Plenty of time to share your personal issues and concerns
Location:
Fellowship Room (upstairs)
Elon Community Church UCC
271 N. Williamson Ave.
Elon, NC
See important announcement below
Please enter the building through the covered walk behind the sanctuary. Plenty of parking there.
An event you won't want to miss. . .
Exposing "Conversion Therapy"
Based on the true story of the son of a Baptist pastor, deeply embedded in church life in small town Arkansas, as a young man Garrard Conley was terrified and conflicted about his sexuality. When Garrard was a nineteen-year-old college student, he was outed to his parents, and was forced to make a life-changing decision: either agree to attend a church-supported conversion therapy program that promised to "cure" him of homosexuality; or risk losing family, friends, and the God he had prayed to every day of his life. Through an institutionalized Twelve-Step Program heavy on Bible study, he was supposed to emerge heterosexual, ex-gay, cleansed of impure urges and stronger in his faith in God for his brush with sin. Instead, even when faced with a harrowing and brutal journey, Garrard found the strength and understanding to break out in search of his true self and forgiveness.
We are pleased to announce that Garrard Conley, the author of the book "Boy Erased" will be in Elon to discuss the book, screen the movie and answer questions at a public event.
You are all invited and we want you to come share a special night with us.
When: Tuesday September 10, 2019. Program begins at 6:30. Discussion with Mr. Conley will follow the screening.
Where: Turner Theatre, Located at the corner of S. Williamson Ave and E. Lebanon Ave. in Elon, NC
Parking: Elon Community Church, just past the theatre on the left
Directions: Exit 140, University Pkwy, go north to Elon, take Haggard St Exit, left on Haggard toward campus. Elon Community Church is on the corner of Haggard and Williamson for parking. Theatre is south on Williamson at the next corner ...about 100 yards.
Co sponsored by: Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life at Elon and
PFLAG Alamance (Parents, Families, Friends and Allies United with LGBTQ People)
North Carolina governor moves to block
conversion therapy funds
NC Gov. Roy Cooper
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - North Carolina's state health department is barred from allowing public funds to pay for conversion therapy for minors, a controversial practice aimed at changing young LGBT people's sexual orientations, under an order signed Friday by Gov. Roy Cooper.
Advocacy groups praised the Democratic governor's executive order as a pioneering step to restrict the therapy in the U.S. South.
Cooper's order forbids funds controlled by executive branch agencies from paying for such therapy for minors. That includes state and federal money for the state's Medicaid program and NC Health Choice insurance for children in low- and middle-income families.
The governor's order defines conversion therapy as practices meant to change someone's sexual orientation or gender identity, including efforts to stifle certain behaviors or reduce romantic feelings toward the same sex.
"Conversion therapy has been shown to pose serious health risks, and we should be protecting all of our children, including those who identify as LGBTQ, instead of subjecting them to a dangerous practice," the governor's office said in a tweet.
Last month, Governor Greg Abbott (R) signed what was dubbed the "Save Chick-fil-A" bill into law. The bill banned government entities, including local governments, from taking "adverse actions" against businesses because of their "religious beliefs" or "moral convictions."
Abbott tweeted last Thursday a video from the ceremonial signing where he was surrounded by Chick-fil-A's products.
"Discrimination is not tolerated in Texas," Abbott said.
Texas does not ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and for years the state legislature has considered a bill to ban local governments from passing LGBTQ-inclusive civil rights legislation. So discrimination is very much tolerated in Texas - as long as it's against LGBTQ people.
(This article is from : LGBTQ Nation, 584 Castro St. #623, San Francisco, CA 94114. You can subscibe to this free publication)
Transgender no longer recognised as 'disorder' by WHO
Transgender health issues will no longer be classified as mental and behavioural disorders under big changes to the World Health Organization's global manual of diagnoses.
The newly-approved version instead places issues of gender incongruence under a chapter on sexual health.
A World Health Organization expert said it now understands transgender is "not actually a mental health condition". Human Rights Watch says the change will have a "liberating effect worldwide".
(Kathy recently reported on her experience in Nashville for the Pride Parade, and also a special message about the new PFLAG Chapter in Sparta, NC)
In Nashville, we had the largest crowd ever despite a few spells of rain. Our Saturday parade started late but went extremely well. Estimates were that we had 6,000 people in the parade and 10,000 people lining the streets in support. PFLAG Nashville and PFLAG Franklin marched together. The pompoms and cheers put together by PFLAG Franklin were a hit.
A new chapter is being formed in Sparta, North Carolina. Since they're not official yet, they had a float that was sponsored by the LGBTQ+ community in a town parade on July 6th. There were some serious threats of a shooting, but protesters were made to leave before the parade, and everything turned out wonderfully. No young people marched because of the threats, but the building on the float had the hand prints of all the youth who worked on it, and a celebration was held afterwards for them.
Having done most of my PFLAG activities in Nashville, when something like this happens, I realize how important work is in rural areas. Here is a story from Sparta that has received nationwide attention:
I visited PFLAG Athens in Athens, Tennessee this month. One idea that I want to pass on is that they've created certificates of appreciation for people who go out of their way in support of the community. I'm attaching a copy (with permission) in case this is something you'd like to incorporate in your chapter. These certificates are a good way to recognize people and to let them know that they work is noted. I enjoyed the potluck at the meeting, and talking with everyone there was a pleasure.
Kathy
What a Powerful Reminder!
Rebecca Allen on Wednesday, July 3, 2019, in Sparta, N.C.
Allison Lee Isley/Journal
Welcome to PFLAG Alamance. We offer a safe, confidential space in which to explore our feelings and under-standings about the LGBT experience, especially "coming out" and what this means to families and other loved ones. Listen and share as much or as little as you feel comfortable with, knowing that others can understand.
And remember....when you no longer feel you need PFLAG, PFLAG needs you! There are people out there who need a supportive friend.
