Giving Back
Part of my personal life mission is to spread love and light, and to do good in the world. One way I try to do this is by donating 10% of all my wedding fees to an organization supporting a cause that I feel strongly about – LGBTQ equality.
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PFLAG provides support for families, allies, and LGBTQ people; education about the unique issues and challenges facing the LGBTQ community; and advocacy to change attitudes and create policies and laws that achieve full equality for people who are LGBTQ.
PFLAG is a non-profit organization with an outstanding, four-star rating from Charity Navigator and a Silver Level Guidestar Participant. Although their name originally stood for Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, their mission has expanded to include bisexual, transgender, and other individuals who self-identify as part of the larger LGBTQ family.
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Their programs include:
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Straight for Equality – a national outreach and education project that helps empower straight allies who may not have a direct family connection to the LGBTQ community
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Chapter Network Support – providing support for more than 400 PFLAG chapters across the country, which help keep up the efforts of their massive grassroots movement
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National Scholarships – awarding more than $75,000 a year in college scholarships to students who self-identify as anywhere within the LGBTQ family, as well as allies who demonstrate an interest in serving the LGBTQ community
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Cultivating Respect: Safe Schools for All – this umbrella program supports work at the individual chapter level, as well as on the national level, to help create and support learning environments that are free from bullying, discrimination, and harassment against LGBTQ students
I am a staunch ally of the LGBTQ community, and a proud supporter of PFLAG!