Chicago, IL -
PFLAG Chicago is reactivating its regular monthly group meetings starting Sunday, October 10th. It's just one day before National Coming Out Day, an annual day to commemorate the importance of this single act of courage. PFLAG is Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, a national support and advocacy organization. The first meeting is at Broadway United Methodist Church, 3344 N. Broadway, from 2-4 p.m. Subsequent meetings will be held the 3rd Sunday of the month from 2-4 p.m.
PFLAG meetings allow dialogue with others to share experiences when a loved one "comes out", and to help understand and accept differences in sexual orientation. The meetings are open to all persons - straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. Chicago has been without an active chapter for over two years.
Brad Fuhr, whose parents were supported by PFLAG when he first came out, has volunteered to head the Chicago chapter. Fuhr is a resident of Chicago's Uptown neighborhood, and has been active in gay media. He managed LesBiGay Radio, created "Harrison on the Edge" for Sirius Satellite Radio's OutQ gay and lesbian channel and worked with Windy City Media Group.
His parents were active in the Grand Rapids, Michigan chapter of PFLAG for a number of years. That led him to help PFLAG Chicago secure a sponsor for the Pride parade. While doing a series of fundraisers prior to the parade, he was surprised to learn that Chicago's chapter had stopped meeting some two years ago. He came before the Northern Illinois council and volunteered to take on reactivating the Chicago chapter. PFLAG Chicago will be under the auspices of the Chicago Media Chapter which is currently headed my Marc Wigler. Wigler produces a monthly television show, PFLAG Live!, on Chicago Cable Access Channel 21.
The Northern Illinois PFLAG Council has chapters in Hinsdale, Oak Park, Woodstock, Glenview, Aurora Wheaton and Palatine. More information is available at www.PFLAGChicago.com. There are also two regional help lines available at 773-472-3079 and 630-415-0622. Brad has set up an email address for those who are interested in volunteering or attending the new Chicago meetings: PFLAGChicago@aol.com.
National Coming Out Day is celebrated every Oct. 11 to mark the anniversary of the 1987 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. Each year since, thousands of GLBT people and allies have celebrated National Coming Out Day in schools, churches and businesses nationwide through workshops, speak-outs, rallies and other events aimed at showing the public that GLBT people are everywhere.
"Come Out. Speak Out. Vote." is the theme for this year's National Coming Out Day - encouraging gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans to talk to their families and friends about their lives, according to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the sponsoring organization.
PFLAG meetings allow dialogue with others to share experiences when a loved one "comes out", and to help understand and accept differences in sexual orientation. The meetings are open to all persons - straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. Chicago has been without an active chapter for over two years.
Brad Fuhr, whose parents were supported by PFLAG when he first came out, has volunteered to head the Chicago chapter. Fuhr is a resident of Chicago's Uptown neighborhood, and has been active in gay media. He managed LesBiGay Radio, created "Harrison on the Edge" for Sirius Satellite Radio's OutQ gay and lesbian channel and worked with Windy City Media Group.
His parents were active in the Grand Rapids, Michigan chapter of PFLAG for a number of years. That led him to help PFLAG Chicago secure a sponsor for the Pride parade. While doing a series of fundraisers prior to the parade, he was surprised to learn that Chicago's chapter had stopped meeting some two years ago. He came before the Northern Illinois council and volunteered to take on reactivating the Chicago chapter. PFLAG Chicago will be under the auspices of the Chicago Media Chapter which is currently headed my Marc Wigler. Wigler produces a monthly television show, PFLAG Live!, on Chicago Cable Access Channel 21.
The Northern Illinois PFLAG Council has chapters in Hinsdale, Oak Park, Woodstock, Glenview, Aurora Wheaton and Palatine. More information is available at www.PFLAGChicago.com. There are also two regional help lines available at 773-472-3079 and 630-415-0622. Brad has set up an email address for those who are interested in volunteering or attending the new Chicago meetings: PFLAGChicago@aol.com.
National Coming Out Day is celebrated every Oct. 11 to mark the anniversary of the 1987 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. Each year since, thousands of GLBT people and allies have celebrated National Coming Out Day in schools, churches and businesses nationwide through workshops, speak-outs, rallies and other events aimed at showing the public that GLBT people are everywhere.
"Come Out. Speak Out. Vote." is the theme for this year's National Coming Out Day - encouraging gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans to talk to their families and friends about their lives, according to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the sponsoring organization.
