Judy Sennesh, Board Member &
Founder, TransParents Project

Try to imagine how I felt when my lesbian daughter — "out" since her early teens and accepted and loved by family and friends — came to me at the end of her junior year at college and announced,

"Mom, I was born with the wrong body and need to become a boy."

Ask any parent with a transgender child and they will tell you that these words, which we've all heard in one form or another, send shockwaves through your soul. You pour over the details of your parenting, searching for the thing you did that was "wrong." You panic, thinking about hormones and surgeries that loom ahead, lining and defining the path of your beloved child's life for years to come. You lie awake at night, trying to imagine how grandparents could ever embrace, or even comprehend, such strange news.

And then, once you're breathing deeply again, you sit down at your computer, at the urging of your child or a great friend, and find your nearest PFLAG meeting.

PFLAG means many things to many people —

• We are the support and information needed by family and friends of gay, lesbian, transgender and questioning people of all ages. People come to PFLAG at what often feels like a time of crisis, but through consecutive meetings you can watch tearful and frightened parents and family members turn into proud allies of their loved ones.

• We are the extraordinary Safe Schools Program that sends speakers into New York City schools to share their personal stories and to speak about the dangers of bullying and homophobia. The Safe Schools Program has become a "darling" of the NYC Department of Education and last year addressed over 4,500 students, faculty and staff, often giving students their first opportunity to hear and have a respectful conversation about the LGBT community. We have changed lives and saved lives.

• For some of us, PFLAG is proof that one person can make a difference. Do you know that PFLAG was started by one mother, Jeanne Manford, spurred to action after seeing on TV her gay son being brutally beaten with no one coming to his aid? PFLAG was born in 1973 and there are now over 350 chapters in all 50 states. PFLAG NYC is the "mothership" where it all began. Jeanne turned 91 years old on December 5 and has proudly seen her moment of advocacy turn into a nationwide movement.

The work we do at PFLAG NYC in the areas of support, education and advocacy require ongoing support from the straight ally and LGBT communities.

We PFLAGers say that "When you no longer need PFLAG, PFLAG needs you." As a mother whose life has taken just that path, I am asking each of you to make a contribution towards the incredibly important work we do. Jeanne Manford may have started a movement, but we need you to engage in the movement yourself by making a donation now.

• Make a contribution in honor of an LGBT loved one and we'll send them a note so they know how much you care.
• Make a contribution to further the urgently needed work and outreach of the Safe Schools Program, so that ALL children can be safe and respected both in school and at home.
• Make a contribution in honor of Jeanne Manford's 91st birthday so that the work of this visionary mother can continue to expand in new and exciting ways.

Your contribution is crucial so that PFLAG NYC can be there for anyone and everyone who needs our services. As we approach the end of the year, now is the time to make a gift to PFLAG NYC.

On behalf of the PFLAG NYC Board of Directors, staff and volunteers we send our best wishes for the coming year and hope it will be a year of peace and happiness for your families.

— Judy Sennesh
PFLAG NYC Board Member
Founder, TransParents Project