PFLAG HOLIDAY BOARD GAMES PARTY INVITE THURSDAY DEC 29, 2016

HEY ALL,

ADD THIS EASY RELAXED EVENT TO YOUR 'IN BETWEEN THE HOLIDAYS' WEEK AND HANG WITH US, YOUR PFLAG FRIENDS.  (BRING ANYONE ALONG.) IF WE FEEL LIKE IT MAYBE WE WILL ORDER FOOD FROM LUISA’S TO SHARE FOR DINNER AND STAY A WHILE LATER.  IF YOU NEED TO ARRIVE CLOSER TO 6 AFTER WORK, JUST TEXT US (443 480 3138) AND WE WILL STAY AND PARTY ON.  CHECK IN AS NEEDED IF THE WEATHER, DISTANCES OR TIMING IS TRICKY FOR YOU. TEXT/CALL 443 480 3138

LET'S JUST ENJOY....AND HAVE SOME FUN.

HOPE TO SEE YOU, PASS THE WORD ON IF YOU ARE AWAY....WE WILL CATCH YOU NEXT TIME.

December Happenings...HANG onto your version of sanity! Do something for others too...

It is THAT TIME OF THE YEAR!

Dear friends, 

Please work to maintain your wonderful or “sassy” attitudes in our turbulent times with not only the stress of holidays, the big changes in our country, but with sad stories we cannot avoid in the news.  WE try to be there for one another and simply getting out with a friend can help a lot. Calls to supportive folks also help. Use our website to find some of those resources and to reserve the dates you see on our calendar for activities we hope will be both social and informative. 

With the intention of uplifting our spirits, I want to mention this Sunday’s opportunity:

On December 11, at the Unitarian Universalists of the Chester River (UUCR), at 10 AM, our speaker, Linda Lucero, will be with us to share her sermon entitled Empower Women Empower Humanity. (UUCR is at 914 Gateway Dr. Chestertown and supports and houses our PFLAG Resource Center and is a Welcoming Congregation.)

Linda's presentation combines an entertaining and enlightening look back to the early days of the women's movement, as well as what it's like to be a young woman today living in a global world.   It is a timely message of hope and inspiration for all women and men, who now must stand fast with girls to ensure their voices are heard and their dignity honored so they get to be the powerful young women they were always meant to be.

LATER this month, we also plan to gather to play some board games, socialize and strategize with you and friends during the last week of the year.  SAVE the DATE of Thursday December 29^th for a 3-6 pm “Holiday Board Games Party.” In addition to Chestertown, we are trying to firm up a simultaneous Easton Party spot!  Another announcement will give you the specifics closer to the date.  (NOTE: There will NOT be a typical third Tues meeting on Dec. 20 this month.)

We already have a full spring regular meetings calendar along with most interesting opportunities and ways to continue to work to support our youth and young adults. Thanks to those who have stepped up and will help those activities be announced soon. While we rely on PFLAG.org for most of our work, the school work is beautifully partnered with GLSEN.org. PLEASE visit GLSEN.org and see the riches of info there for all ages and kinds of involvement including the SCOTUS case and new middle school resources!

Finally, thanks to our new PFLAG Chestertown LEADERSHIP GROUP!  We have formed a broader base of leaders who are already working with us to find their best fit as we expand our powers and reach with the help of these fine folks.  It’s not too late for YOU to reach out and say, WHAT can I do for PFLAG on the Eastern Shore in 2017?

Thanks for caring and do CARE for yourself too!

Wonderful TDOR! Photos soon....Thanks for a great turnout and consider attending another topic, yet important talk, Monday November 28th.

Hi everyone,

Thanks to the 60 or so folks who participated in our TDOR event last Saturday night...it was a meaningful and moving evening. Many thanks to our wonderful performers and our special producer, Barbi Bedell.  We will be posting photos, video and program information soon.  Give us a bit of time to get it together please.  Send any photos you may want to share to pflagchestertown@gmail.com.

Thanks again for being such a wonderful and supportive community.  It is our honor to work together.

*********************

Here is another event that is coming up next Monday November 28th at Sumner Hall at 6 pm in Chestertown, MD. See for more info: http://garpost25.org/ This talk is not LGBT specific, but important enough that I think we all could benefit from considering our own assumptions about how we and others view "our world."
We ALL carry prejudices in many ways...perhaps the LGBT community might relate to some of these topics related to race and assumptions made.

Please join us when David Billings presents and signs DEEP DENIAL: The Persistence of White Supremacy in United States History and Life.

DEEP DENIAL - part popular history, part personal memoir - documents the 400-year racialization of the United States and how people of European descent came to be called “white.” Author David Billings focuses primarily on the deeply embedded notion of white supremacy, and tells us why, despite the Civil Rights movement and an AfricanAmerican president, we remain, in the author’s words, “a nation hard-wired by race.” A master storyteller, Billings starts each chapter with a disarming and intimate vignette from his personal life, beginning with his white, working-class boyhood in Mississippi and Arkansas. He then situates these telling moments in a broader historical context that will be new and disturbing to many readers.

Part I covers the origins and evolution of white supremacy from 17th century Virginia through World War II.

Part II focuses on the Civil Rights Movement, how it emerged in the post-WWII era, and why it subsequently devolved from a vibrant community-led, issue-based movement into today’s bureaucratic, government-sponsored, needs-based, nonprofit industry.

An epilogue discusses strategies for dismantling white supremacy and “undoing” racism in America.

David Billings is an anti-racist historian, educator, minister and community organizer. Raised in small towns of Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas, Billings became a racial justice activist while at the University of Mississippi in the mid-1960’s. His experiences led him to enroll in New York Theological Seminary and to becoming an ordained United Methodist Minister. While he served churches in New Orleans and the Bronx, much of Rev. Billings’ ministry has been in community work, plus a few years with the National Office of the United Methodist Church.

In the early 1980’s, Billings became a trainer/organizer with The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, a national, multiracial, antiracist training institute headquartered in New Orleans. Through his experience with The People’s Institute, Billings developed a special interest in the role of race and racism in U.S. history and culture. While much of his work has been rooted in the South, particularly in New Orleans, he and his wife moved to New York City in 2004 to support the growing antiracist work of the People’s Institute there.

Billings returned in the fall of 2010 to live in his birth home of McComb, MS. He continues to teach and consult with organizations and institutions around the nation, including New York University School of Social Work, the City of Ithaca, NY, Insight Meditation Society of Barre, MA, Citizens United for Economic Equity in New Orleans as well as The People’s Institute.

Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil and Inspirational Performances, Saturday November 19, 7 pm

We hope you will make plans to join us for this important and inspirational evening.  No reservations or tickets are needed.
Please do bring along your friends and help us educate and enrich the lives of all by honoring these brave friends who we have lost.

Questions?  Please email PFLAGChestertown@gmail.com

It is a beautiful Fall week ahead...get out and GO!

It is time to get moving and enjoy the fall!

Next weekend, Oct 14-16, Camp Tockwogh is the location for a Rainbow Family Retreat organized by the Rainbow Families of DC.  Really sounds like a lot of fun!

http://www.rainbowfamilies.org/event-2318064?CalendarViewType=1&SelectedDate=10/12/2016

All the registration details are there!  Wow...it is held right here near us on the Eastern Shore every other year! (We didn't know about it till this year!)

And we need YOUR presence with your fellow community leaders...

Next Tuesday, Oct 18th there are two important opportunities, one at 6 pm and the other at 7 pm, both in Chestertown. (And it is the last day to pre-register to vote in November!)

Heads up!  On Tuesday Oct 18^th at the Kent County Commissioners meeting room on High Street in Chestertown at 6 pm there is a special meeting called addressing the consolidation and future quality of organizational leadership among our local county schools.  Some PFLAG leaders will be attending the school related (expect crowds!) meeting.  Others from PFLAG will be at UUCR for our monthly Chapter meeting which will begin at 7 pm. It is possible to do both!

Here are comments from a parent as well as a local business owner in Kent County asking for just a few minutes of your time to consider showing your support for Kent County Public Schools...

"You don't have to be a parent of a KCPS student to understand that having a high-performing public school district is a factor in economic development. Great schools should be part of the package to attract workers and families to Kent County. Please let the Kent County Commissioners know that you support our schools and ask them to show their support for our schools at their upcoming budget meeting on October 18. I am working with a group of parents who are encouraging other parents and business owners to be advocates for our school. You can read more about our initiative by visiting our website here - http://kcpssos.com/

I hope you will take a minute to read our petition and sign if you agree -

https://www.change.org/p/tell-the-kent-county-commissioners-that-our-schools-and-educators-have-our-support

Our local PFLAG Chapter monthly meeting WILL take place also on Oct 18th beginning at 7 pm at 914 Gateway Drive, the home of the Unitarian Universalists of the Chester River (UUCR.)  We may do some organization related planning first, then move into topics of interest and concern to our attendees focusing on specific LGBTQ topics. YES, we will be holding our 5th Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil (TDOR) on Saturday November 19th!  

There is always time for support and new friends are most welcome in our safe and confidential group setting. Did you visit our first Harry Potter Festival booth? Did you get to purchase a " HP Puff for PFLAG?"  We had a good fun day.

Linda Dutton, Board Member

PFLAG Chestertown Maryland Chapter

PFLAG Chestertown Events September through November 2016

PFLAG Chestertown Volunteer Sept through Nov 2016 Events

Please visit PFLAGChestertown.com, email pflagchestertown@gmail.com or call 443 480 3138 for more information about any of the following events. 

Please keep us going by mailing your donation (fully deductible) to: PFLAG Chestertown 914 Gateway Dr. Chestertown, MD 21620

Friday Sept 16, 11am -2 pm Washington College Community Connections Fair, PFLAG Info Table, Hodson Hall.

Saturday Sept 17, 11am – 1 pm Making more “HP Puffs for PFLAG” call or email for more info and to join the fun. We will have at least one more prep session.

Saturday Sept 17^th, Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention Walk, Kent Island, MD

Saturday Sept 17^th, Mental Health First Aid for Youth Training, Easton

Tuesday Sept 20, 7 pm PFLAG Chapter Monthly meeting UUCR, Program focus is the Gender Spectrum in school settings and GLSEN Ally week. Support, new faces and friends are always welcome. 914 Gateway Dr., Chestertown, MD

Monday Sept 26-30, GLSEN Ally Week for school settings.

Saturday, Oct 1, 10 am – 4pm Fountain Park. Chestertown, Harry Potter Festival Vendor of “Puffs for PFLAG.”

Thursday Oct 13^th, 10 am – 2 pm Cecil County Community Connections PFLAG Info Table, Elkton, MD

Fri-Sun Oct 14-16 Rainbow Families Weekend at Camp Tockwogh, Kent Co. MD www.rainbowfamilies.org

Tuesday Oct 18^th, PFLAG Chapter Monthly meeting, details TBD

Thursday Oct 20^th, PFLAG Info Table at Home Ports Health Fair at Kent County High School, Worton, MD

Saturday Oct 29^th, Chestertown Halloween Parade 10 am. Who is in?

Saturday Nov 12, GenderEast Conference, www.genderconferenceeast.org

Saturday Nov 19^th, Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil, Garfield Center for the Arts, Chestertown, MD          

Links you may enjoy...the WCTR local interview, PFLAG National Webinars for a limited time and more....

Stay cool!....even as you age...

Our PFLAG Chestertown Chapter speaks to all ages…especially to our Senior Citizens on the new WCTR radio podcast (and in October where we will have a table at the Home Ports Health Care Event.)

Go to our local radio station website, WCTR.org, and discover the creativity of the new station owners, the podcasts available and how community is empowered to share widely without cost over this basic communication medium!  Remember radio? It’ great! Listen to our hour and see what you think! 

The Monday, August 8, 2016 hour of the “Senior Class” program features our local chapter’s work!  Follow this link or paste it into your browser to find the show.  The program starts out with big band music and then quickly Sam Ricketts, the moderator of the show, introduces Jane Ayers and Linda Dutton from PFLAG Chestertown.

http://www.wctr.com/audio/Senior%20Class%20-%20PFLAG.mp3

Families and Professionals working with our YOUTH….The GENDER CONFERENCE EAST 2016 Early Bird Rates are ending soon…so register! And…We are excited to announce  OUR PROGRAMMING IS NOW ONLINE! Find Professional Day Programming HERE Find Family and Youth Day Programming HERE Register NOW to take advantage of Early Bird Rates. These rates expire August 19th! Professionals Register HERE for Friday's Professional Symposium Families Register HERE for Saturday's Family and Youth Day DATES: Friday Nov 11 - Saturday Nov 12 NEW LOCATION: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Newark Airport  Newark NJ Our PFLAG National Organization is getting better all the time! The new website is almost complete! Take advantage of these webinar links as they are available now for all for a brief time only.  Future membership benefits will give you access to many more!  Remember to visit our local chapter website too!  Regular monthly meetings will begin again in September.  Here are the PFLAG.org webinar links:

On Demand: Have Faith: Straight for Equality In Faith Communities for PFLAG Chapters

In this session, we review the Straight for Equality basics and discuss how our unique understanding of allyship informs the work we do in faith communities. We will also discuss demonstrated, positive changes happening among people of faith when it comes to LGBTQ equality using public opinion research and examples from the PFLAG chapter network, recognizing the real challenges that still exist at the intersection of faith and equality, especially in terms of state-level policy and law changes in 2016. We'll also help you to understand how to use our publication be not afraid – help is on the way! straight for equality in faith communities to address these issues in everyday conversations and through chapter programs.

On Demand: Our Trans Children...Creating Trans Allies and More Inclusive PFLAG Chapters

In 1998 PFLAG became the first nationally-based LGBTQ organization to include the transgender community in our mission statement. Since then, the organization has been dedicated to providing support to trans people and their families, educating the community about the issues that trans people face, and advocating for trans inclusive policies at the local, state, and federal level.

Getting together in August! So many opportunities for fun, support and prepping for fall festivals

Hi EVERYONE!

And a special invitation to you students who are looking for some fun and social time in August….Help PFLAG Chestertown prepare for participating in theHarry Potter Festival. Get together the next 3 Mondays with your friends and help up make Pygmy Puffs which will be featured item for our booth in the Festival. We have started making these cute critters as you can see in the photo below, we need many more and your creativity!  Materials and instructions will be supplied and the good company of your friends and/or family are really most welcome. 
​  

WE have three more MONDAY AFTERNOONS to “create” together planned so far.

Monday August 8, 1-3 pm at the UUCR location, 914 Gateway Drive, Chestertown

Monday August 15, 1-3 pm at the UUCR location, 914 Gateway Drive, Chestertown   AND

Monday August 22, 1-3 pm at the Yellow House by the library parking lot, 107 Calvert St, Chestertown

The locations will be open from 12:30-3:30 for set up and clean up, so if you need to come early or be picked up later, we can work that out…rides are also available.  Just email PFLAGChestertown@gmailcom or text 443 480 3138 (Linda) if you need more info. 

Big Thanks to Holli M, Pat C and Barbi B for getting our creative juices flowing and managing the materials.  We also thank the Harry Potter Festival organizing friends for welcoming us to their crowd of fans.

Another opportunity for connections with our community is over the air waves of WCTR!  Listen in Monday August 8^th at 1 pm for the Senior Class show when PFLAG members Jane Ayers, and Linda Dutton will be interviewed by show host Sam Ricketts about topics of interest to our senior citizens. (the older seniors, not you high schoolers!)  Gosh we can listen to this when we are together on Monday….oh my, I hope it turned out well! (http://www.wctr.com/index.php/22-carousel/66-awards.  A podcast of the talk will be available later the same day. You might also be interested to know that we will also have a table at the Home Ports Community Health Fair held at KCHS later in October. 

And if you happen to be in Salisbury next Monday evening...attend their chapter meeting!

Please join Salisbury friends for our August PFLAG meeting on Monday the 8th, from 6:30 to 8pm. We will be watching and discussing the short CNN film "Raising Ryland," which chronicles a family's journey parenting a young transgender child. 

We will be meeting at our usual location, Delmarvalous Occasions, located at 213 W. Main Street in downtown Salisbury (in the building which houses Roadie Joe's). Free parking is available on W. Main Street, or in the lot between Route 50 and Church Street. Those in need of an elevator should enter from W. Main Street. Follow the signs to the meeting.

Light refreshments will be served. Michele, Salisbury PFLAG organizer

www.SalisburyPFLAG.com 

Find us on Facebook: SalisburyPFLAG

There are many great new things happening at the National PFLAG Office and on their website…as well as other area PFLAG Chapter picnics taking place. More on those developments and opportunities below...thanks June for sharing them with us.  Also note that PFLAG Wilmington Chapter is needing extra leadership support asap...if you live up that way, go to their website and see what you can do to help!  Also check out this great new group for the young trans community:

PFLAG-Wilmington, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children & United Way of Delaware PRIDE Council announces a new support group for Parents of Trans KIDS.

PTKDelaware

PARENTS OF TRANS KIDS SUPPORT GROUP

FIRST MEETING - THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016 AT 6:30 PM

Monthly Meetings - 3rd Thursday of the month

at Nemours duPont Hospital, 1600 Rockland Rd, Wilmington DE 19803

Meetings will start at 6:30 pm

(stop at the Welcome Desk for directions to our meeting room)

Parents will be able to network with other families that are going through similar experiences while raising a transgender or non-gender conforming child. The goal of the group is to provide parents a safe space where they can discuss what issues are important to them. They will have the chance to raise questions, share resources, network and listen to the experience of other parents whose children are gender diverse. Issues explored will include school, legal matters, privacy, siblings, extended family, and medical.

If you would like to attend our first meeting on Thursday, August 18, 2016 at 6:30 pm, please email your name along with the age of your child to PTKDelaware@gmail.com

Directions to Nemours duPont Hospital - upon entering the campus at 1600 Rockland Road continue on the driveway. After the playground, make your first left to a surface parking lot. Once parked proceed to the front of the blue glass section of the hospital where you will enter the Fusco Atrium.  The Welcome Desk will be on your right.

Thanks all!  Hope to see you soon all around the mid Eastern Shore of MD too. We need contact names for Cecil County!  Anyone want to set up our table in Chestertown's Fountain Park on Saturday mornings during the Farmer’s Market?  We would love to have you there!

Here is the info on Maryland area PFLAG chapters:

• Anne Arundel County (Annapolis), Facebook Page
• Carroll County (Westminster) website and Facebook page
• Kent County (Chestertown), PFLAGChestertown.com and Facebook 
• Harford County (BelAir), Facebook page
• Howard County (Columbia) website  and Facebook page
• Frederick County, Central Maryland
• Wicomico County (Salisbury) Facebook page
• Southern Maryland Facebook Page
• Washington, D.C.

Other

Rehoboth Beach , Delaware  Facebook Page
York, PA  website
Central PA (Mechanicsburg)  facebook page  or  website

Another good place to find all kinds of helpful information isNATIONAL PFLAG WEBSITEHere, you can find links to download all the materials we displayed on our table at the festival !!

The following chapters are having Picnics soon, and

You’re Invited!!

ANNAPOLIS CHAPTER

https://www.facebook.com/events/1563711617267424/

AUG7

Colorful Kick Off Cookout

Sun 4 PM · Crofton

WESTMINSTER CHAPTER

Sunday Aug.21- PFLAG Westminster’s 5th Annual Pot Luck BBQ – You’re Invited!

Annual  Pot Luck BBQ — August 21 – 5:00 pm at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ,  Corner of Bond & Green Sts.,  Westminster, MD 21157

PFLAG Westminster-Carroll County’s August meeting will be our Annual Pot Luck Barbecue!  Everyone is invited!  The more the merrier!!  Rain or shine!
We are asking our community to join us by bringing something that they would like to BBQ (hot dogs, chicken, hamburgers, veggie burgers, etc.) and also bring a dish to share. PFLAG will be supplying paper products, ketchup, mustard and drinks.

The picnic will take place at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in the grassy area  outside next to the parking lot.  In case of Rain, we’ll bring our picnicinside.
There will be a grill to cook on. We want everyone to come out and grill their favorites with us and celebrate the end of summer.

We hope  that everyone will also consider bringing  a school supply that we will donate in the name of PFLAG to Shepherd Staff, a non-profit that helps low income families in Carroll County.

Columbia-Howard County Chapter Picnic– October 1^st

Each year, PFLAG’s picnic brings together families, friends and allies to share an afternoon of food and fun.

16th Annual PFLAG Family Picnic 

 Saturday, October 1, 2016
Centennial Park South Pavilion D (off of Rt. 108)
Noon to 3:00 p.m.

What to Expect

• Parents, family members, friends, LGBTQ+, allies and children of all ages
• Games for all ages
• Lots of seating for relaxing and chatting
• A large pavilion to protect us in case of rain
• NEW this year:  Musical entertainment (more information to follow)

Wow....there are lots of great groups around!  Thanks all!

Vigils for Orlando victims planned for both Chestertown and Easton on Thursday June 16

Kent County and area residents are invited to a vigil for the victims of the Orlando massacre.

On Thursday June 16^th at 7:30 pm area residents are invited to gather at Wilmer Park near the Chester River in Chestertown. In case of the predicted rain, we will move into the Lelia Hynson Pavilion, adjacent to Wilmer Park. Our hour will begin with brief remarks followed by a reading of the names of lives lost in Orlando.  Our local PFLAG Chapter thanks the volunteers from several partner organizations who are assisting as we create this vigil. We are proud to support all of our citizens and organizations and hope you will share your support by joining us on Thursday evening. 

Also on Thursday in Easton, MD another vigil is planned.

In response to the heinous murders in Orlando this weekend, the Talbot Association of Clergy, under the leadership of chairman Rev. Sue Browning, will sponsor a community vigil of solidarity on Thursday, June 16, 6:30 PM in Idlewild Park. The event will at the Peace Pole located in the park.

Participants may RSVP at the Temple B’nai Israel office at 410-822-0553. In case of rain, we will conduct the vigil in the sanctuary of the temple at 101 West Earle Ave. 

Linda Dutton for the PFLAG Chestertown Chapter.  

A time of shock and for mourning among all communities

There are no words to describe the feelings and complexities we share today as we learn of the horrific events targeting our dear families and friends.  We must dig deep into our hearts to send out as much strength as possible to those most impacted and then again gather our pride and energy for the important work that continues to be needed in EVERY corner of our great country.  Change only happens one person at a time. Whether it is a conversation about weapons, love or hate in general or specifically, we must come together in real conversation and intention to begin to address the extremes.

When we are able to put together a sensible plan for sharing with one another, we will announce this on the bcc list and here. Until then, please simply hug those you love and care for and send your best spiritual strengths out to the rest of our dear world.

While I personally don't participate in FB,  I will ask our volunteers who manage that page to share this message there as well.

LD for PFLAG Chestertown

April is the month for political focus in Maryland! Try to smile and be part of the process. We have FREEDOM.

Hi folks,

April is the time to focus on politics in Maryland!* April 5^th is the last date to adjust party affiliation!

MORE STATEWIDE Election INFO BELOW…AND THIS WILL BE THE MAIN TOPIC OF OUR APRIL MEETING. Tuesday April 19^th, our regular monthly chapter meeting (at UUCR, see the website) will focus on politics! (YES!....PFLAG is a non-partisan non-profit organization, we are respectful and careful about the related guidelines!)

At this meeting we will have FUN discussing the topics of the day using a “random” tool…a card game that brings up many “topics of the day.” I will leave the rest to your imagination. The INTENT is to provoke thought and conversation…as well as try to learn from one another about the complexities of the ballot issues and position of individuals running for various positions in various parties….A free for all conversation to be sure! (We intend to set a tone of dark/silly humor and info sharing/respectfulness side by side.)  Should be interesting!

We will also hold our own annual local chapter officer elections…as required by our chapter bylaws.

The chapter officer ballots will be pre-printed, anonymous voting, in person only and will include a write in space.  These positions are real and require work and commitment.  The results will be tabulated, checked independently and announced that evening.  More details are available about the individuals proposed for the offices…as are thanks for those who have served our chapter with their generosity.  (Kendall Ruffatto, our Chapter President since our inception in 2011 is stepping down. We appreciate your commitment and ongoing support in new ways Kendall!)

The PFLAG Chestertown Chapter proposed 2016 Officer ballot overview is:

President:  Linda Dutton (currently serving as Chapter Secretary since 2011.)

Treasurer: Jonathan Chace (has served in this same role since 2011.)

Secretary: Barbi Bedell (Long term member and Chapter leader, bio available)

These roles are our three required Chapter Officer positions.  We also welcome other leaders to less formal (but vital!) roles that are being swapped out…and those details will also be announced at our meeting.)….please check out our website for several other opportunities for to involve yourself in our work.  I don’t want to post them all as it is overwhelming…but note where they are from and involve yourself!  PFLAG is a resource for support, education and advocacy….a link among many, but from your closest local connections….help us continue to be simply that!

The main program of the meeting on April 19^th will focus on the Maryland State wide process!

What are the dates and details about elections in Maryland this year?  http://www.elections.state.md.us/elections/2016/index.html

May I change parties? Yes. To change your party affiliation you can use Maryland's Online Voter Registration System (OLVR) or submit a new voter registration application or a signed written request to your local board of elections. The deadline to change your party affiliation is April 5, 2016 for the Presidential Primary Election and October 16, 2016 for the Presidential General Election. If you request a change in party affiliation after these dates, your request will be held at your local board of elections and processed when registration reopens after the elections.

Events of Interest TODAY at Wash College and in the near future....hope to see you!

Hi friends,

There are several timely announcements/opportunities in this post, so skim on down as needed to get them all…

Sorry for the late notice about this, but tonight at Washington College consider:

Kand McQueen, a national advocate for transgender awareness, will discuss the limitations of gender identification and how society’s strict interpretations can negatively affect a culture.

Like much of the world, Western society rests on the assumption that all persons exist unambiguously as either man or woman. As a society, however, that assumption is being questioned and challenged in ways that are creating a growing national conversation on the topic.

On March 2, that conversation will take the stage at Washington College when Kand McQueen, a nationally known keynote speaker and advocate for transgender awareness, will speak on “Sex and Gender: Two Are Definitely Not Enough and Why It Matters.” The event at 7:00 p.m. in Decker Theatre of the Gibson Center for the Arts is free and open to the public. A reception will follow the program.

The goals of the talk are to help the audience see how the binary categories of “male” and “female” are inadequate to contain that part of human experience referred to as sex and gender, and to understand how our strict, dichotomous thinking negatively affects all people. In the talk, McQueen will make the case for a greater acceptance of all human beings and the diversity of our species.

McQueen, who addresses issues of transgenderism, intersexuality, and the inadequacies of our current two-and-only-two sex/two-gender way of thinking, earned a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology—Inquiry Methodology from Indiana University.

This event is variously supported by the Office of Intercultural Affairs, the Gender Studies Program, the Department of Education, and the Office of Wellness and Prevention Education. Major sponsorship comes from the William James Forum and the Gibson-Wagner Psychology Department Fund. Theta of Maryland, Washington College’s Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, will host the reception.

Next week, YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING…only a few spots left!

Offered by Maryland Coalition of Families in partnership with Mental Health Association in Talbot County

March 11, 2016 from 8:30am-5:00pm

Pizza will be provided for lunch

Location: Kent County Library

Yellow Building, 207Calvert St., Chestertown, MD 21620 

About Youth Mental Health First Aid:

·         Evidence-based training that teaches the signs and symptoms of mental health disorders.

·         Provides individuals with tools to respond to a mental health emergency until professional help arrives.

·         Provides action steps to take in order to help a young person ages 12-17 experiencing the early signs of a mental health disorder.

·         Designed for parents, teachers and caregivers of that age group. 

COURSE OFFERED FREE OF CHARGE

With support from the Leonard and Helen R. Stulman Foundation

All participants will be certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid and receive a certificate of completion valid for 3 years 

For Professionals:

8 CEU’s available for social work, psychology, counseling (for a fee of $30) and nursing CEU’s are free

To register for this course contact Danielle Murphy with

Mental Health Association in Talbot County at 410-822-0444or email dmurphy@mhamdes.org ….call since registration is almost closed.

Last, but not least…thanks so much to all who attended the Listening Session held at Chesapeake College last week with Free State Legal/Equality Maryland.  The discussion was full of quality and depth…and we are proud to be partnering in this important work together.  More to come from them on the Eastern Shore and everywhere!  Support them!  Visit their websites for details of events taking place in the near future in Salisbury...and see the new PFLAG Chapter in Salisbury!

Our regular monthly Third Tuesday Chestertown Chapter meeting will be held at UUCR at 7 pm on Tuesday March 15. 

 We will recap all the recent events and share proposals as we look to the months ahead.  Our Gay Straight Alliance “grant” phase has ended and we will not be hosting an “open house” event for this week’s First Friday on March 4. 

At our April 19 Chestertown Chapter meeting we will hold our annual chapter officer elections and announce programs plans for the months ahead.

Hope to see you at any of these events with your questions, ideas and resources of energy and caring.  I will be leading the meeting, this month at UUCR, Tues, March 15, 7 pm…we welcome all and will have time for mutual support too!