About PFLAG of the High Country
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays of the High Country promotes the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered persons (LGBT), their families and friends through support, to cope with our society; information, to educate the public; and advocacy, to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights. PFLAG provides opportunity for dialogue about sexual orientation and gender identity and acts to create a society that is respectful of human diversity. PFLAG of the High Country serves the counties of Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Watauga, and Wilkes.
PFLAG of the High Country provides SUPPORT through one on one meetings; EDUCATION through distribution of pamphlets, library displays, and public programming; and ADVOCACY through teaming with the school system to help eliminate bullying.
PFLAG meetings are a safe place to share our experiences in small groups and support each other in the continuing process of learning, acceptance and celebration. We are not a religious or political group. We represent people of many backgrounds, political persuasions, and faiths. All are welcome, including LGBT people with or without their families or friends.
We meet at 6:00 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month near downtown Boone. Our meetings tend to open with business and are followed with an educational and discussion-themed program.
PFLAG History
In 1972, Jeanne Manford started PFLAG when she marched with her son Mortie in New York’s Gay Pride Parade carrying a sign that said, “Parents of Gays: Unite in Support of Our Children.” After many lesbians and gay men ran up to Jeanne during the parade and begged her to talk to their parents, she decided to begin a support group. The first formal meeting took place in March 1973 at a local church. Approximately 20 people attended. Today, PFLAG is a national non-profit organization with over 200,000 members and supporters and almost 500 affiliates in the United States.
In 1989, Terry Taylor founded PFLAG of Boone to help support the extended family of Watauga County’s LGBT population. As the oldest commununity-based LGBT organization in the High Country, PFLAG has acted as a resource both for many struggling to accept the sexual orientation or gender identity of friends and family members as well as for those people coming out.
PFLAG of the High Country
146 Mallard Lane; Boone, NC 28607
Email: staleykl1971@yahoo.com
2005 Copyright PFLAG of the High Country