"I think my parents know I'm a lesbian, but they haven't said anything. Should I wait until they do?"

Greater Boston PLAG Mission Statement

GREATER BOSTON PFLAG is a group of parents, families, friends, and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, who are committed to giving support to each other as we discover and understand more about being human.

Our purpose is to help change attitudes and to create an environment of understanding so that our GLBT family members and friends can live with dignity and respect.

Greater Boston PFLAG works to accomplish its mission through SUPPORT to cope with an adverse society, EDUCATION to enlighten the public through our Safe Schools & Communities Project, and ADVOCACY to secure equal civil rights. Contact Greater Boston PFLAG for information about activities and programs.

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Greater Boston PFLAG is a proud member of CARE for Youth, a state-wide coalition that supports and advocates for the Health Education Bill, which will provide comprehensive health education to all public school students in Massachusetts. To learn more about CARE for Youth and the Health Education Bill, visit http://www.careforyouthma.org.

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Greater Boston PFLAG Statement on Marriage Rights

• GREATER BOSTON PFLAG believes that civil marriage is a fundamental civil right.
• We affirm our commitment to the Massachusetts constitutional guarantee of the rights, privileges and obligations of marriage for all people, including same-gender couples.
• We recognize that, without civil marriage, our children who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, and the children of GLBT parents are at risk.
• We reject any attempt to weaken or revoke marriage rights.
• Accordingly, we strongly oppose civil unions, which are inherently separate and unequal.
• We firmly oppose any attempt to write discrimination into the Massachusetts Constitution or to submit fundamental rights to a popular vote.

We believe that only with respect, dignity and equality for all will we reach our full potential as human beings, both individually and collectively.

Download and read the Greater Boston PFLAG Board's President's letter for a discussion about the Massachusetts Legislature's vote to take away the civil marriage rights of same sex couples, and actions you can take.

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Greater Boston PFLAG On The Mass Commission On Gay & Lesbian Youth

Four of the seats on the new Massachusetts Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth are held by Greater Boston PFLAG members.

MCGLY Commissioners (and PFLAGers) Stan Griffith, Jessica Flaherty, Ralph Freidin, MD, and David Wilson were sworn onto the newly restructure MCGLY at the State House on January 8, 2007.

Stan Griffith is the President of Greater Boston PFLAG and the father of a lesbian daughter.

Ralph Freidin, MD is a Greater Boston PFLAG Director. He and his wife have two children. The eldest is a lesbian, living in NY with her partner, and the younger is transgender and working to become a professional chef.

Jessica Flaherty is the Director of Community Building and Education at the Boston Alliance of Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Youth (BAGLY).

David Wilson and his spouse, Rob Compton, are one of the seven couples who successfully sued the Commonwealth for the right to marry.

The Commission's mandate is to ensure that:

• The Commonwealth provides safe communities and schools for GLBT youth through violence and suicide prevention;
• A zero tolerance policy regarding harassment and discrimination toward GLBT youth is promoted.

The Commission works in partnership with state agencies, particularly the Department of Education and the Department of Public Health, to create school-based and community-based programs that serve GLBT youth. They also make policy recommendations to the Commonwealth.

Our four Comissioners have long demonstrated a clear commitment to the health and welfare of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth, who are at greater risk for attempting suicide and often bear a heavy burden of discrimination relative to other youth.

"Turning back threats to GLBT youth health and developing the positive resilience and leadership skills of GLBT youth, especially those youth who are at the margins, must be at the fore of the Commission's work," said Jacob Smith Yang, Commission Vice-Chair at the swearing-in ceremony.

Vice-Chair Yang's statement is a fitting partner for the PFLAG Mission.

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Greater Boston PFLAG on the "Love Won Out" movement

Greater Boston PFLAG's Position on Supporting, Accepting & Affirming GLBT Youth is that:

• All youth deserve love, respect, a fair chance and the tools they need to stay safe and healthy;
• Due to discrimination and stigma, GLBT youth are at great risk for being harassed and isolated;
• GLBT youth can be safe and healthy if we:

Stop anti-gay harassment, bullying and name-calling when we witness it;
Ensure that GLBT youth have access to science-based health information and equal educational opportunities;
Actively express support for GLBT youth, and gay and lesbian families.

While Focus on the Family's "Love Won Out" conferences preach that homosexuality is curable through counseling and "the power of God's love," Greater Boston PFLAG believes that the so called "Love Won Out" approach endangers the well-being of young people.

The methods and tactics used in these programs have been universally debunked as dangerous for youth, whether they are GLBT, questioning or straight.