PFLAG Buffalo-Niagara

PFLAG Buffalo-Niagara Parents, Families, Friends and Allies United with LGBTQ People

PO Box 617 Buffalo, NY 14207

716-883-0384

info@pflagbuffalo.org www.pflagbuffalo.org

www.facebook.com/pflag.niagara

There will be no October Sharing Meeting.

PFLAG will present the film “Bullied” in conjunction with Buffalo and Erie County Library’s “Time to Stop Bullying” Month October 18 @ 1:00 at Downtown’s Central Library.

Generally, monthly sharing meetings are held at Kenilworth United Church of Christ, 45 Dalton Drive, Tonawanda 14223, from 2:30-5:00. Newcomers and anyone interested will be offered the option of meeting privately with a PFLAG parent. Our monthly meetings are in the library, which is near the parking lot entrance. The facility is handicapped accessible. New Parents Meetings are scheduled as needed at a location convenient to those involved. These self-help one-on-one meetings deal with the concerns of parents and family members who have recently learned that a loved one is gay.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

We meet because we have learned that someone very close to us is Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, or Transgender. We try to help one another deal with this information in a positive manner. Although we do not agree at all times, we try to be understanding. We

offer help to those who seek it, but do not force ourselves on others. We strive to maintain anonymity while sharing on a level that is comfortable for all of us. We encourage all to attend meetings for their own.

Page 2 PFLAG Buffalo/Niagara

Please read this information about Bullied, PFLAG’s 3rd annual October Free Film presentation.

A talk back will follow, and snacks will be provided as we view the film in “The Ring of Knowledge.”

Bullied: A Student, a School and a Case That Made History

www.teachingtolerance.org

Bullied is a documentary film that chronicles one student’s ordeal at the hands of anti-gay bullies and offers

an inspiring message of hope to those fighting harassment today. It can become a cornerstone of anti-

bullying efforts in middle and high schools.

Bullied is designed to help administrators, teachers and counselors create a safer school environment for

all students, not just those who are gay and lesbian.

It is also intended to help all students understand the terrible toll bullying can take on its victims, and to

encourage students to stand up for their classmates who are being harassed.

Bullied has been endorsed by the NEA.

“This film is powerful, important and extremely realistic. It provides teachers with a rare opportunity to

address bullying in a real and meaningful way.” -- Lee Cutler, Secretary/Treasurer, New York State United

Teachers

PFLAG Buffalo-Niagara

THIS MONTH NEWSLETTER WILL PRESENT IMPORTANT LOCAL RESOURCES THAT FRIENDS AND

FAMILIES CAN UTILIZE OR SHARE WITH LOVED ONES. PLEASE READ AND USE LINKS AS NEEDED.

371 Delaware Avenue Buffalo, NY 14202 716.855.0221 info@glyswny.org

GAY AND LESBIAN YOUTH SERVICES OF WESTERN NEW YORK (GLYS)

www.glyswny.org

Mission Statement & More

GLYS is funded through the NYS Department of Health,

United Way/SEFA/CFC donor choice programs,

and individual and corporate donors.

Mission Statement

The GLYS mission is to provide an accepting environment to enhance the personal growth of gay,

lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and questioning youth in Western New York. GLYS advocates for community

awareness and acceptance of young people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.

Purpose

GLYS provides a safe and positive environment for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and

questioning (GLBTQ) youth to learn more about themselves through peer interaction and educational

experiences. The organization creates opportunities for emotional growth and community awareness.

Goals and Objectives

Through GLYS outreach, other agencies learn about and increase their sensitivity to the needs of sexual

minority youth. GLYS provides GLBTQ youth with positive role models.

Page 4 PFLAG Buffalo/Niagara

It promotes their self-esteem and the integration of these youth into the larger community. GLYS assists

families with resources and referrals.

GLYS assists gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and questioning youth by providing

• safe space

• interaction with GLBT peers and adult role models

• a Peer Support Group

• health & wellness activities

• opportunities for leadership development

• access to cultural events and youth development activities

• information, resources & referrals

• advocacy

Through GLYS outreach, other agencies learn about and increase their sensitivity to the needs of sexual

minority youth. GLYS provides GLBTQ youth with positive role models. It promotes their self-esteem and the

integration of these youth into the larger community. GLYS assists families with resources and referrals.

HISTORY

GLYS began in 1983 at “Gay & Lesbian Youth of Buffalo” or GLYS and youth and volunteers met at the

Gay & Lesbian Community Center that was located on Delavan Avenue.

When the GLCC closed in 1986, the YWCA of WNY on Franklin Avenue offered to rent GLYB space for its Drop-

In Center. In 1994, GLYB changed its name to Gay & Lesbian Youth Services of WNY.

Until 2000 GLYS/GLYS was a part time counseling based organization. After Labor Day in 2000 it opened

its doors as a full time youth development agency. After the YWCA put its building up for sale in 2004, Trinity

Church offered to rent space to GLYS. Since August 1, 2005, this is where our Drop-In Center has been

located.

When it moved to Trinity, GLYS offered only its Drop-In Center to LGBTQ youth. Since then we have

worked to earn the “Western New York” in our name. Since 2006 it has been supporting the Gay Straight

Alliances in WNY high schools. In 2009 GLYS began reaching out to youth in out-of-home care. We now assist

youth in all 8 counties in a variety of ways.

Members

Members range in age from 14-21 and represent many racial, ethnic, religious and class backgrounds.

PFLAG Buffalo-Niagara

Staff

Our Staff is also diverse in background, education, and experience. Each staff member is dedicated to

serving gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and questioning youth.

Buffalo PFLAG member Linda Drajem and her son Christopher in Seattle use a blog to write back and forth

about issues affecting the LGBT community. This September, Linda’s blogpost was about GLYS and Marvin

Henchbarger, reprinted here to complement the GLYS information above.

BECOMING THE NEW ENEMY

By Linda Drajem, Our Family Matters blogpost, September 2015

Dear Christopher,

On the last day of this hot July I met with Marvin Henchbarger at a local Greek restaurant. She is the leader

of Gay and Lesbian Youth Services (GLYS), a local organization that serves the needs of gay and lesbian youth

in Western New York. Since her tenure the organization has grown to serve many Gay Straight Alliances in

local schools.

They do outreach in a variety of venues. Each year they sponsor a huge fundraiser. Many prominent

politicians and gay and straight activists attend. Not only does it raise needed funds to supplement their

grants, but it spreads the word about the needs of LGBT youth. Marvin has been involved in gay rights issues

for decades.

In her work with GLYS she has seen many changes. Yet, despite the recent Supreme Court decision

affirming the rights of marriage, she does not feel the full inclusion of gay people is achieved. She clearly

states, “Legislative achievements do not translate into support.” In fact she sees more religious

discrimination, which translates into problems for gay family members. As she explains it, some churches do

not have another target to label as evil, so LGBT people become the new enemy. Consequently, that has a

negative impact on gay kids.

Though more LGBT folks are visible nowadays, Marvin suspects the backlash is greater. That makes it

even harder for LGBT kids. With the ubiquity of the Internet, anonymous hate comments are easily made and

easily read. So kids are even more fearful. Because of the problems gay youth encounter, GLYS does outreach

Page 6 PFLAG Buffalo/Niagara

with a psychiatric center at a local hospital as well as other facilities for troubled youth. In these venues they

find there are many LGBT kids.

Under her administration there have been many achievements. With the support of GLYS there are

now 48 high schools in the greater Western New York area that have functioning Gay Straight Alliances. In

addition to supporting these clubs, they have sponsored a GSA conference for the past two years. This year

there will be two conferences, one in the northern area of the county and one in the southern portion. For the

past three years they have hosted a diversity prom. This past June over 200 young people attended (in fact

Dad and I will chaperone the next prom in June of 2016).

While these accomplishments have great merit, Marvin is troubled. We talked about how every other

group’s efforts to achieve justice has met with continuing problems along the way. Two that quickly some to

mind are the Civil Rights movement, and the women’s movement. Just a quick perusal of the news proves

that African-Americans are still vulnerable. There seems to be a killing of a young black person every

week. Abortion rights for women are becoming more limited with the regular assaults on clinics and on

Planned Parenthood. We do not need to look far to see that while achievements can and must be celebrated,

we cannot rest too long because the forces against these gains are deep.

Thanks goodness people like Marvin keeping fighting in our community. I know you and Lisa are doing

good work in your Seattle area with workshops for prospective teachers to alert them to the issues of gay

kids. Discrimination does not disappear easily. We need to keep talking about these issues and working

against bigotry in all its forms.

Love, Mom

_______________________________________________________________________________________

THE PRIDE CENTER OF WESTERN NEW YORK

www.pridecenterwny.org

ABOUT THE PRIDE CENTER

Pride Center of Western New York, Inc. (PCWNY), is a 501(c)3 not for profit organization. The mission of

PCWNY is to work with the community to make Western New York a safe, healthy, and satisfying place for lesbians,

gay men, bisexuals, transgender and queer people to live, work, and establish their families. By working with

organizations, businesses, and individuals, PCWNY strives to:

Refer individuals and groups to LGBTQ organizations and allied organizations for health care, legal

issues and other needed assistance.

Enhance communication between organizations and businesses to make their mission and services

known to each other and to the larger community.

Develop leadership within the community.

PFLAG Buffalo-Niagara

Strengthen vehicles of communication and information.

Expand the visibility of LGBTQ issues and accomplishments, and educate the general public about the

value that the LGBTQ community has in our society.

Provide a safe, secure, and private environment for groups and organizations to meet, allowing them

to increase their impact on the community

PCWNY welcomes all groups and individuals seeking to add to the continuing improvement of the LGBTQ

community. The Pride Center is funded through a grant from the New York State Department of Health, David

Bohnett Foundation, and other funding, as well as generous contributions from the community. All donations are tax

deductible and benefit the programs and services of PCWNY!

PCWNY is dedicated to increasing the availability of information and referrals for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,

Transgender and Queer communities of western New York. Our website is updated monthly so check back to see

what new offerings are available in your local community. The Pride Center is located at 200 S. Elmwood Ave (corner

of Chippewa) Buffalo, NY. The David Bohnett CyberCenter is open Monday through Friday from 2:00PM-4:45PM and

Tuesdays until 7:45PM. If you have further questions or suggestions for resources, programs, services, or events

feel free to contact them online or call 852-PRIDE.

Pride Center of Western New York, Inc.

200 S. Elmwood Avenue Buffalo, NY 14201

P: 716-852-PRIDE F: 716-847-0418

____________________________________________________________________________________________

LOOP MAGAZINE

www.mybuffalopride.com

Mission Statement

Loop Magazine’s mission is to help local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons shape their identity amid the

larger community that surrounds them, and provide a window into local LGBT culture for those outside the

community. Loop does this by being a strong entity of financial and social support for other individuals,

organizations and businesses aligned with our mission; by disseminating reliable news, views and information

Page 8 PFLAG Buffalo/Niagara

relative to the community's needs and desires; and by being an outlet for personal expression and style. Loop

Magazine is Buffalo's only LGBT newspaper available online and in print. A qualified staff of paid journalists and

college interns produce the pages, and Loop only include feature or editorial content produced by experts of the

disciplines.

About Loop magazine

By featuring the most influential faces and voices in Buffalo's LGBT community and publishing the most

comprehensive calendar of LGBT-friendly events in Buffalo, Loop provide news, views and information that the

community cannot get anywhere else.

Loop currently circulates 2,000 copies throughout the city and suburbs of Buffalo, and is distributed to more

than 100 locations including coffee shops, laundromats, hotels, college campuses, salons, theaters, restaurants, bars

and bookstores.

The Loop is the headquarters of and is published in association with MyBuffaloPride, occupying the same

address at 224 Allen Street. MyBuffaloPride is Buffalo’s only pride store. In addition, Prism Art Gallery, exclusively

presenting the work of local LGBT artists, is located at this wonderful local resource in Allentown.

A large backyard and dining hall give the venue a capacity of 300 during warm weather and 100 the rest of the

year. Portions of the space or the space in its entirety are available for rental to individuals, companies and

organizations in the community.

PFLAG Buffalo-Niagara

Notice of Bylaw Amendment

As outlined in our chapter Bylaws, this serves as the minimum of 30 days’ notice to the voting membership of PFLAG Buffalo/Niagara that the Board of Directors has drafted a revision to section 5.4 of those Bylaws as outlined in bold below. These revisions will be voted on at our November 15, 2015 sharing meeting.

We look forward to seeing you at that November sharing meeting.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

5.4 Officers – The Officers of the Chapter shall be the President, Vice president, Treasurer and Secretary.

5.4.1 All Officers shall be ex-officio, voting members of the Board

5.4.2 The Officers shall have such duties as are customary for corporate officers and such duties as may be set forth in these bylaws or delegated by the Board. There is no limit on the number of consecutive terms that any individual may serve, except that no person may serve more than two consecutive terms as President.

5.4.3 Any Officer or Director absent for period equal to two consecutive months without written email notification to the board of directors may be removed in accordance with section 5.4.4 below.

5.4.4 If a super majority of the Board certifies in writing that an Officer or Director is unable to act, or has not fulfilled the requirements as outlined in 5.4.3 above, that Officer or Director shall be removed and an election will decide the successor.

5.4.5 At least 50% of the Board will be people who are parents or family members of Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual or Transgender persons.

Page 10 PFLAG Buffalo/Niagara

Is it time to renew your PFLAG membership?

Lifetime Membership ................................ $500

BenefactorMembership …....................... $250

Sponsoring Membership ……….……….. $100 (Business Card Advertisement ($100 per year)

Supporting Membership .......................... $50

Household Membership …………………. $30

Newsletter Subscription Only…………... $15

Donations of $50.00 or more can be included in the chapter newsletter with your permission.

Make checks payable to PFLAG Buffalo/Niagara and mail to: P.O. Box 617 Buffalo, NY 14207

PFLAG Buffalo/Niagara is a non-profit 501(c)3 and donations are tax-deductible.

PFLAG BUFFALO-NIAGARA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Phil Salemi, Jr., President Lisbeth Ball, Director

Amy Fularz, Vice President David Barrett, Director

Kristian Rickard, Vice President Sharon Barrett, Director

Brian Carrier, Treasurer Ann Carrier, Director

Michele Perry, Secretary Julie Christiano, Director

PFLAG Buffalo-Niagara, is a non-profit, all volunteer, community-based organization not affiliated with any ethnic, religious, economic or political group. Membership is open to all.

PFLAG membership lists are kept confidential.

We hope you like reading these newsletter articles, we also share current articles on our

Facebook page. Please consider “liking” us on Facebook and reading articles all month long at

www.facebook.com/pflag.niagara