What participants, including Jo and Jon Ivester, expected to be a small gathering ended up being a standing room-only meeting from which PFLAG Georgetown was created. The group worked to obtain membership to the national PFLAG organization—which is celebrating its 50-year anniversary in 2023—and status as a nonprofit.
The chapter began holding a monthly support group at the Georgetown Public Library in alignment with the organization’s mission, Jon said.
“Everybody’s kind of used to the fact that gay people exist, and it’s OK to have one in your family, to be celebrated even,” Jon said. “But it’s still something where a lot of people do need support and need to know that they’re not alone.”
Jo, who is PFLAG Georgetown’s board president, said the monthly support meeting is family friendly and has anywhere from a dozen to 40 attendees during a given month.
“The meetings range from totally unstructured where it’s just, ‘How did your week go? ... Do you need to be heard? Do you need to be hugged? Do you need to be helped?’ And sometimes it’s more formal where we will have a speaker,” Jo said.
PFLAG Georgetown also holds an open-to-members board meeting and an LGBTQ book club at Lark & Owl monthly, hosts a booth at Market Days on the Square, and participates in community events such as the Red Poppy Parade.
“Showing up is a large part of what we are about,” PFLAG Georgetown Treasurer Marty Cormier said. “I would say a solid 98% of everyone who asks us who we are and what we are doing then responds with affirmation and appreciation and acceptance.”
Moving forward, PFLAG Georgetown’s members want to create a list of LGBTQ resources locally as well as establishing local scholarships for students. Additionally, the organization aims to create a coalition of LGBTQ groups in Georgetown to form a Georgetown Pride organization and work toward transforming the county into what Cormier called “welcoming Williamson.”
Jo said the group’s goal is to continue to increase visibility and acceptance through celebrating the LGBTQ community and those who love them.
“Georgetown’s image is not as welcoming even though the people are,” Jo said.
Working toward a 'Welcoming Williamson'
PFLAG Georgetown has several initiatives that aid its mission of supporting and celebrating the LGBTQ community and their loved ones, including:
- Monthly support group on the third Thursday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at the Georgetown Public Library
- LGBTQ book club on the last Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. at Lark & Owl Booksellers
- Presence at Market Days on the Square
- Pop-up events, such as coming-out parties
