Be a Safe Schools Volunteer!

The Safe Schools Program is always looking for dedicated volunteers who want to make a difference in the community, by teaching kids that it is okay to be exactly who they are. We need parents and family members of LGBT people who want to share their stories about how and why they accept their LGBT loved ones. We also want LGBT speakers who are willing to speak about a part of their own journey of self-acceptance, so that students in NYC can see that no matter how they identify, we all just want to be loved and respected. Many of the parents in the program share the same sentiment: “If only there was a program like this in effect when my child was in school.”

The Safe Schools Program is built on real authentic stories from different people in the community that the students can relate to. When we visit a school from the previous years, the students remember our volunteers and their stories as well. Last year we spoke to over 5,000 students in 170 classroom visits in schools all over New York City.

The Stories

• A mother of a gay son from the Bronx talks about how her son overcame his fear to come out when he was 14 years old. She describes how he dealt with bullies in his neighborhood, and how he became a successful dance despite all of the obstacles he faced. “My son Henry grew up being taunted in public school. I didn’t know if there was anything I could do about it until I found PFLAG. Now I fight to make sure other children find the same support.”
• A young trans man tells students about his first time feeling truly comfortable in his own skin during a talent show where he dressed up as a drag king. That moment in his life lead to him coming to terms with his true gender identity.
• A mother from Jersey City tells the story of her youngest son and his boyfriend being the first openly gay couple to go to his high school prom. “When Dylan and his date stepped on to the red carpet, looking drop dead gorgeous in their tuxedos, all of the parents applauded.”

A new school year has just begun in New York City, and the Safe Schools Program of PFLAG NYC will be there again this year to help schools make their school culture welcoming; to help lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender young people find support; and to teach all students how to be true friends and strong allies.

For more than a decade the Safe Schools Program has been visiting schools and making classroom presentations, sharing our personal experiences with students. Passionate community volunteers are the heart of our program. Dozens of parents and other relatives along with LGBT people speak to students about their experiences with coming out and coming to understand sexual orientation and gender identity, or learning to understand and accept that of a child or loved one.

Are you interested in volunteering? Find out more here. Read more »

Join Us on Opening Night of 52 Tuesdays for Special Film Discussion

We’ve been thrilled by the enthusiastic response PFLAG NYC supporters have given to recent film events, and we’re very happy to tell you about another one we’ve organized in cooperation with Kino Lorber.

52 Tuesdays is the story of a mom, transitioning to male, and his relationship with his teenage daughter who is thrust into her own search for identity. Filmed over the course of a year, once a week, every week (only on Tuesdays), it brings a rare authenticity to this emotionally charged story of desire, responsibility and transformation.

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February and March this year are an exciting, festive, and rewarding time for the API Project of PFLAG NYC. Between the Lunar New Year for All and an NQAPIA Community Catalyst Award for founder Clara Yoon, there is a lot going on!

On Sunday, February 22, more than 20 supporters of the API Project and PFLAG NYC joined the Lunar New Year for All contingent in the annual Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade that wound its way down Mott Street, Canal Street, the Bowery and all the most historic parts of New York City’s oldest Asian neighborhood.

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