PFLAG Gainesville Florida is a chapter of PFLAG, the nation’s foremost family-based organization committed to the civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ+) people. Launched in New York City in 1973 by mothers and fathers who stood up for their gay children, PFLAG’s national movement now has more than 250,000 members and supporters in over 500 chapters throughout the United States.

PFLAG Gainesville’s mission is to create a better future for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ+) youth and adults through a partnership of parents, allies, and LGBTQ+ people.

• Support – PFLAG Gainesville FL hosts monthly meetings geared toward preserving relationships within families when someone comes out as LGBT@+ and facilitating resources and supportive connections for LGBTQ+ individuals whose families are not accepting.
• Advocacy – Advocacy for equality and inclusion.  

  No voice is more powerful or persuasive than that of a PFLAG member or supporter. As people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+), their parents, families, friends, and allies, we know firsthand the impact that discriminatory laws have on ourselves and our loved ones.

• Education Outreach – promotes an inclusive society through participation in local community events and diversity education opportunities at community groups, religious institutions, and other organizations

PFLAG’s unique voice has helped thousands by making schools safer, keeping families stronger, improving the workplace, and educating the general public.

Our Board Members

PFLAG Gainesville Florida Board Members:

President, Jane Spear

Secretary, Elizabeth Husband

Outreach, Carrie Cotten

Treasurer, Martha Obregon

Keeping relationships strong and keeping families together when someone comes out is one of PFLAG’s most important activities. PFLAG Gainesville FL helps parents when they find out that a child is lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBTQ+). Other family members and friends can also find information and advice through PFLAG to help them better understand and strengthen relationships with LGBTQ+ loved ones.

Just as important as serving the families and friends of LGBTQ+ people is helping LGBTQ+ individuals directly when they experience difficulties coming out and finding acceptance from their families, friends or the greater community. Coming out is a process that is liberating but also difficult. At PFLAG Gainesville FL, we encourage patience and understanding for the journey that LGBTQ+ people go through as they accept themselves and come out to others. We offer support, advice, and unconditional love through that journey.

Get support from PFLAG Gainesville through:

• Monthly Meetings PFLAG Gainesville FL meetings are support-based. We are not a therapy session or a workshop, we do not want to change you or deny your feelings. PFLAG’s goal is to keep families together by promoting understanding and love.  Our meetings are held at the Pride Center of North Central Florida at 3850 NW 83st - Suite 201 - Upstairs - Elevator Available
• Confidential Helpline via Telephone & Email

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ+) people in America still do not enjoy the same civil rights as heterosexual Americans.

In Florida, gay, lesbian and transgender people can still lose their homes and their jobs simply because of their gender identity or expression.

Same-sex couples that choose to live in committed, long-term relationships have no access to the legal privileges and protections that married heterosexual people enjoy. In Florida alone, same-sex couples are denied access to well over 1,000 rights and responsibilities that come with civil marriage.

Worst of all, our legal system allows LGBTQ+ youth to remain vulnerable to harassment, bullying, and violence in schools. LGBTQ+ youth suffer disproportionately, and their educational performance and life trajectories are adversely affected by the unsafe and negative environments in which too many find themselves.

PFLAG networks with many organizations and resources in order to assist schools as they address issues surrounding harassment, bullying, safe spaces, and LGBT youth. Learn more here.

At PFLAG Gainesville FL, we believe that hatred thrives where love is silent. As families, friends, and allies of LGBTQ+ people, we are outspoken about issues that affect our LGBTQ+ loved ones. Advocating involves speaking out with pride, not only to our families, friends, and neighbors but to elected officials and others in positions to lead change.

We have all grown up in a society that assumes everyone is heterosexual with one pattern of gender expressions. We have been taught, or have absorbed through others’ attitudes, deep-seated myths and untruths about those who are not heterosexual. Our intolerance causes immense pain to those we love and diminishes our lives, our families, and our communities.

PFLAG Gainesville FL is working to change these norms and create a society that recognizes the full range of human diversity and embraces LGBTQ+ individuals. As family and friends of LGBTQ+ people, PFLAG Gainesville FL provides resources and uses its voice to reach out into the wider community:

• Through strong Community Presence & Outreach Programs, PFLAG Gainesville FL informs the general public and cultivates understanding through its participation at local events, forums and diversity education opportunities at community groups, religious institutions, and other organizations.
• As well as offering a selection of informative brochures and other reading materials free to the public at events and meetings, PFLAG makes current and valid books available to its members through our lending library. Chapter members may browse the library and check out items at our monthly meetings.

In December 2022, the Alachua County Public Schools removed from its website a Critical  Resource Guide for teachers, staff and administrators explaining policies and protections for the LGBTQ+ community within the district. It was approved in 2019 and updated in 2021.

The withdrawal of the guide, prompted PFLAG Gainesville, FL to form a coalition with fourteen other local organizations and individuals. This coalition is named the Alachua County Inclusive School Committee. All committee members are strong and long-term supporters of our public schools.

The primary goal of this group is to offer our assistance to help ensure that all students are safe, supported and affirmed.  To that end, the committee is working to help develop a new set of guidelines so that faculty, staff and administration know, understand and implement the policies consistently.  In addition, the committee supports placing the policies on the website so that parents can easily access the information.

For further background, individual committee members have been approached by a variety of people, including parents, teachers, librarians, and others, who have expressed concern about students now that the Parental Rights in Education law is in effect.  We have each assured them that we are lucky to live in Alachua County because our school system has always been supportive of all students.  

The language in that law is vague and specifics are not required until July 2023.  This makes it difficult for all public school systems to navigate the 2022-2023 school year.  We want to help in any way that is appropriate and possible. The breadth and depth of the coalition committee clearly demonstrates that we have many and varied resources which we offer to the school district.

The committee asked for and received a meeting with the Superintendent of schools to better understand the process used by the district to develop such guidelines and to express our strong support of the entire Alachua County Public School system.  

The initial meeting was very successful and several coalition committee members worked with the system to develop new guidelines. Due to new state laws there are constraints that are challenging but we are working closely with the school system to address them as quickly and successfully as possible.

We will keep the community apprised as we continue to work to ensure that all students in Alachua County Public Schools are safe and affirmed so that they can have the superior education that they deserve.  

School Legislation connect here

PFLAG’s unique voice has helped thousands by making schools safer, keeping families stronger, improving the workplace, and educating the general public.