A Letter From The President

Would You Believe There Are 10 Kinds of Intimacy?

 Bob Dorr, PFLAG Omaha

 Posted on October 24, 2006

Jean Rollin, a Planned Parenthood staff member, will talk about the 10 kinds of intimacy in a fun and practical program at Omaha PFLAG’s Nov. 9 meeting.

This promises to be another in a string of good programs that lately have boosted attendance. Good turnouts energize our speakers, and they tend to make our support circles more helpful to new people with questions and uncertainties. Jean, an ordained minister, is Planned Parenthood’s faith-based community educator in Omaha and Council Bluffs.

Carrie Spencer, vice-president of Omaha PFLAG, leads our monthly programming efforts. She appreciates suggestions for future programs.

Our Nov. 9 meeting will start with support time at 7 p.m. in Mead Hall at the west end of First United Methodist Church , 7020 Cass St . The program will follow at 8 p.m. For those who can come early, coffee and socializing will start at 6:30.

PLEA THAT NEEDS REPEATING: Yes, you’ve heard this repeatedly, but it is so important that I’m going to repeat it: VOTE ON NOV. 7.

THANKS TO ALL who attended the Oct. 13 benefit performance of Pride Players. All income from ticket sales and donations goes to the three benefiting organizations—PFLAG, Proud Horizons and GLSEN. Each group received a check for $657. For PFLAG that money comes at an especially good time. We updated our Safe Schools presentations, and that resulted in extra expense.

MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL: For many in Omaha PFLAG, this is the time to renew your annual membership. If your membership expires now--and if you are receiving this newsletter electronically--a dues renewal letter and return envelope will arrive by snail mail in a few days. If you are not a member, and you would like to join, please reply to this email, and we will mail you a return envelope. Or log onto the Omaha PFLAG web site, and click on “membership.” We have about 55 members. We need and appreciate every one of you. Our web site: www.pflag-omaha.org

MODEST GAINS: The number of Nebraska school districts with protection in their anti-discrimination policies for gay, lesbian and bisexual people is slowly increasing. That number stood at one for about a decade: the Omaha School District . Now there are three. District 66 and the Lincoln School District have joined the Omaha public schools in forbidding discrimination based on sexual orientation. Nebraska has 255 school districts, so we still have a ways to go.

Across the river, the Council Bluffs School District includes sexual orientation in its anti-discrimination policy.

The number of Nebraska school districts that forbid discrimination based on “gender identity” and “gender expression” stands at zero. Transgender people are not protected in any of the state’s school districts.

STANDING OVATION: As a listener, I usually can sense when a speech clicks with an audience. That happened recently when my wife, Betty, addressed an interfaith Holy Relationships conference in Iowa City, Iowa. Betty told about her experiences in PFLAG and within our family. Our family includes three gay members; one is our youngest son who recently died. Her talk also included her experiences in a United Methodist group that seeks equal rights for GLBTs.

At the end she received a standing ovation! Guess I’ll have to become a better listener when she speaks to me.

Bob Dorr
Omaha PFLAG president