PFLAG WAUKESHA
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Mission Statement
Our mission is to create a caring, just, and affirming world for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them. Our vision is an equitable, inclusive world where every LGBTQ+ person is safe, celebrated, empowered, and loved. We are courageous in word and deed. We advocate boldly, remain steadfast in the face of adversity, make space for vulnerability, and meet people where they are to have the challenging conversations. We lead with love. We center our community, listen with respect and compassion, and derive strength from the collective power of our unified organization. We ensure PFLAG is a place where everyone belongs. We listen actively, engage with cultural humility, and ensure that the power of diverse people, cultures, and stories are respected and woven through all areas of our work.
About This Cause
PFLAG is the nation's largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQIA+ people and those who love them. Founded in 1973 by a mother and her gay son, PFLAG was born from the unified front of a family leading with love. We strive to make a more equitable and inclusive world where every LGBTQIA+ person feels safe, celebrated, empowered and loved. The PFLAG Waukesha chapter was formed, in 2022, to provide essential support for LGBTQIA+ individuals, families and the community in a county where schools are becoming increasingly less supportive and a world that is becoming increasingly more dangerous for LGBTQIA+ rights, equality and safety. Many LGBTQIA+ people and families struggle with finding and connecting with local resources for health or education related to the LGBTQIA+ community. PFLAG Waukesha is here to bridge that gap. PFLAG Waukesha provides the Waukesha/Pewaukee area and surrounding communities with much needed peer led support groups that give LGBTQIA+ youth and adults, their families and allies, a supportive and open space to discuss the issues and struggles they face everyday. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10 to 24 and LGBTQIA+ youth are at significantly increased risk. They are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers. It’s estimated that more than 1.8 million LGBTQIA+ youth (ages 13-24) seriously consider suicide each year in the U.S., and at least one of those youths attempts suicide every 45 seconds. (source: Trevor Project) This is why having a safe place to connect and discuss is so important for so many of our families. LGBTQIA+ youth who felt high social support from their family and live in a community that is accepting of LGBTQIA+ people reported attempting suicide at less than half the rate of those who felt low or moderate social support. (source:Trevor Project) This is why we host social events that allow the LGBTQIA+ and Waukesha community to connect and come together in fun and inclusive ways, like our annual picnic. We also provide public educational seminars at the Waukesha Public Library, to all that wish to participate, related to health, wellness, acceptance, advocacy and social issues related to LGBTQIA+ people and families. We also provide access to valuable resources such as an extensive list of LGBTQIA+ medical and mental health providers, social and support groups, other non-profits, student grant/scholarship opportunities, camps and more. We supply free copies of PFLAG publications to anyone that might need them. We have even provided copies of these with Pathways Counseling Center to be shared with their patients. These publications cover a wide range of subjects such as how to be an ally, how to address issues with faith, a supportive and understanding approach to questions and concerns with sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, support for military families with LGBTQIA+ kids or family members, and so much more. We connect with, support and host events with other PFLAG chapters, nonprofits, groups and even schools. We hosted a publicized town hall, about LGBTQIA+ acceptance and current events, with GSAFE, Fair Wisconsin, LGBT Waukesha and the Alliance for Education in Waukesha. PFLAG Milwaukee and PFLAG Waukesha joined together and were the official greeters at Milwaukee Pride 2023 and plan to continue to have that partnership as greeters for this and future Milwaukee Prides. We also have Health and Wellness booths at Milwaukee Pride and the Waukesha Farmer’s market to try to reach as many people that need our services as possible. After the dangerous protestors at last year’s Pride events throughout Wisconsin, even our own picnic, we hosted a safety and de-escalation training session, lead by a trained professional, for anyone needing or wanting to attend. We have talked and worked with Waukesha High School GSAs in the past and are currently talking/working with a charter school for LGBTQIA+ youth and children with disabilities, that is in the start up processes right now. We are providing them with resource knowledge and community input. While we are only a little over a year old now as a PFLAG chapter, we have accomplished and done a lot of good for the community. We continue to strive to provide the best for the families and people that depend and rely on our services. Since we are a newer chapter, our current funds limit what we can provide. We need generous donors to help us be able to provide even more resources, get better keynote speakers for seminars, be able to attend and have booths at other events to reach more people that might need our help and to host more community family friendly events such a family mentor meet ups, LGBTQIA+ documentary movie nights and Pride River Walks. We hope that hosting events like these, continuing to educate the public and providing valuable resources to those that need them most can help bridge those gaps that have divided so many lately and help provide a safe, loving, inclusive and accepting environment for everyone.