Archive

ARCHIVE OF PAST EVENTS 2006–2008

Michael Adee meets three Moms of Gay Sons, May 2006:
Linda Hayes, Joanne DeVilbiss, Michael Adee and Mary Ann Shaw.

ARCHIVE 2010

February 4

AJ Bockelman

Due to the winter storm, our January 2010 meeting was cancelled. It has been re-scheduled for Thursday evening, February 4th. Please join us to hear A.J. speak about PROMO and the work he's doing in Jefferson City.

Our special guest on Thursday, February 4th, will be A.J. Bockelman, executive director of PROMO (Personal Rights of Missourians). A.J. would like to come in and meet with us and let us know what PROMO is doing and will be doing in 2010. It should be a very informative evening. Hope you can join us!

"And Justice For All" presented by the Heartland Men's Chorus

Wednesday, Feb. 10, 7:30 p.m.
Missouri Theatre Center for the Arts

Tickets are $10 and available at the Missouri Theatre box office.

Doors open at 7 p.m. General admission seating.

Don't miss "And Justice For All," a one-night-only performance by Kansas City's Heartland Men's Chorus. This multi-media choral performance features 100+ voices sharing the moving music of our nation's various civil rights movements. Highlighting the triumphs and struggles of African Americans, women and gay men and women, the 90-minute performance features music from some of the most influential moments in our history.

Proceeds from the ticket sales benefit The Center Project, mid-Missouri's LGBT community center located at 907 E. Ash St. in downtown Columbia.

PFLAG/Mid-Missouri and the Open Door Ministry have been asked to provide a meal for the guys in the chorus; we are hosting that event in the Missouri United Methodist Church (across the street from the Missouri Theatre) at 6:00 p.m., just before the concert. Any PFLAG and ODM members who would like to help out, please call Steve Clayton at 446-4094 for information.

March 4, 2010

Please join us for a special presentation of Dr. Cynthia Chappell's brilliant discourse on "A Biological Explanation for Human Sexual Orientation."

- A Biological Explanation for Human Sexual Orientation -
a presentation on DVD by Dr. Cynthia Chappell

Dr. Chappell holds a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology and is a Professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center's School of Public Health and an adjunct faculty member at Baylor College of Medicine. In addition to her research and teaching, she serves in an administrative role as the Associate Dean for Academic affairs at the UT School of Public Health. Her current research includes studies on the pathogenesis of, and immune response to, human parasitic diseases. Dr. Chappell is the author of more than 65 scientific and textbook chapters as well as a number of technical reports. She has also been active in "translating" the primary scientific literature to the lay audience. Her interest in the genetics of homosexuality stem from her involvement as a PFLAG parent.

April 1, 2010

Our next PFLAG meeting will be this Thursday evening, April 1 at 7:00 p.m., at the Center Project.
This meeting will be devoted to announcements, group discussions and sharing of stories.

Hope to see you all there!

Steve

P.S. For those who would like to meet for dinner at 5:45, we'll be meeting at Cafe Berlin, then walk over to the Center about 6:50.

May 6th, 2010

Our next PFLAG meeting will be this Thursday evening, May 6 at 7:00 p.m., at the Center Project.
We'll be watching and critiquing a short (20-minute) educational video designed for young people on the topic of HIV, entitled, "HIV, hey, it's viral!" that we would like to share with PRISM members in the near future, perhaps at a PRISM meeting, or at a future combined PFLAG / PRISM meeting.

Hope to see you all there!

Steve

P.S. For those who would like to meet for dinner at 5:45, we'll be meeting at the Pasta Factory. Several members have expressed a desire to go back to PF, so we'll start back again this month.

June 3rd, 2010

Please join us on June 3rd for a special presentation of the new film, Out In The Silence, a documentary that highlights the critical role that parents play in supporting LGBT youth and the tremendous need that exists for groups like PFLAG in smaller towns and rural areas.

Out in the Silence captures the remarkable chain of events that unfold when the announcement of filmmaker Joe Wilson’s wedding to another man ignites a firestorm of controversy in his small Pennsylvania hometown.

Drawn back by a plea for help from the mother of a gay teen being tormented at school, Wilson’s journey dramatically illustrates the universal challenges of being an outsider in a conservative environment and the transformation that is possible when those who have long been constrained by a traditional code of silence summon the courage to break it. This film is 56 minutes long.

During the second portion of our meeting, we'll begin pricing items for our upcoming Yard Sale, to be held on Saturday, June 5th. Please stay tuned for more details on the yard sale, which will be benefiting both The Center Project and PFLAG.

August 5, 2010

Please join us for an interesting presentation about the evolution of Gay Liberation / Gay Pride / LGBT history. This program will be presented on Power Point by Linda Hayes and Steve Clayton, covering both the national scene as it unfolded from the 1960s to the present, as well as our own LGBT history here in Columbia. Don't miss it!

ARCHIVE 2009

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Our January PFLAG meeting will include more “crafts” i.e., scarf making.

Brrr its still cold…

PFLAG Mid-MO/Columbia needs you to help provide Warm Winter Scarves to homeless teens.

The National Gay & Lesbian Task force reports that of the 575,00 to 1.6 million homeless & runaway youths a year, between 20% and 40% identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT)

How you can help:

If you crochet or knit - make a scarf to donate by January 15, 2009.
If you aren't one of those "crafty" people there are other ways to help.

1. Join us at our next PFLAG meeting on Thursday, January 8, 2008 - where we will make & package simple fleece scarves.

2. Make a donation to PFLAG/Mid-MO for additional scarves & postage.

Scarves will be donated to homeless teens in both Missouri & Illinois

For more information contact Linda (573) 864-1431 or pflag.missouri.org

Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009

Join us Thursday evening, February 5th for a very special PFLAG meeting; Margaret Tollerton, Columbia Regional Organizer for the Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures, will offer a short presentation on her organization.

The MO Coalition for Lifesaving Cures aims to protect and encourage all forms of lifesaving medical research, including stem cell research. They are working to protect the right of Missouri families to access the best medical treatments available. Join us at 7:00 p.m. in Room 302 at the Missouri United Methodist Church on 9th Street.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Please join us Thursday evening for our monthly PFLAG meeting in Room 302 of the Missouri United Methodist Church. This month we will be viewing a new film entitled “Anyone and Everyone.” This documentary film tells the stories of families from across America, all connected by a common thread – a gay child. This poignant and often heartbreaking film reveals a family’s struggle and desire to accept a child’s sexual orientation.

The film features parents from a wide range of religions, ethnicities, and political leanings, all of whom discuss their initial reactions to their child's coming out. While some showed unconditional support, others struggled with their child’s sexual orientation, fearing alienation from their extended family, their church, or their community. Some simply did not understand the universal nature of homosexuality, and that it can affect anyone and everyone.

Whether Japanese, Cherokee, Mormon, Catholic, or Hindu, these families all share a deep love for their children, along with a struggle for acceptance, both in their own home and within society as a whole.

Web Site: http://www.anyoneandeveryone.com/

April 2, 2009

Please join us this Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. at the Missouri United Methodist Church, 204 S. 9th St., Room 302 for our monthly PFLAG meeting. This month’s meeting will feature a discussion about Columbia’s proposed domestic partner registry.

We will also be taking some time to do a little “strategic planning,” in light of the fact that we’ll soon be moving our meeting space to the new LGBT Center located at 907 E Ash St., Columbia (between 9th & 10th St in downtown Columbia; in the same building as Claire McCaskill's regional office).

Thursday May 7

Next PFLAG meeting: Thursday evening, 7:00 p.m. at the Missouri United Methodist Church, Room 302. We’ll open the meeting up for general discussion and sharing of concerns. This will be our last scheduled meeting in Room 302 at the MUMC. In June we’ll start meeting at the new Center Project.

The 2009 Catalyst Awards

The 2009 Catalyst Awards held on April 28th at MU’s Memorial Union Mark Twain Ballroom was a great event for PFLAG Mid-Missouri. Four of our members were recognized for their outstanding service to the LGBTQ community. First of all, Dr. David Huddlestonsmith and his partner, David Collins, along with their daughter Katie, received the Catalyst Award, particularly in recognition of their work to help pass the Columbia Domestic Partnership Registry, but also for all the work they’ve done to help bring justice and equity to LGBT persons. Kudos to Dave, Dave and Katie!!

Also recognized was our PFLAG Mid-Missouri/Jefferson City presiding officer, Don Love. Don was recognized for all of his outstanding work for the LGBT community, particularly for his work on the issue of anti-bullying and Safe Schools, and his work with the Missouri Association of Social Welfare. Congratulations Don… this award is richly deserved!!

At the end of the program, the Laura Hacquard Excellence Award was announced, and presented to PFLAG/Mid-Missouri!! This is a great honor and illustrates how important our work within the LGBT Community is. It was pointed out that PFLAG is appreciated and highly respected in our community; and special praise was given our extraordinary web site and all the information available herein! (Thanks Brian!)

We have reason to be proud of our little PFLAG organization here in Mid-Missouri, and these awards will hopefully inspire and encourage us to continue our dedication to the LGBTQ community. I’d like to say “Thank you” to everybody for your commitment and for all you do. We have a lot to look forward to in the near future, with a new meeting place, starting in June (The Center Project) and our very own office space within that location. Thanks again!

Thursday June 4

Please join us this Thursday evening, June 4th at 7:00 in our new LGBT Community Center ("The Center") at 907 East Ash Street (near the corner of 10th and Ash).

This will be our first meeting in our new home. Over the years we've met at the First Presbyterian Church on Hitt St. and the Missouri United Methodist Church, both providing us with excellent accomodaitons. We deeply appreciate the generousity and good will from both of these churches, but now we are very happy and excited to have our own spot (and office!) at the Center.

This month's meeting will be for sharing and making announcements, along with a tour of the new facilities. Join us if you can!

Thursday July 2nd

Please join us for our next meeting to be held on Thursday evening, July 2nd, at the LGBT Center, located at 907 East Ash St. in Columbia, at 7:00 p.m. Our very special guest will be Marc Adams, whom many may remember from his last visit in November 2007.

Marc will be sharing his insights and reporting on his travels all over the country, in his quest to bring truth and acceptancce to LGBT youth struggling with institutionalized homophobia in America's Christian schools and colleges.

In his critically acclaimed book, The Preacher's Son (1996), Marc shares his life experiences from age 3 to 23. He grew up gay, the son of a fundamentalist Baptist minister and struggled throughout his adolescence with thoughts of suicide. He was persecuted at his religious high school for being gay, and then went on to attend Jerry Falwell's Liberty University in an attempt to become an ex-gay. After years of ex-gay counseling, Adams finally began his journey to self-acceptance and his long journey out of fundamentalist Christianity.

Marc has an intriguing story to tell, so we hope you'll be able to join us. Thanks!

Special Event scheduled for July 10 - 12 weekend!

In order to raise the level of conversation about faith, sexuality and the role of the church, four local groups have collaborated together to bring theologian, writer, poet and hymnist David R. Weiss to Columbia, MO for a series of events in early July. David is committed to engaging in 'public theology' around the issues of sexuality, justice, diversity and peace. Under his guidance these sessions will address the divisive questions of why and how the church might fully welcome Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Christians that are already in their midst and in their congregations.

The Open Door Ministry group of the Missouri United Methodist Church, Lutherans Concerned, PFLAG/Mid-MO and The Center Project are the co-hosts of the three days of events. The kickoff event will be a public forum presented by David on the topic: "We Have This Treasure in Earthen Vessels: Faith, Sexuality, and Life in the Church". The public forum will be held on Friday, July 10 at 7 PM in the multipurpose room of the Christian Life Center at the Missouri United Methodist Church 204 S. 9th St. in Columbia, MO. Refreshments will be served following the presentation. This event is free and open to the public.

On Saturday July 11th from 3 - 5 PM at The Center Project, 907 E. Ash St in Columbia Mo, David will read selected poetry from his book, "To the Tune of a Welcoming God: Lyrical Reflections on Sexuality, Spirituality, and the Wideness of God's Welcome." This book is acclaimed to be "a timely collection of essays and hymns that eloquently call for a Christian faith that extends an affirming welcome to LGBT persons". A book signing will follow the poetry reading. This event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served at the poetry reading. Copies of his book will be available on Friday evening at the forum and on Saturday at the poetry reading.

On Sunday, July 12, David will participate in a discussion at The Seekers Class at the Missouri United Methodist Church at 10 AM.

Steve Clayton
Linda Hayes
PFLAG board members

For more info. call Steve Clayton at 446-4094 or Linda Hayes at 864-1431

August 6th

Join us for our next PFLAG meeting on Thursday evening, August 6th, to hear the compelling story of Jamie Harrison, a young gay man forced to endure the horror of reparative therapy and a forced heterosexual marriage. Jamie attended our recent Pride Fest in Stephen's Lake Park and shared his experiences with some of us at the PFLAG booth. It is a story you'll want to hear. Come and learn more about this insidious brainwashing therapy known as "reparative" or "conversion" therapy. Hope to see you there!

Open Door Ministry special meeting:

Pushing for tolerance in class
Gadbois: Gay students need understanding.
By Jonathon Braden
Friday, August 21, 2009

Sept. 3rd

This will be a sort of "business" meeting, where we make nominations for the board (to be voted on in October), and start taking in the annual dues ($15 per family; that's $15 across the board, for an individual, couple or entire family), and finally, going over the Strategic Planning document, which came out of the minutes (thank you Howard!) taken on August 22nd. If you're interested in discussing the goals, mission, activities, future, etc., of PFLAG/Mid-Missouri, please plan on attending.

PFLAG meets at the LGBT Center Project, located at 907 East Ash St. in Columbia, 7:00 p.m.

Thanks all!

November 5

Join us Thursday evening, November 5th for a fascinating 2005 documentary, Pursuit of Equality: the unfinished work of American freedom. The film chronicles the 2004 events in San Francisco that led up to Mayor Gavon Newsom's attempt to legalize same-sex marriage. It focuses on the compelling human rights struggles surrounding same-sex marriage and captures the elation and despair of couples and families who are fighting for equal rights. The documentary is 81 minutes long. Hope to see you there!

ARCHIVE 2008

Thursday, January 3, 2008

The plight of homeless and runaway youths

The National Gay & Lesbian Task force reports that of the 575,00 to 1.6 million homeless & runaway youths across the nation, between 20% to 40% identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT).

How you can help:
1. Join us at our next PFLAG meeting to help us wrap & package the scarves.
2. Donations are needed for postage & packaging materials.

Our next PFLAG meeting will be Thursday, January 3, 2008. Linda Hayes will be discussing the plight of homeless and runaway youths, up to 40% (or even more) of whom identify as LGBT kids. We want to help them by making, packaging and sending warm winter scarves, which we will be working on Thursday evening. These scarves (and other items) will be sent to Chicago LGBT Community Center (“The Center on Halsted”) for the homeless kids.

The got our box! A letter from The Center on Halsted:

Subject: Oh My!

Linda,

I am totally overwhelmed by the contents of the box! I just can't believe how beautiful everything is and the sweet note you added to the packages. It's just so amazing and thoughtful. They are going to love these things.

Really, it's incredible. We want to send pictures of youth wearing the items if we can. In most cases we can't take an identifiable picture but I think we can be creative and take pictures that will still protect individual privacy.

Thank you so much for coordinating the Columbia PFLAG group and please let them know that we received the box and that we are TOTALLY BLOWN AWAY.

Warmest Regards,Serena Worthington

Director, SAGE (Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Elders)

Center on Halsted
3656 N. Halsted
Chicago, IL 60613

Here is a blog that may interest you:

Bloggin.OUT is the official blog of Triangle Foundation's Generation.OUT program and Greg Varnum, Triangle Foundation's Director of Youth Initiatives and Information Technology.

above blog references this article:

The Struggles of Homeless Trans Youth
by Charlsie Dewey
2007-10-31

this is the LGBT center in Chicago helping LGBT youth:

Chicago LGBT Community Center (“The Center on Halsted”)

February 7th, 2008
Lance Pierce, founder: Allies in Action

At our next PFLAG-Columbia meeting we’ll welcome Lance Pierce, founder of a new student organization at MU called Allies in Action, which has been formed to advocate for LGBT progress on campus, and to bring like-minded individuals together as allies for the LGBT community. Come listen and join in on the conversation!

March 6th, 7:00 p.m.

Kylar Broadus: the Rights of LGBT Missourians

Join us on Thursday, March 6th when our special guest, Kylar Broadus, will speak to us on the Rights of LGBT Missourians and other related issues. As an attorney and as a professor at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Kylar Broadus is well acquainted with the legal rights of all Missouri citizens, especially the rights of LGBT persons. Also, as a transgendered person, Kylar has first-hand experience dealing with these laws and can speak with authority as to how they affect our community.

April 3, 7:00 p.m.

Please join us Thursday evening, April 3 for this showing of the highly acclaimed documentary, FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO. If you missed previous showings at RagTag Cinemacafe and the Missouri United Methodist Church’s recent screening, here’s another chance to see it.

FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO

FILM SYNOPSIS

Can the love between two people ever be an abomination? Is the chasm separating gays and lesbians and Christianity too wide to cross? Is the Bible an excuse to hate?

Through the experiences of five very normal, very Christian, very American families -- including those of former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson -- we discover how insightful people of faith handle the realization of having a gay child. Informed by such respected voices as Bishop Desmond Tutu, Harvard's Peter Gomes, Orthodox Rabbi Steve Greenberg and Reverend Jimmy Creech, FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO offers healing, clarity and understanding to anyone caught in the crosshairs of scripture and sexual identity.

Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins

May 1st, 7:00pm
Please join us on Thursday evening, May 1st for an open discussion-sharing-informational meeting at the Missouri United Methodist Church, Room 302, 7:00 p.m. No formal program is scheduled but this will be your opportunity to bring up important issues or to share personal stories or to seek support and encouragement. We’ll have at least one special guest from the Center Project to share with us the latest information on attempts to bring an LGBT Community Center to Columbia.

links:

The Center Project – A mid-Missouri community space

NEW!! GLBTQ Parent Support Group

TCP is starting a NEW social and support group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer adoptive, foster & birth parents, and parents in planning. Join us for our first meeting on Thursday, November 8th from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church. Child care will be provided. For more information and/or directions, visit our website:
http://www.thecenterproject.org/parentgroup.htm

A listserve, groups.yahoo.com/group/thecenterproject, was set up in 2003 so anyone in the community can receive updates on the progress of The Center Project.
June 5th
7:00-9:00 p.m.

Missouri United Methodist Church,
Room 302

On Easter Sunday,2006, six ordinary people left their homes, jobs and families for a journey on foot into the heart of America. Against the background of increasing intolerance from the Christian Right, they spread a message of compassion and inclusion. The story of their 2,500 mile walk from Arizona to Washington, DC will surprise you and maybe make you feel a little more hopeful.

Asphalt Gospel is being shown in churches, small groups and homes around the country, with rave reviews. The Faith Based Outreach committee of PFLAG/Columbia, will be showing it at our next PFLAG meeting, on Thursday evening, June 5th. Because the Crosswalk America caravan came through Columbia, there is some footage of local activists Maureen Dickmann of Rock Bridge Christian Church, FBO’s Jason Ksepka and moms Barbra Robinson and Joanne DeVilbis from the MUMChurch. Please join us Thursday evening, June 5th for this special presentation.

Note: the film is 1 hour 38 minutes long, so we’ll probably limit ourselves to viewing only the first 45 minutes, with the option of viewing the last half at a later date.

The July 3d Columbia PFLAG meeting has been canceled due to the long July 4th holiday weekend.
Please join us at our next meeting Thursday, August 7th , 7:00 p.m. or on

Saturday, June 28th, 2008 in the Friends Room at the Columbia Public Library:
Two workshops with Dr. Robert Minor.

“How to be an Effective Human Rights Advocate,” (from 10:00 a.m. to noon)

“New Strategies for Combating Homophobia During Difficult Times” (from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.)

Lunch will be provided by the Columbia Chapter of PFLAG.

These workshops and lunch are FREE, thanks to a generous grant from the City of Columbia Human Rights Commission and support from The Mid-Missouri LGBT Coalition and PFLAG-Mid-Missouri - Columbia. Dr. Minor's books will be available thanks to Peace Works

Dr Robert Minor is a religious studies professor at KU, author, and founder of The Fairness Project.

The Fairness Project founded in 2001, grew out of over ten years of workshops Dr. Minor has led for religious, civic, business, and community
groups regionally and nationwide.

"Bob" leads workshops on gender roles, homophobia, and racism for universities, colleges, churches, businesses, government organizations, and community and religious groups throughout the US as well as workshops for non-heterosexuals on personal growth beyond "coming out" and how to be a healthy activist.

He is a regular conference presenter for the NGLTF's "Creating Change " Conference, and for PFLAG, locally, regionally, and nationally. He worked closely with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation in its Kansas City "Communities of Faith" projects. In 1999 GLAAD awarded him its Leadership Award for Education.

His first popularly written book, Scared Straight: Why It's So Hard to Accept Gay People and Why It's So Hard to Be Human which received laudatory reviews around the country since and has been a finalist for a number of literary awards.

For More information: lgbtcoalition.org

or call "Linda" (573) 864-1431

The mission of The Fairness Project is simple and multi-faceted: to promote fair and positive understanding of all human beings regardless of sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, nationality, race, ethnicity, age, or abilities, by educating and advocating for fundamental structural change and personal healing. We are convinced that all issues of fairness are related, that all oppressions are connected, and that all discrimination must end so that every human being can live and flourish as a full human being.

Thursday August 7th

Join us this Thursday evening, August 7th, for support, announcements and discussion on various issues of interest to the LGBT community, including the upcoming elections.

Friday August 22nd
Also, please make plans to join us on Friday evening, August 22nd, at the Missouri United Methodist Church’s Multi-Purpose room for a very special presentation by Mary Lou Wallner, one of the parents featured in our recent showing of For the Bible Tells Me So. Here is her website… http://www.teach-ministries.org/

Thursday evening September 4th and Thursday evening, October 2nd

The Celluloid Closet (1995)

The Celluloid Closet

Please join us on Thursday evening, September 4th for the first half of this critically acclaimed film documentary, directed and written by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman. The film is based on the 1987 book of the same name written by Vito Russo. The author researched the history of how motion pictures, especially Hollywood films, have portrayed gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender characters. Vito Russo wanted his book to be transformed into a documentary film and helped out on the project until he died in 1990. Some critics of the documentary noted that it was less political than the book and ended on a more positive note. However, Russo had wanted the documentary to be entertaining and to reflect the positive changes that had occurred up to 1990. It was given a limited release in select theatres, including the Castro Theatre in San Francisco in April 1996, and then shown on cable channel HBO.

This documentary interviews men and women connected with the Hollywood industry, commenting on various film clips and relating their personal experiences dealing with the treatment of LGBT characters in film. From the sissy characters, to the censorship of the Hollywood Production Code, and from the coded gay characters and cruel stereotypes to the progress made in the early 1990s, this is a fascinating film. We’ll show the first 50 minutes on Thursday evening September 4th, and the last 50 minutes on Thursday evening, October 2nd. Hope you can join us!

November 6th

Come and join us Thursday evening, November 6th for a special meeting with newly elected 23rd District representative Stephen Webber. Stephen will be sharing his thoughts about the 2008 Election, and his outlook for the new Missouri Legislative session beginning in January. Bring your questions, and we'll see you Thursday evening!

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Brrr its cold!!... and winter hasn't even started yet.

PFLAG Mid-MO/Columbia needs you to help provide Warm Winter Scarves to homeless teens.

The National Gay & Lesbian Task force reports that of the 575,00 to 1.6 million homeless & runaway youths a year, between 20% and 40% identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT)

How you can help:

If you crochet or knit - make a scarf to donate by January 15, 2009.
If you aren't one of those "crafty" people there are other ways to help.

1. Join us at our next PFLAG meeting on Thursday, December 4, 2008 - where we will make & package simple fleece scarves.

2. Make a donation to PFLAG/Mid-MO for additional scarves & postage.

Scarves will be donated to homeless teens in both Missouri & Illinois

For more information contact Linda (573) 864-1431 or pflag.missouri.org

ARCHIVE 2007

January 4th 2007

Our next PFLAG program will include another presentation from the More Light Presbyterian video series, "Project Hearts and Minds." This segment will feature Sydney Anderson, a female-to-male transsexual, who talks about his life before, during, and after his transition, and about the sources of help he found along the way. Here is some info. on PFLAG National's transgendered network: http://www.pflag.org/TNET_PFLAG_Policy_History.715.0.html

Thursday, February 8th

PowerBites: 10 Ways to Reclaim and Sustain Your Personal Power
with Cathy Angell, daughter of PFLAG/Columbia mom Dorothy Angell.

Do you have a tendency to procrastinate? Are you ignoring an urge to do something that you'd love to do? Is it hard for you to say no? Are you unhappy with your appearance, your job, or some of the people in your life? You may be experiencing power-leaks or power-slams! In this entertaining and uplifting presentation, Author Cathy Angell will share simple strategies and humorous stories to help you see where you may be giving away your power and what to do to get it back. She has recently released an interactive workbook called, "PowerBites: 30 Ways to Reclaim and Sustain Your Personal Power."

Cathy's workbook can be ordered from her website: http://www.cathyangell.com/products/index.htm

March 1, 2007

"Peacocks, Chameleons, and Centaurs: Gay Suburbia and the Grammar of Social Identity"
is a book by MU professor of sociology Wayne Brekhus, who will be joining us for a discussion of his work at our March meeting.

Dr. Brekhus says his research began as an effort to understand how "ordinary Joes," (gay men who don't find their sole identity in sexual orientation) express themselves in different social circumstances. "Peacocks" or "Lifestylers," are gay men which Brekhus describes as those who consider their homosexuality as the defining factor of their identity. "Chameleons" and "Centaurs" do not consider their homosexuality as such a major consideration when defining their identity. Join us for this very fascinating presentation and discussion!

April 5, 2007 Dr Cynthia Chappell

A Biological Explanation for Human Sexual Orientation
a presentation on DVD by Dr. Cynthia Chappell

May 3, 2007

We've scheduled a special viewing of a DVD program, Turning Points, a documentary about Presbyterians struggling within their denomination to overcome the barriers to ordination for gay and lesbian members into the Presbyterian ministry. Congregation members speak about how their lives were changed and attitudes turned around when they were brought face-to-face with this issue. This is a very moving documentary that you won’t want to miss.

July 5, 2007 Transcend not Transition

Transcend not Transition

Laurel Lehl was on the board of directors for the Mid-Missouri LGBT Coalition last year, and is currently one of three coordinators for the LGBT youth group, Prism. She received multiple scholarships to attend the Creating Change conference in November, 2006.

This presentation aims to help people heavily involved with LGBT issues and those new to the community better understand transgender and transsexual individuals. Participants will explore vocabulary terms and evaluate statistics, enabling better communication within groups. Several myths will be dispelled and resources will be provided so attendees can feel more comfortable and knowledgeable when connecting with the trans population.

For more information:
contact Linda Hayes
573-864-1431

Download a PDF file of the flyer for this event!

Missouri Statewide PFLAG Conference, July 14, 2007

at Rock Bridge Christian Church

Make plans to attend the Missouri PFLAG Statewide Conference on Saturday, July 14th, which will be held here in Columbia at Rock Bridge Christian Church, 301 W. Green Meadows Road. Elizabeth Brown and Brooke Smith from PFLAG National will be here to conduct a full day’s worth of presentations and training sessions. We’ll have folks here from PFLAG/ St. Louis, PFLAG/Kansas City, PFLAG/Springfield, Kirksville, St. Charles, Jefferson City, etc. Here is the schedule..

9:00 - 10:00 - Gather, breakfast: coffee, rolls & doughnuts.
10:00 - 12:30 - Safe Schools Training
12:30 - 1:30 - Lunch: sandwiches, pre-made salads, desserts, coffee, tea, soda-pop.
1:30 - 2:45 - Strong Chapter Boards and Leadership Development
2:45 - 3:00 - Break: cookies & fruit.
3:00 - 4:15 - Hosting the Perfect PFLAG Meeting
4:15 - 5:00 - Chapter Information Swap

August 2, 2007

How I Changed My Mind on Homosexuality

Our program will be a short video (about 45 minutes) of Dr. Jack Rogers of the Covenant Network (Presbyterian) on "How I Changed My Mind on Homosexuality." Dr. Rogers will be making a special appearance in Columbia on Wednesday evening, October 10th; we are still in the planning stages for that event. This video viewing will be a good way to become familiar with Dr. Rogers' thinking on the subject.

How I Changed My Mind on Homosexuality - Jack Roger's Address to Covenant Network NorthWest Regional Conference in October, 2003 is now available on video. “I appreciate the opportunity to address you this morning. I am going to speak about my change of mind on the question of homosexuality, what I have learned theologically in that process, and some implications for us as a church.” And thus Dr. Rogers begins his simple, yet startling presentation to the 2003 Northwest Regional Conference of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians. This is a videotape of that presentation as it was first being delivered.

September 6, 2007

How the Tobacco Industry gets the LGBT Community to Victimize Itself .
Thank You For Not Smoking

September 6, 7:00 p.m. First Presbyterian Church, Room 204.

Among all the issues the LGBT Community must deal with, the rate of tobacco use by LGBT individuals is becoming more and more of a major concern. There is a higher rate of smoking in the LGBT community than in the general population, mostly because of the advertising directed at the LGBT audience. Tobacco industry giants like Phillip Morris target advertising to the LGBT community and sometimes even sponsor LGBT events and outreach efforts. Join us Thursday evening, September 6th as MU Health Educator Dean Andersen shares his perspective on this problem with his presentation, How the Tobacco Industry gets the LGBT Community to Victimize Itself .

October 4th Join us on Thursday evening, October 4th to watch a video of Dr. Jack Rogers* giving his presentation on "What the Bible Says and Doesn't Say about Homosexuality," in preparation for his actual visit to Columbia the next week on Wednesday, October 10th. Location: Missouri United Methodist Church, Room 302, 7:00 p.m.

Alan Jones (left) and Steve Clayton (right) helped to welcome Dr. Jack Rogers to Columbia on Wednesday, October 10, 2007 in Neff Auditorium on the MU campus.

Jesus, the Bible, and Homosexuality: Explode the Myths, Heal the Church
by Dr. Jack Rogers

"This is an extraordinary book, arguably the best to appear in the long, drawn-out debates within the churches over homosexuality. It is a gift to all of us."

––J. Philip Wogaman, former senior minister at Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C

In a powerful new book, evangelical theologian and former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Jack Rogers, makes a biblical case for equal rights in the church and in society for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Jesus, the Bible, and Homosexuality: Explode the Myths, Heal the Church describes Dr. Rogers' own change of mind and heart on the issue; charts the church's well-documented history of using biblical passages to oppress marginalized groups; argues for a Christ-centered reading of Scripture; debunks often repeated stereotypes about gays and lesbians; and concludes with ideas for how the church can heal itself and move forward again.

Dr.Jack Rogers, former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Come hear Dr. Rogers speak in Columbia
Wednesday, October 10 - 2 events

Trinity Presbyterian Church
1600 West Rollins Road, Columbia, MO 65203
Luncheon & Program - 12 noon
For reservations, call 573-636-2149

University of Missouri at Columbia
Neff Auditorium, Room 204
Program - 7:00 p.m.

Midwest Tour: September 26 - October 1; October 9 - 14
Des Moines - Cedar Rapids - Omaha - Lincoln - Kansas City - Lawrence - Columbia - Springfield - St. Louis - Decatur

For more information on the tour, go to www.drjackrogers.com or www.covenantnetwork.org
or e-mail kturney55@hotmail.com

2006 Archive

January 2006


We will watch another video presentation by the More Light Presbyterians.  This 
installment features Greg Marlan of Mel White's Soulforce organization.

February 2006
We will have representatives from the Center Project give us their new power point presentation. The Center Project is a local Mid-Missouri organization seeking a permanent building/office space for Columbia's first LGBT Pride Center.

March 2, 2006

This month’s meeting will feature Brian Mahieu, a local artist, former gallery owner, and daylily grower and hybidizer. Brian will give a multimedia presentation including paintings, photographs and personal accounts of his life journey. The discussion will focus on his 19-year experience with the Reparative Therapy Movement and it’s false claims of cure for homosexuality.

view Brian's presentation online:  My Story

April 6, 2006

The plight of homeless and runaway youths

Plot Summary for Out of the Past

Plot Summary for
Out of the Past