at our PFLAG table, where we sold some 78 DVD’s at the convention and gave away 20-25 to legislators, and some of our speakers from the Civil Rights Commission and the Dept. of Justice, as well as one to Betty DeGeneres with the request that she watch it with Ellen. She said she would. Jack, Maureen, Kristen, Karina, Karen and Melissa Druckman staffed our table conscientiously for 2 1/2 days solid. On the last day Jack said one woman bought 15 copies. She may have heard Catherine Hyde, Trans Coordinator from Maryland, who said that she bought ten copies and gives one to each new family that comes to her support group. “It’s the best way for them to get started on this journey,” she said.
The convention culminated with the Awards Banquet where Betty DeGeneres received the first “Betty DeGeneres Advocate Award”. Who can forget her inspiring and often hilarious words as she showed us video clips of her comic bits on Ellen’s show? I was pleased to have a picture taken with such a gracious and unpretentious lady. (Some say we look like sisters, but really, it’s just the white hair we share.) I was honored to present the very special Starr Award to Nancy McDonald, National President emerita, who was my mentor when I first became local president back in l996. Highlight of the evening for all of us, however, was our chapter receiving Special Recognition for Outstanding Contribution because our film, “Faces and Facets of Transgender Experience” met the criteria for all three aspects of the PFLAG mission and has reached across the country in its distribution.
The convention was exciting and meant non-stop activities that kept us all going 12 to 14 hours a day. Our time together concluded with a thoughtful panel of clergy from many faiths who spoke about the importance of finding the value of spiritual beliefs held by diverse faith communities and the challenge to those faith communities to work toward LGBTQ equality and inclusion.
We each came away with actions to pursue. For Karina Doyle it will be to organize presentations in Boulder County about Caitlin Ryan’s research for parents, teachers, and clergy to better keep LGBT children safe and accepted. For Kristen and Maureen, they will bring new skills to board leadership. For Karen there was a break-through in understanding that she doesn’t need to do her TYES work alone. There is a national network of support awaiting her connection.
As for me, I came away with deep satisfaction of being part of this national organization that is growing in power to effect change nationally through the work of an amazing national staff and the empowered 250 chapters across the country that are the life blood of the movement for LGBTQ equality.
