A Letter From The President

From the October 2002 Newsletter

 Bob Dorr, PFLAG Omaha

 Posted on October 1, 2002

To see a work of art, click onto Omaha PFLAG's new web site, www.pflag-omaha.org

The work of art is the web site itself. It is completely redesigned. It is more attractive than our previous web site. It also contains more information about Omaha PFLAG's services and provides more ways for people to get information and help.

Chris Shepherd, a computer virtuoso, designed our site. Chris is Lincoln PFLAG's web designer, and she maintains that web site. Chris put in many hours and offered innovative ideas--declining to charge a fee--because she loves PFLAG and what we do to help people. Thanks, Chris.

Carrie Spencer, an Omaha PFLAG board member, is our web administrator. She helped Chris plan the web site.

It's nearly time for the annual National Coming Out Day, which formerly consisted of a single day's activities and now consists of events stretching over more than a week. For the full list of activities, see the Calendar.

Omaha PFLAG and our Proud Horizons youth support group each will sponsor a National Coming Out Day event.

At 7 p.m., on Thursday, Oct. 10, PFLAG will have a Forum for our members and for the general public in Mead Hall at the west end of First United Methodist Church, 7020 Cass St. Several panel members will tell their own stories and also tell a little bit about the organizations they represent. The Forum will replace our regular monthly program-support meeting.

Proud Horizons is planning a dance from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11, in Cary Hall at First United Methodist Church (east side of building). PFLAG will help provide chaperons for the dance. If you are available that night and are willing to be a chaperon, please contact Dave England, the group's lead adviser. Call 292-1312 or email him at england@radiks.net

For up-to-date information about National Coming Out Day, check our web site or visit Rainbow Celebrations' web site: www.rainbowcelebrations.org or email: NCOD2002@rainbowcelebrations.org or phone (402)502-1577.

Omaha PFLAG members voted in September to expand the board of directors by three people, from seven members to 10 members. Elected as additional members: Dave Meyer, Tony Vincent and Betty Dorr. Reelected to the board: Bob Dorr, Roy Wright and J Wright. Holdover board members: Carrie Spencer, Barbara Johnson, Venetia Collins and Tom Liefer.

We want to strive harder this coming year to become even more effective in carrying out our life-enhancing and life-saving mission. To do that, we enlarged the board. Even more important, we need the continuing commitment of our chapter members.

One election victory during September gives us hope that the day when people have equal rights regardless of sexual orientation isn't too many years off. Miami, Fla., voters upheld a Dade County law that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation.

For both sides nationally, this was an important, closely watched battle. Some Omaha PFLAG members helped pay the expenses of Omaha gay rights activist Scott Winkler, who traveled to Florida to join a national GLBT group that campaigned to uphold the 1998 law. The law had come under attack from self-described "pro-family" groups.

But this also happened in September: The Topeka, Kan., City Council removed "sexual orientation" from a proposed ordinance before passing the ordinance, which increases penalties for crimes committed with a bias based on race, religion and other criteria.

So, for anyone who needed reminding, the battle isn't over.

Bob Dorr, president