In this issue: March Meeting, PFLAG @ SXSW, Puzzle Palooza Fundrasier | | |
Our March Meeting
The Power of Connection: How Families can Support Their LGBTQ+ Loved Ones
Tuesday, March 24, 7 PM
We learn from stories about others' journeys of understanding and acceptance. In March, we welcome Janna Barkin (she/her), author, speaker, group facilitator, and parent coach, for a heartfelt talk about family acceptance, hope, and the power of connection. Janna will draw upon her experience as the mother of a transgender son to share insights and stories that highlight how families can support their LGBTQ+ loved ones, foster understanding, and remind parents, grandparents, and allies that they are not alone.
Janna Barkin is a passionate advocate for transgender youth and the facilitator of support groups, including online groups for PFLAG National. She is the author of He’s Always Been My Son and A Grand Love: Stories for Grandparents of Transgender Grandchildren, both Amazon #1 bestsellers. A lifelong educator and student, Janna leads multiple support groups, speaks widely, and shares guidance, encouragement, and stories that foster understanding, compassion, acceptance, and hope.
After the program, we will hold space for confidential sharing and support. Meetings are held from 7-9 PM in the Campbell Room at St. John's Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Avenue in Berkeley (look for the PFLAG banner). Masks are optional. We ask that you not attend if you are feeling unwell or if you've been in contact with anyone who is unwell.
Between meetings, our board is still here to connect with you one-on-one. Email pflagoeb@gmail.com or leave us a voicemail at 510-562-7692 and we will call you back.
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Check Out PFLAG at SXSW EDU, Streaming Online Next Week!
Wednesday, March 11, 12 noon Pacific Time
Join PFLAG for a featured session of SXSW EDU, Beyond Bans: Defending LGBTQ+ Stories & Literary Freedom.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones (she/her) will moderate a discussion with PFLAG National CEO Brian K. Bond (he/him), #1 NYT bestselling author Casey McQuiston (they/them), and American Library Association President Sam Helmick (they/them).
The panel will discuss actionable solutions to preserve access to LGBTQ+ literature and stories amid discriminatory book bans. This timely panel discussion will explore effective solutions, including community partnerships between libraries, nonprofits, and cultural leaders; direct distribution programs; and grassroots advocacy for literary freedom, helping LGBTQ+ youth feel safe, seen, and valued.
Watch the panel live at 12 noon PT on the SXSW EDU YouTube channel or on-demand on the channel after March 11.
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Third Annual Puzzle Palooza Fundraiser:
Test Your Puzzle-Solving Skills, Support LGBTQ+ Immigrants
Saturday, April 25, 2 to 5 PM
As we learned at last month’s chapter meeting, Oasis Legal Services is providing critical legal representation to LGBTQ+ immigrants in California who have experienced violence and persecution in their home countries. Since 2017, Oasis has served over 2,800 LGBTQ+ clients from 68 countries. Today, their work is more important than ever.
Please join us in supporting Oasis Legal Services during their 3rd Annual Puzzle Palooza Fundraiser. In this fast-paced, community-centered event, teams of three people compete with each other, and with the clock, to solve a never-before-seen jigsaw puzzle. Separate leagues for experienced competitors and the puzzle-curious even the playing field and encourage anyone to participate.
In the lead-up to game day, teams will fundraise to support Oasis’ work. Each team will have a suggested fundraising goal of $500. Teams will have a chance to earn prizes for meeting fundraising targets and for their puzzle-solving skills in the puzzle competition on April 25.
At a time when LGBTQ+ immigrants continue to face escalating threats, this event is a chance to take action and build community while having fun. Whether you are a puzzle pro or puzzle-curious, Oasis would love for you join them.
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UC Berkeley Lecture: The Constitutional Right to Transition
Thursday, April 30, 5:30 PM
As part of UC Berkeley’s Graduate Lecture series, award-winning historian, author and LGBTQ+ advocate Jules Gill-Peterson will trace the political history of transphobia in America to the post-Civil War era and the remarkable life of an ex-slave and transgender woman.
Frances Thompson was born male and into slavery in Maryland in the 1830s. She was one of a handful of women who transitioned sex while enslaved, and she fled to Memphis after escaping bondage during the Civil War. In 1866, she was violently assaulted during the infamous Memphis Riots, and her testimony to Congress proved pivotal to the passage of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Based on new research into Thompson’s life and other black women like her, this talk will argue the right to transition is plainly part of the history and tradition of the Fourteenth Amendment—and that the Supreme Court’s perspective on this issue is utterly wrong. It will also suggest that the historical origins of political transphobia in American life concern the unfinished struggles of Reconstruction.
Jules Gill-Peterson, associate professor and diversity champion at Johns Hopkins University, is the author of Histories of the Transgender Child (2018) and A Short History of Trans Misogyny (2025). Her scholarship has played a pivotal role as transgender healthcare and legal recognition have become the subject of intense political attack.
The lecture will be held at the Eugene Jarvis Auditorium, Grimes Engineering Center, on the UC Berkeley Campus. The lecture is free to the public. For those unable to attend in person, a recording of this lecture will be shared on the Graduate Lectures web page following the event.
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Participants Wanted for Study of Parent-Youth Communications About Sexual Health and Wellness
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing are seeking parents and youth to help them evaluate two programs on sexual health and communication skills as paid research volunteers.
The goal of the research is to see if these programs can improve family health and wellness discussions pertinent to families with LGBTQ+ youth. The programs aim to help parents develop their capacity to discuss adolescent-focused topics with their child who identifies as LGBTQ+.
The researchers are currently recruiting parents and youth nationwide. Each participant receives $275. Eligible participants include:
- Parents/caregivers of lesbian, bisexual cisgender females, or nonbinary and transgender youth
- Parents/caregivers of cisgender gay and bisexual male youth
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In the News: Positive Developments
North Carolina - Anti-Trans Democrats Blown Out In North Carolina Primary Election.
The state's most prominent anti-transgender Democrat, Nasif Majeed, fell to progressive challenger Veleria Levy, who ran on a pro-LGBTQ+ platform, by more than 40 points. Other anti-trans and right-leaning Democrats lost their own primaries as well, resulting in a seismic shift in North Carolina’s state legislature.
New Hampshire - Governor Ayotte vetoes anti-trans bathroom ban. The Governor vetoed SB 268 on February 6th. The bill would have made an exception to the state’s anti-discrimination law to allow businesses and government bodies to segregate restrooms, locker rooms, and other facilities by sex assigned at birth. The governor vetoed a nearly identical bill last year.
Italy - Forty-four openly LGBTQ+ athletes competed in the Winter Olympics, and more than a dozen earned medals. Held last month in Italy, the 2026 Winter Olympic Games included Ellis Lundholm of Sweden, the first openly transgender athlete to compete in any Winter Olympics. Among the more than a dozen medal winners were Cayla Barnes, Hilary Knight, and Alex Carpenter – all openly LGBTQ+ members of the U.S. women’s hockey team that won a gold medal after they defeated Canada in overtime.
Netherlands - Rob Jetten sworn in as first openly gay Prime Minister. King Willem-Alexander swore in Jetten as Prime Minister on February 23rd. In addition to being the country’s first openly gay Prime Minister, Jetten is also the youngest Prime Minister in history.
Europe - The European Parliament approved a non-binding resolution calling for the full recognition of transgender women as women and stresses their inclusion in gender-equality and anti-violence initiatives. The resolution was passed by a large majority and also advocates for trans women to have equal access to protection and support services.
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Local, Virtual Support Meetings
Ongoing Events
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