About

Mission

PFLAG’s mission is to promote the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender persons, their families & friends, through support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten an ill-formed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination and to secure equal rights.  PFLAG provides opportunities to dialogue about sexual orientation & gender, and acts to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity.

What We Do

SUPPORT LGBTQ+ people, their families and friends through local PFLAG chapter help lines, support group meetings and locally and nationally produced resources.

EDUCATE families and provide public education on sexual orientation, gender identity and LGBTQ issues.  PFLAG chapters educate their communities through a variety of local projects and nationally.  We provide fair and accurate information about LGBTQ+ people and their loved ones.

ADVOCATE for equal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.  LGBTQ+ rights are not special rights.  PFLAG works to achieve equal civil rights and social justice for all people, including our LGBTQ+ loved ones. 

Our History

PFLAG Oak Park Area was founded in Oak Park in 2001 when Sylvia and Gy Menninga began their monthly meetings.  For more than 20 years, the chapter has grown their support and formed a strong caring community of members and allies.  In addition to regular meetings, we have travelled to Springfield for marriage equality, marched in numerous Chicago Pride Parades, ran letter campaigns, held community educational events, and much more!

PFLAG Oak Park Area is affiliated with the national PFLAG organization founded in 1973 by a mother and her gay son. PFLAG’s network of hundreds of chapters and more than 325,000 members and supporters are helping create an equitable and inclusive world.

 

We are a chapter of the PFLAG Council of Northern Illinois. The Council is a coalition of 16 PFLAG chapters within the greater Chicago land area. It was formed in the late 1990’s as a vehicle for unifying PFLAG’s presence and voice in Northern Illinois.