A Letter From The President

The Hate-Mongers Are Wrong

 Bob Dorr, PFLAG Omaha

 Posted on June 22, 2005

There is no more important task than Omaha PFLAG’s two-hour Safe Schools presentations. We do 75 a year—mostly to college classes, and the bulk of those to classes of future school teachers.

Those appearances are important because they tear down stereotypes. Once our Safe Schools audiences see and hear us, they realize the hate-mongers are wrong. We're typical Americans who deserve the same rights for ourselves or our loved ones that most people already have. Further, it is only reasonable and fair that schools should be safe for all, including gay-lesbian-bisexual-transgender students who often are taunted and bullied.

A critical part of this undertaking involves three people who arrange presentations and coordinate the presenters and panel members who go out and spread our Gospel. They are Betty Dorr and Susie Silverman from PFLAG and Joe Price from GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network), our sister organization in doing these presentations.

Susie has decided she would like to step aside from the organizational duties so she can have time to appear on panels herself. We owe huge thanks to Susie for her dedication and fine work the past several years.

Succeeding her as an organizer for PFLAG is Suzy Adams, 35, a vivacious ball-of-fire who is the partner of Carrie Spencer, PFLAG’s vice-president and webmaster.
Born in Florida, Suzy lived in nine states including Nebraska while her father worked at power plants under construction. She enrolled at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she won a position on the women’s softball team as a walk on player.

She graduated in 1994 with a chemistry degree, leading to a job with a company that distributes medical supplies. Two years later, a friend arranged a blind date between her and Carrie. The night arrived, and Suzy had a bad cold. “I was sicker than a dog.”

Suzy went through with the blind date. Carrie came over to Suzy’s house, and the two talked. Within six months they were in a committed relationship, and in May 1999 they had a commitment ceremony at a bed-and-breakfast near Glenwood, Iowa, before 60 friends and family members. Their relationship thrives because of commitment, trust and communication.

When Suzy’s employer closed its Omaha branch, she was offered a transfer to Jacksonville, Fla. But that would mean a two-city relationship. She rejected the offer and decided to seek admission to pharmacy school. To prepare, she enrolled at UNO to retake science classes, and she is working as a technician at a mail-order pharmacy.

Suzy and Carrie share a home in southwest Omaha. Suzy plays slow-pitch softball, golfs and enjoys long walks with Carrie and their dog, Thomas.

Several years ago, Carrie Spencer joined PFLAG and became active in our work. Suzy began attending a year or so later. She is a board member and helps coordinate refreshments for each of our monthly support-program meetings.

In addition, she has been on our panels for the last two years. “You can tell when you’ve made a good connection with someone by their body language or when they talk to you afterwards,” she said. “We eliminate preconceived notions and stereotypes. They begin thinking, ‘hey, that’s a person just like me. They’ve struggled. They go to work each day.’”

Most in our audiences are not the people who already understand our issues. They never hear about, much less attend, GLBT workshops and forums. They don’t tap into our web sites or email lists. They are the Great American Middle, the ones we want most to reach.

We always need more presenters. Two of us--Joe Price and I--did the bulk of the presentations this past year. We need more panel members, especially people who can do daytime panels. Some panel members and presenters with daytime jobs take part of their vacation time in small chunks to help our educational efforts.

And we especially need people like Susie Silverman, Suzy Adams, Betty Dorr and Joe Price who have been willing to give time and effort to what some might see as the less-exciting part of our Speakers Bureau mission: the all-important organizing, scheduling and training.

ON July 14, PFLAG’s normal meeting night, we will follow our tradition of recent years and have a potluck social. Come to First United Methodist Church’s Mead Hall at 6:30 p.m. Bring your own table service and a casserole, vegetable dish, salad or dessert to share with others. PFLAG will provide the drinks. As in past years, we will invite those in some of our ally organizations to join us so we can get to know each other better.

Thanks to the 25 Omaha PFLAGers, members of their families and others who joined us in the Pride Parade on June 11 and to those who helped staff our information table at the Pride Festival. We had a great group that included several children marching with their parents.

Thanks also to Dave England and Barb Johnson for their efforts in making the first citywide Pride Prom a huge success, with 111 youths attending. Last month’s newsletter reported on the event, but I wanted to be certain that Dave and Barb know how grateful PFLAGers are for their leadership in this groundbreaking event. The GLBT youths who attended had a high school prom experience they will long remember.

For a long time, many Omaha PFLAG members received National PFLAG Weekly Alerts via email. Then those weekly emails stopped because your computer-illiterate Omaha president couldn’t overcome a technical problem. Now (I hope) members once again are receiving the PFLAG Weekly Alert. If you are not receiving these weekly communications from National PFLAG, and you would like to receive them, please email your address to:

bobcdorr@cox.net

Bob Dorr, Omaha PFLAG president