From: communications@pflag.org
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 1997 15:59:23 -0500
Subject: PFLAG Letter to the Editor

To:	 THE WASHINGTON BLADE
Fr:	 Nancy McDonald
	 President of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, Inc.
Dt:	 August 26, 1997

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

I want to thank The Washington Blade for its interest in a recent meeting
of the Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) national
board of directors.

PFLAG is very proud of its tremendous success in the last four years.  Our
membership has quadrupled to 70,000, the number of local chapters has
doubled and our annual budget has more than doubled.  It is no surprise
that the board has reaffirmed its support of PFLAG's executive director,
Sandra Gillis, given the organization's exceptional performance.

I want to share with you the successes in the last year alone, of which we
are most proud:

*	Our Project Open Mind has changed six communities forever.  Imagine
a Catholic school auditorium filled with students and faculty listening to
PFLAG talk about the devastating effects of hate speech on gay youth;

*	PFLAG's action at the local and national levels has prompted the
first-ever federal investigation of anti-gay violence in schools under the
auspices of Title IX;

*	PFLAG was the only gay-identified group represented at President
Clinton's Summit for America's Future.  The invitation speaks to PFLAG's
coming of age as a national family voice.

PFLAG appreciates the dedicated members of the 400 chapters who are on the
front lines - changing their communities.  We, who are devoted to advancing
social change, face a daunting task.  It's often hard to reflect on our
success when there is so much more to do.

Last week, The Blade reported on a PFLAG board meeting where difficult
issues were deliberated.  A few people decided to make selected portions of
those deliberations public.

For example, The Blade reported on an "independent study" commissioned by
the board.  At the meeting, PFLAG's  board deemed the study biased and its
results meaningless.

In addition, saying that PFLAG chapters are withholding dues in protest is
a gross distortion.  Sixty percent of chapters responded to the first
invoice for dues.  The final deadline for dues is September 30, 1997.

To clarify, PFLAG strives to represent its membership on the board.  One
third of the board are regional directors.  Of the remaining fourteen
members, ten are active members of their local chapters.  In addition to
direct participation at the local level, the board devotes significant time
to hearing from members at their quarterly meetings.

We know that many people have had contact with PFLAG members and leaders in
their local communities.   This outreach and the lives we've touched are
the heart and soul of PFLAG.  Our record over the last four years speaks
for itself.

Nancy McDonald
President
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, Inc.