LP_062019

lockportlegend.com news
the lockport legend | June 20, 2019 | 3
LGBTQ support group comes to Lockport
Christian Villanueva
Editorial Intern
Lockport and Homer
Glen residents are invited
to attend the first community
chapter meeting
for Parents, Families and
Friends of Lesbians and
Gays or PFLAG on May
25.
The PFLAG organization,
which was founded in
1973 by Jeanne Manford,
is an active organization
with 400 chapters across
the country. PFLAG’s
mission is to “build on a
foundation of loving families
united with LGBTQ
people and allies who
support one another, and
to educate ourselves and
our communities to speak
up as advocates until all
hearts and minds respect,
value and affirm LGBTQ
people.”
Michelle Eckmayer,
president of the chapter in
Homer Glen and Lockport,
is confident that PFLAG is
contributing to the communities
by positively
affecting the push for
equality for the LGBTQ
community and making
discrimination less and
less prevalent.
“Really, there are three
basic things that we try to
do, that is support, educate
and advocate.” Eckmayer
said. “Those three things
are what we basically
stand for.”
Eckmayer believes educating
others can lessen
the ignorance surrounding
this topic.
The chapter in Homer
Glen and Lockport will
begin having meetings
the last Tuesday of every
month. Meetings are open
to anyone who wants to
support the LGBTQ community,
not just the parents
of members of LGBTQ
community. It will not be
PFLAG at Chicago’s 2018Pride Parade. Photo submitted
mandatory to speak at the
meetings. The goal is to
embrace one another and
be unified as a community.
Meetings are to be held
from 6:30-8 p.m. at Cross
of Glory Lutheran Church,
14719 W. 163rd St., Homer
Glen.
“It does not matter where
you are in your journey,
we will try to help educate
and support people that
come into the meetings
regardless of what part of
their journey they are on,”
Eckmayer said. “Ultimately,
the goal is definitely to
move towards total acceptance
and respect.” There
will be introductions at the
meeting and at some meetings
there will be certain
topics presented and then
discussion.
Lisa O’Malley, a secretary
of the PFLAG organization,
feels PFLAG
is a place the people and
families of the LGBTQ
community can go to for
support. The PFLAG organization
means a great deal
to her as her child is part of
the LGBTQ community.
O’Malley said, “It is
somewhere to go, if you
have no one, the people at
the meetings will support
you.”
She said the organization
means a lot to her and
by being a part of it, she
hopes to be there for kids
and adults who do not have
their families’ support.
Allen Kirkland, treasurer
of the Homer Glen
and Lockport chapter, sees
PFLAG as a great resource
for people of all ages to
be able to come and find
answers. Being part of
the LGBTQ community
himself, Kirkland thinks it
is important for people to
find support and feel accepted
for who they are.
Aside from the meetings,
the chapter also attends
pride parades together.
Other events include
picnics, movie nights and
fundraisers. In addition,
the group and its supporters
will go to Springfield
to advocate for their cause.
“We like to get out there
as much as we can to let
people know that we are
in the area,” Kirkland
said. “We’ve been to the
Mokena fest, the Bolingbrook
pride fest, and plan
to be in the Joliet pride fest
to give out flyers and let
people know that there is a
local place they can go to
for support,” he said, adding
that he feels there is a
large need because people
“really do not have a place
to go where they can feel
comfortable,” and PFLAG
is where kids and parents
of the LGBTQ community
need to be.
Those involved with the
organization said they feel
it has grown and has made
a difference in the lives of
the people involved. The
group’s goal is to one day
achieve complete equality.
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