Stunning PFLAG Canada Ad Remembers All The Weddings That Never Happened

Holy crap, this is gorgeous. Get the tissues, seriously.

(Via Good As You)

CINCINNATI: Community Rallies In Memory Of Ohio Trans Teen Leelah Alcorn

JMG reader Andy writes:

My partner and I live in Northern Kentucky in the greater Cincinnati area and attended Leelah's vigil at the Woodward Theater in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood last night.  There were approximately 600 persons attending the vigil last night in the theater, both on the floor and in the balcony. In attendance were many of the Cincinnati LGBT community, parents and family of area Trans youth, representatives from local organizations supporting Trans persons (both religious and non-religious), City councilman Chris Seelbach and a representative from the Mayor's office, and the LGBT liaison to the Cincinnati Police Department, Angela Vance.

Andy captions the photo above: "MUSE Cincinnati Women's Choir forming a protective circle around the young transgendered persons in attendance during their musical performance, which was one of the most touching moments of the evening."

The event's primary sponsor was Heartland Trans Wellness Group, with co-sponsorship from the Trevor Project, PFLAG, HRC, Diverse City Youth Chorus, GLSEN Greater Cincinnati, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Transgender Clinic, Bound by Truth and Love Ministries, and Trans-Saints Ministry.

MISSOURI: LGBT Groups Stand With Family Of Teen Killed By Cop

A coalition of 17 national LGBT and civil rights groups have issued a joint letter in support of the family of Missouri teenager Michael Brown, whose killing by a police officer has inflamed racial tensions and prompted a national outcry.

Among the groups signing the letter are the ACLU, HRC, GLAD, GLAAD, GMHC, NGLTF, PFLAG, and the Trevor Project.

VIRGINIA: 13 States + DC File Amicus Brief In Support Of Marriage Plaintiffs

The following states and Washington DC have filed a collective amicus brief with the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal in support of Virginia's marriage equality plaintiffs: Massachusetts, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. Equality Case Files has the full brief. Money quote:

As in other cases raising constitutional challenges to state marriage laws, there is considerable agreement between Amici States and those States that defend exclusionary laws. All States agree that marriage is a core building block of society; as a result, they regulate entry into, responsibilities during and after, and exit from marriage. Moreover, States establish policies that encourage individuals to get and stay married because they recognize that marriage provides stability for families, households, and the broader community; that children are better off when they are raised by loving, committed parents; and that state resources are preserved when spouses provide for each other and their children. On all of these points— and many more—all States are in accord.

Gay-friendly briefs were also filed today by the NAACP, PFLAG, the Episcopal Church, the Anti-Defamation League, the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Family Equality Council, and many others. See them all here. You might be especially interested in a brief filed by a group calling itself Historians Of Anti-Gay Discrimination. I'm just now digging into it, tell us what you think.

Queens Street To Be Named For PFLAG Founder Jeanne Manford And Son Morty

JMG reader Brandon tips us that street in front of the former Queens home of late PFLAG founder Jeanne Manford and her son Morty Manford will be renamed their honor. Final approval of the change is expected before the naming ceremony next weekend. Jeanne passed away in January 2013 at the age of 92. Morty Manford, an assistant New York State Attorney General, died of AIDS in 1992 at the age of 41.

RELATED: On Pride weekend last June, a plaque was posted in the West Village to mark the location of the first PFLAG meeting in 1973. The Manfords founded PFLAG after Morty was beaten while distributing pro-gay flyers outside a 1972 political meeting in Manhattan.

Think Tank Report: Major LGBT Rights Groups Had $186M In 2012 Revenues

The Movement Advancement Project has issued its annual report on the finances of 32 major LGBT rights groups in the United States. Included in their 2012 recap is data from the Human Rights Campaign, the ACLU LGBT Project, Lambda Legal, GLAAD, Freedom To Marry, and several state organizations such as Equality California.

Hit the link for the full 24-page report.

PFLAG Wants To Meet With Rob Ford

LGBT Groups Launch $2M ENDA Push

A coalition of the LGBT rights groups today announced a $2M campaign to support the passage of ENDA.  Via press release:

Today the bipartisan campaign Americans for Workplace Opportunity announced it had formed in order to take advantage of a historic opportunity to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act 19 years after its first introduction -- a bill to ban workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

The group plans to spend more than $2 million on the effort and has hired Matt McTighe, a veteran strategist who most recently served as Marriage Project Director for Gill Action after winning the campaign to bring marriage equality to Maine, to serve as the campaign manager. A majority of states lack laws protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from workplace bias and there is no federal law explicitly barring employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

"No one should be fired for who they are or who they love, and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act is a bipartisan, common-sense way to put those values into federal law," said McTighe. "Our campaign will mobilize the supermajority of diverse Americans who believe in workplace fairness and push Congress to act on ENDA this year."

The steering committee of Americans for Workplace Opportunity is a diverse and bipartisan group of organizations composed of: American Civil Liberties Union, American Federation of Teachers, American Unity Fund, Human Rights Campaign, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, National Center for Transgender Equality, National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, and the Service Employees International Union. Dozens of other organizations that support ENDA will also be involved in the coalition.

The list of sponsoring organizations is here.

NEW YORK CITY: PFLAG Founder Jeanne Manford Honored With Memorial Plaque

PFLAG founder Jeanne Manford passed away in January at the age of 92. On Sunday this happened in the West Village:

The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), and The Church of the Village unveiled a bronze historic marker now permanently affixed to the facade of this landmark church memorializing the first meeting of what came to be PFLAG, led by Jeanne Manford, at the church in 1973. PFLAG is now a national organization with 350 chapters in the United States and 200,000 members and supporters, which does work internationally as well.

Below is a photo of Manford and her late son Morty at the 1972 Christopher Street Liberation March.  On this Sunday when you pass the site of the above plaque during what we now call the gay pride parade, tip your hat to Ms. Manford and her tremendous legacy.

Esurance: $100K For LGBT Charities

Yesterday Esurance announced a $100,000 giveaway to "three worthy charities" which will get a percentage of the donation based on the votes made on the company's Facebook page.  Right on cue, Bryan Fischer tweeted out a call for a boycott. Expect Esurance's stock value to triple shortly, a la Home Depot.

Australian PFLAG Launches Campaign: Congratulations, You're Having A Lesbian

A wonderful new marriage equality campaign has been launched in Australia:

A pregnant woman who is "having a lesbian" stars in a provocative new billboard to promote gay marriage. Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays spokeswoman Shelley Argent said the campaign was designed to garner support from mainstream families for gay marriage, on the grounds that gay children were "born that way". "Being lesbian or gay is not a choice," she said. "It's got nothing to do with culture or parenting skills. "It's just the way you are. You're born that way." The billboard shows a smiling woman baring her pregnant belly, with the slogan, "Congratulations, you're having a lesbian". Billboard giant GOA has donated space for the ads, worth up to $60,000, in Queensland.

The billboard campaign is being supported by the below clip.

PFLAG China Calls For Marriage

The Chinese chapter of PFLAG has issued a public letter calling for marriage equality. The letter has been sent to members of the National People's Congress. China Daily reports:

"Some of our children have been living with their partners for nearly 10 years. They love each other. But they cannot sign their names legally when their partners need an operation," said the letter, which was written by PFLAG China (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays of China) and represented more than 100 gay parents. The organization said it will communicate with deputies from South China's Guangdong province who are able to promote the legalization of gay marriage during the NPC this year.  The letter underlines the problems that gay couples in China face, such as adoption, inheritance and purchasing properties. It calls for early amendment of the Marriage Law to include the right of marriage for gays.

PFLAG China was founded in 2008.

PFLAG Files Prop 8 Brief

Parent, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) today filed a Supreme Court brief in support of the overturn of Proposition 8.  The brief includes numerous real life stories of gay people and their families and is relatively light on legal citations. Hit the link and read the stories.

Late PFLAG Founder Jeanne Manford To Receive Presidential Citizens Medal

PFLAG founder Jeanne Manford, who died last month at the age of 92, will be posthumously honored with the Presidential Citizens Medal, the second-highest honor the government gives a civilian. Twelve others will receive the medal at an upcoming White House ceremony. Paul Schindler reports at Gay City News:

When Manford died last month at the age of 92, Jody Huckaby, PFLAG’s national executive director, said, “Jeanne Manford proved the power of a single person to transform the world. She paved the way for us to speak out for what is right, uniting the unique parent, family, and ally voice with the voice of LGBT people everywhere.” President Barack Obama will honor the Medal winners at a White House ceremony on February 15. The recipients were announced on February 8. Manford is only the second Citizens Medal recipient honored for her work on LGBT causes. A 2011 Medal went to Janice K. Langbehn, a lesbian who sued a Miami hospital after she and her three young children were denied the right to visit her partner of 18 years, Lisa Marie Pond, as she lay dying after suffering a brain aneurysm while on vacation there in 2007. Despite having been told that they were in “an anti-gay city and state” by a hospital official, Langbehn’s suit was dismissed.

Others to receive the Presidential Citizens Medal have included Elizabeth Taylor, Colin Powell, and AIDS researcher David Ho.

UPDATE: PFLAG has issued a statement.

“When Jeanne Manford publicly stood up for her gay son in 1972, she had no idea that her actions would spark a movement that would change the lives of so many individuals and families,” said PFLAG National Executive Director Jody M. Huckaby. “It started out as a simple act of love, but Jeanne’s legacy lives on, as straight allies continue to stand alongside their LGBT loved ones, united by their collective belief in a better—and more equal—tomorrow. Her voice has been joined by millions of others who have raised their voices and will continue to do so in support of acceptance, fairness, and equality.” “I was able to share the news of this honor with my mom before she left us and I only wish the President could have seen the amazing smile that spread across her face,” said Suzanne Manford Swan, daughter of the late Jeanne Manford. “My family is deeply touched by this honor and to represent the PFLAG family values of love and acceptance.”

Rachel Maddow On Jeanne Manford

You'll need a tissue for this.

PFLAG Founder Dies At Age 92

PFLAG mourns its founder today.

Today the world has lost a pioneer: Jeanne Manford, the founder of PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) and the Mother of the Straight Ally movement.

Jeanne was one of the fiercest fighters in the battle for acceptance and equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. It is truly humbling to imagine in 1972 - just 40 years ago - a simple schoolteacher started this movement of family and ally support, without benefit of any of the technology that today makes a grassroots movement so easy to organize. No Internet. No cellphones. Just a deep love for her son and a sign reading “Parents of Gays: Unite in Support for Our Children.”

This simple and powerful message of love and acceptance from one person resonated so strongly it was heard by millions of people worldwide and led to the founding of PFLAG, an organization with more than 350 chapters across the U.S. and 200,000 members and supporters, and the creation of similar organizations across the globe.

VIDEO: President Obama paid tribute to Manford last year.

PFLAG: San Francisco, We're You

Video by JMG reader Brandon Brock.

Betty DeGeneres Leads PFLAG's New National Anti-Bullying Campaign

Johnson & Johnson have teamed up with Walgreens and PFLAG on a Pride season project to raise money for anti-bullying campaigns. Fronting the effort is Betty DeGeneres, Ellen's mom.

PFLAG Co-Founder Dies At Age 90

Adele Starr, the co-founder and first president of PFLAG, has died in Los Angeles at the age of 90.

In 1976, Starr founded the Los Angeles chapter of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, a gay rights and acceptance organization known then as Parent FLAG, now as PFLAG. In 1979, she spoke on the steps of the U.S. Capitol at a march for gay rights — a seminal event often credited with uniting a then-nascent movement. Two years later, she became PFLAG's first national president; she served in that capacity until 1986 and remained a forceful advocate for civil rights and, in later years, for the legalization of same-sex marriage. Starr served at the helm of PFLAG during the onset of the AIDS crisis, said her longtime friend and collaborator Terry DeCrescenzo, founder of another advocacy group formed to reach out to gay and lesbian youth. "In that time, a lot of us lost hope," said DeCrescenzo, 66, of Studio City. "Not Adele. And PFLAG became enormously important because it was rock solid.... She was a good woman. She'll be missed.

Adele Starr: "We cannot understand those arrogant people who have decided that a heterosexual lifestyle must be imposed on everyone and that they have a monopoly on morality. The American way is respect for diversity with the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

TENNESSEE: Lesbian Couple's Home Torched, Homophobic Neighbor Suspected

A lesbian couple in rural Tennessee returned from a trip to Nashville to find their home burned to the ground and the word "QUEERS" spray-painted on their garage.

The couple feels they're victims of a hate crime, and were targeted because they're gay. They've been together for more than 15 years. Carol Stutte has an adult daughter from a previous relationship who also lived with them. At the time of the fire, they were in Nashville celebrating their fifth anniversary in Tennessee. "My daughter was supposed to be here. She was sick," Carol Stutte said. "I was grateful my baby girl didn't get killed in this fire. She would have been trapped in the basement." The couple moved to Vonore from Oklahoma. Carol Stutte says her partner is too afraid to come back to the property since the fire. She says they've been harassed all five years they've lived there by one neighbor. She also says recently the neighbor threatened to kill them and burn down their house," Stutte said. "I knew we had been threatened, but we never thought anything would be followed through."

The local police and the state arson squad are investigating the fire as a possible hate crime. PFLAG has sent out a call for donations of cash and household items for the women. The Tennessee Valley Unitarian Church is also taking donations.