The first time my child came out to me was in the car on the way to school. We had just moved, and the kids were headed to a new school. Nerves were high for all of us. I brushed it off. My dismissal left my child to journey on their own. While my child grew […]Read More

Recently, I had the honor of being at the annual Victory Institute’s International LGBTQ Conference. This conference is the largest gathering of LGBTQ officials in the country and is attended by hundreds of elected and appointed officials worldwide (many of whom are the first of their identities to be in their positions), activists, journalists, and […]Read More

I’m still riding the feels from Charlotte Pride. For my family personally, I feel like I’ve been celebrating, and proud, all summer long. Last summer was a more anxious time for us as our male-assigned child was transitioning, in her own way and in her own time, to the confident girl that she is now. […]Read More

I think my kids are special. The most special. But that’s not actually special. We all do, right? But… I can objectively say that I am really, really proud of my firstborn for a special reason. In the nomenclature we use at home to describe gender identity, when she was born, “the adults guessed she […]Read More

“3-2-1 HAPPY NEW YEAR!” An immense wave of relief and comfort washed over me like an ocean crashing on the beach. I was alone, wrapped up in bed, but I felt the collective sighs of the east coast celebrating that 2021 was finally over. What followed was a fearless optimism about the year ahead. I […]Read More

My name is Pamela, my pronouns are she/her and (like many of the amazing parents and caregivers reading this) I am a proud parent of a gender non-conforming teenager. My child is a super creative animal lover who is non-binary on the gender spectrum and prefers they/them pronouns. They came out to my husband and […]Read More

Charlotte – PFLAG Charlotte has become an integral part of the Charlotte community since its founding in 1987.  But the non-profit dedicated to supporting families, allies and LGBTQ+ people has especially seen demand for its services skyrocket in the past year, as families spent more time together during the pandemic. To respond to increased community […]Read More

Family acceptance and support are two of the biggest factors in trans and LGBQ+ individuals’ wellbeing. I know this truth at both a personal level and through my work as a psychologist with a focus on trans and nonbinary mental health; and this is one of the primary reasons I pursued an opportunity to be […]Read More

In 2008 as a recently graduated nurse, I remember taking care of a transgender woman in the hospital.  She was on suicide watch.  She had tried to kill herself because she had been in a fight, gotten arrested, and was being sent to jail because she couldn’t afford bail.  The police were insisting that she […]Read More

I am a 15 year old sophomore in a North Carolina high school,  a member of the LGBTQ+, and my pronouns are she/her/hers. When I first came out as lesbian to my parents, I had been thinking about this day for a while. If I’m being honest, I thought they would be a lot nicer. […]Read More

This year, at least 34 transgender individuals have been killed, the highest number since the Human Rights Campaign began tracking it in 2013. The sad reality is that, not only have the lives of at least 34 people been cut short, many of their killers will walk free. The trans panic defense, which is currently […]Read More

When my son Justin came out his junior year in high school, my wife and I were supportive and, in many ways, there was very little change in our relationship.   Justin had an excellent group of friends and other kind and supportive adults in his life and he was extremely independent and confident, so we […]Read More

My journey began four years ago when our smart, introverted child, took on an unrecognizable attitude. My child had recently turned 15, so my husband and I assumed that she was simply showing the “symptoms” of adolescence.  Nevertheless, we were still very worried and wanted to help our child. We had noticed shifts — more […]Read More

Beaming at me, he said, “I can’t wait until everyone sees me and says ‘SHE’S so pretty’” I knew then our lives would change forever.Read More

Acceptance is the First Step to Love Presented by Jim AndersonRead More

100 Words Film Festival Charity Film Directed by Holly LaneRead More

“The words that follow are tied to the documentary video with regards to welcome that I posted yesterday (last week). . . . I can’t in good conscience be silent about some of the stories I collected.” Read More

“As a documentary artist . . . I wanted to explore welcome from the perspective of the receiver. Those who walk into faith communities and may or may not feel welcome.”Read More

Through the journey of her child’s transition, read how one PFLAG parent has come to a new understanding of how the Catholic Church fits within her own faith journey.Read More

We have always wanted to raise our kids in a house that would never need a closet. Love is love and as long as our kids were happy it didn’t matter to us who they loved.Read More

I recently finished sorting through the holiday “brag” letters we received from friends and family. We read about adult children with…Read More

I have never seen so many rainbows. This is my first (admittedly asinine) thought as I stepped onto Trade Street during Charlotte’s annual Pride festival. Read More