1. society
2. gay life

Parents, Families, Friends and Allies United
MOVING EQUALITY FORWARD IN THE HEARTLAND
CRAWFORD, SCHAMP, RANNELLS
ELECTED TO PFLAG OMAHA BOARD
Patrick Heese
President
PFLAG
Omaha
Trick or Treat!
I’m happy to tell you that PFLAG
Omaha’s membership unanimously
voted to elect Stacy Crawford, Jeff
Schamp and Charlotte Rannells to
our board. Additionally, Mariano
Uberti, Carrie Spencer and Lynne
Mytty were narrowly (OK, it was
unanimous as well!) re-elected. All
six board members will serve twoyear terms. This will be Carrie
Spencer’s last term on the board,
as members are limited to eight
consecutive years.
The new board had its first meeting
on Thursday, September 25. The
board elected the following officers
(the board re-elects officers annually):
Patrick Heese as President
Mariano Uberti
as Vice President
Lynne Mytty as Treasurer
Luke Pella as Secretary
I’m excited to be able to serve as
president for my final year on the
board (next September will be eight
years)!
At the September meeting we also
recognized Amy O’Connor and
Sherry Harrold for their service on
the board.
Amy was a board member for six
years. I still remember when Amy
came to her first support meeting.
She told her story about how her
son had come out, how much she
loved and accepted him for who he
is, but was scared for his safety.
Amy later joined the board and is
now our Helpline Coordinator,
where her sincere, caring nature
comes through naturally.
Continued pg 2
October 2014
PFLAG Omaha meets
the 2nd Thursday each month.
Countryside Community Church
8787 Pacific St., Memorial Hall
Truhlsen Community Center Entrance
Helpline: 402.291.6781
(English or Espanol)
www.pflag-omaha.org
UPCOMING EVENTS
Saturday, Oct. 4
Art+Equality
GLSEN Fundraiser
5:30 – 9:00 pm, Gallery at
Prouty Place, 4825 S. 25th St.
$20 suggested donation
Thursday, Oct. 9
PFLAG General Meeting
6:00 pm – LGBTQ 101
6:30 pm – Socializing.
6:45 pm – Support.
8:00 pm – Speaker,
Donna Colley,
Family Equality Council.
Friday, Oct. 10
Pre-NCOD Reception
6:30-8:30 pm
Eve of National Coming Out
Day; Urban Abbey,
1026 Jackson.
Saturday, Oct. 11
NCOD Event 10-11:30 am
Countryside Community Church
8787 Pacific: 9 sponsors
Saturday, Oct. 11
National Coming Out Day
Community Festival
2:00 – 4:00 pm ConAgra Park
Plaza, 10th and Farnam..
Sunday, Oct. 19
Gender Reel Film Festival
1:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Joslyn Art Museum; gender
identity/expression films;
free admission.
PFLAG Omaha’s Board of Directors. Back row from left: Charlotte Rannells,
Lynne Mytty, Carrie Spencer, Luke Pella and Stacy Crawford. Front row from left:
Patrick Heese, Michele Fischer, Mariano Uberti and Jeff Schamp. Mytty and Uberti
were absent when photo was taken; they were digitally added.
Saturday, Oct. 25
PFLAG Coffee
Support Social
9:00 – 11:00 am, Urban
Abbey, 1026 Jackson.
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Continued from page 1
Sherry has been on the board for four years and served the officer position of Secretary. I remember when Sherry first came to
a support meeting, and, much like Amy, shared how her son had
come out and how much she loved him. Sherry has a gift at
sharing her story, which is intertwined with her faith and military
family roots, in a way that pulls people in and helps open their
hearts.
I’m so fortunate to know these two ladies; they’ve opened my
eyes to different perspectives, celebrated good times with me,
and been there for me in times of great personal difficulty. I can’t
say enough good things about them; they are both true PFLAG
Moms and wonderful people with big hearts.
October 11 is National Coming Out Day. Celebrate NCOD with
PFLAG Omaha and Urban Abbey. A pre-NCOD reception will be held
from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, at Urban Abbey, 1026 Jackson St.
Everyone has a coming out story—LGBTQ, parents, friends and allies.
Share your story and listen to others. PFLAG will treat each guest to a
drink from Urban Abbey’s coffee bar. We’ll also have a National Coming Out Day networking activity that will be fun for everyone.
Saturday, October 25, from 9 am to 11 am we’ll host a coffee
support social at Urban Abbey.
PFLAG OMAHA
Address:
Helpline:
E-mail:
Website:
P.O. Box 390064
Omaha, NE 68139
402.291.6781
info@pflag-omaha.org
www.pflag-omaha.org
PFLAG Omaha is a nonprofit
organization under section 501(c)(3)
of the Internal Revenue Code
OUR VISION
We, the parents, families and friends of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons, celebrate diversity and envision a society that embraces everyone,including
those of diverse sexual orientations and
gender identities. Only with respect, dignity
and equality for all will we reach our full potential as human beings, individually and
collectively. PFLAG welcomes the participation and support of all who share in, and
hope to realize this vision.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President:
Vice President:
Treasurer:
Secretary:
Other Directors:
Michele Fischer
Charlotte Rannells
‘LGBTQ 101’ SAME NIGHT
AS SUPPORT MEETINGS
PFLAG Omaha has been hosting an education class each
month that is free and open to the public. We've decided to
change the meeting place and date to accommodate busy
schedules.
Our education class, LGBTQ 101, will now be offered the same
evening as our PFLAG support meetings. We're hosting
LGBTQ 101 the second Thursday of each month from 6 p.m.to
7 p.m. in Memorial Hall at Countryside Community Church,
8787 Pacific St. The next one will be Oct. 9.
All attendees are welcome to stay for the support meeting following the class. As always, the class is free and open to the
public.
Patrick Heese
Mariano Uberti
Lynne Mytty
Luke Pella
Stacy Crawford
Carrie Spencer
Jeff Schamp
VOLUNTEERS
Speakers Bureau:
Library:
Membership:
Help Line:
Supplies:
Graphics Consultant:
Newsletter Editors:
Michele Fischer
Mary Gardner
Larry Landreth
Amy O’Connor
Mary Gardner
Stacy Crawford
Bob Dorr
Vicki Neild Wiese
Please submit articles to:
vneildw@gmail.com or bobcdorr@cox.net
ADVERTISEMENT DISCLAIMER & POLICY
To further our mission of support, education and
advocacy, we accept advertising in our newsletter.
We will refuse any advertisement that we believe is
incompatible with our mission. The presence of an
ad in our newsletter does not constitute endorsement of the advertised company or individual. For
information on PFLAG Omaha’s references for
medical, mental health and legal providers contact
our help line at 402-291-6781 or email info@pflagomaha.org.
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ART+EQUALITY2014
A Fundraiser for Safer and More Welcoming Schools
Saturday, October 4th, 5:30 to 9 p.m.
5:30 p.m VIP & Artist Reception | 6 p.m. Galleries Open
The Gallery at Prouty Place4825 So. 25th Street in Historic South Omaha
$20 Suggested Donation Join us for hor d'oeuvres and refreshments and buy artwork by local and regional artists. Artists
donate anywhere from 50 to 100 percent of sales to GLSEN Omaha. Meet other students, educators, parents and community
members who believe schools should be safer and more welcoming for ALL students. Support the work of GLSEN Omaha. We help students and educators start, sustain and strengthen gay-straight alliances in their schools and provide professional
development to current and future educators. Click here to RSVP or donate at the door. For additional information about
GLSEN Omaha, visitwww.glsen.org/omaha.
MISSION | The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network Omaha Chapter (GLSEN Omaha) strives to assure that each member
of every school community is valued and respected not matter their sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression. GLSEN
Omaha is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Donations to the organization can be considered tax deductible to the fullest extent
of IRS provisions.
NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY
COMMUNITY FESTIVAL
Saturday, Oct. 11, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
ConAgra Park Plaza, 10th and Farnam
Resource Booths by LGBT Community Groups like at Pride
“We were thrilled with last year’s turnout for the Coming Out Day Community Festival, seeing so many
wonderful groups and organizations participate in one of downtown Omaha’s largest collaborative community events.”
--Sponsored by Queer Nebraska Youth Network
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Sponsored by:
PFLAG, Second Unitarian, First United Methodist, First
Central UCC, Augustana Lutheran, St. Martha’s Episcopal, St. Andrew’s Episcopal, Metropolitan Community
Church and Countryside Community Church.
Annette K. Schneider-Fowler
Licensed Insurance Professional
Annette@cfsinservices.com
www.cfsinservices.com
(under construction)
CFS Insurance & Notary Services,
Inc.
311 N. 114th Street
Omaha, NE 68154
Office: 402-884-2962
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FREE LA FAMILIA LEADER TRAINING
For many in the LGBT community, coming out to friends or family is intimidating and sometimes frightening. Imagine how challenging it would be if you were a new immigrant to Omaha and spoke only
Spanish – where would you go for support?
For those in Latino communities, the LGBT struggle is often compounded at the intersection of religion,
cultural identity and family. A La Familia is a bilingual project that helps Latin@s integrate religion and
sexuality. It extends beyond faith and focuses on the strongest value of Latino cultures- that of family
or La Familia.
This program, developed by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, is intended to develop leaders
here in Omaha who can lead a Spanish-language support group for LGBT Latinos, their families and allies. (Kind of like PFLAG in some respects)
We are looking for Spanish-speaking LGBT or allies who will commit to a 2 ½ day training (Friday evening, Saturday, Sun
morning) to help launch this new support group. The free training will be provided by a Human Rights Campaign trainer
Nov. 21-23 at One World Community Health Center, 30th and L Sts.
During the facilitator training you will learn to guide a conversation about sex and sexuality and LGBT people in the context
of Latin@ communities and families. In return we ask that you help establish this new support network by committing to
facilitate or co-facilitate two local dialogues within one year after the training. If you or someone you know would like to
attend, please contact Ariss Rogel Mendoza: diana.rogelmendoza@unmc.edu 402.559.9662 for more information or an application form. Gracias!
FAMILY EQUALITY COUNCIL OCT. 9 MEETING PROGRAM
Donna Colley of the Family Equality Council will speak at the Oct. 9 meeting of PFLAG Omaha about
the council and its programs. The Family Equality Council sponsors events and programs involving
LGBT parents and their children. Colley, an Omaha attorney, volunteers as Nebraska representative on
the organization’s Midwest council.
The PFLAG meeting will be the usual place in Memorial Hall at Countryside Community Church, 8787
Pacific St. There will be coffee, treats and socializing at 6:30 p.m., followed by support at 6:45 p.m. and
the program at 8 p.m.
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HRC TO HAVE CONTINUOUSLY STAFFED PRESENCE IN NEBRASKA
The Human Rights Campaign has announced it
will have a continuously
staffed presence in Nebraska to build on “the
tremendous momentum
for equality” in the Cornhusker State.
relationships
and 59 percent
volunteer in
their respective communities.
The survey
also found:
Working with other local
and state advocacy
groups, HRC Nebraska
will try to pass enduring
legal protections for
LGBT people in housing, employment and public accommodations; will work to improve the
lived experience of LGBT people in work places and faith
communities; will seek to prevent harassment and violence
against LGBT people; will reduce the stigma of HIV/AIDS
and will support LGBT youth in
schools.
HRC Nebraska will have the
national group’s resources to
support existing efforts.
Human Rights Campaign, the
--Forty-one
percent have
experienced
harassment at
work.
nation’s largest LGBT-rights
group, was a primary funder of
the 2012 effort that resulted in
passage of an employment non
-discrimination ordinance in
Omaha.
Earlier this year, the Human
Rights Campaign commissioned a survey of LGBT people in Nebraska. Key findings
show 57 percent of respondents have called Nebraska
home for more than 20 years,
more than half are in committed
--One-third of LGBT respondents in rural areas have experienced harassment in school on
a weekly basis.
--Twenty-two percent of respondents have experienced
harassment at their place of
worship.
--Fifty-seven percent have experienced harassment on the
street.
MEDITATIVE PRAYER BREAKFAST Saturday, October 11, 9:00 AM
Metropolitan Community Church of Omaha 819 South 22nd Street
MCC Omaha’s Social Hall
mccomaha@mcccomaha.org 402-345-2563
Free Will Offering Will Be Taken All Are Welcome and Encouraged to Attend
PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT PROUD HORIZONS
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UPCOMING FILMS HIGHLIGHT LGBT ISSUES
My name is Brooke Masek and I am the Program and Outreach Coordinator at Film Streams,
Omaha’s nonprofit cinema. We have a slew of films highlighting LGBT issues in the coming
months. Some information about each film:
 Starting September 24 and running for a week, Fifi Howls from Happiness is a documentary about a gay Iranian artist, Bahman Mohasses, who fled Iran after the revolution. Many
thought him to be dead but director Mitra Farahani found him living alone in Rome. The film
turns out to be his final portrait. I’ve seen it and was enthralled the whole time.

 Starting September 26, Skeleton Twins is the much anticipated film featuring Kristin Wiig
and Bill Hader as twins Maggie and Milo who lead separate lives on opposite sides of the
country. When both feel that they're at the end of their ropes, an unexpected reunion forces
them to confront how their lives went so wrong. For Maggie, that means re-examining her
marriage to sweet “nature frat boy” Lance and her own self-destructive tendencies, while Milo,
who is gay, must face the pain of an early heartbreak he never quite got past.

 Then on October 3, we start Love is Strange, a touching story about Ben (John Lithgow)
and George (Alfred Molina) who finally tie the knot in an idyllic wedding ceremony in lower
Manhattan. But when George loses his job soon after, the couple must sell their apartment and
– victims of the relentless New York City real estate market – temporarily live apart with various family members until they can find an affordable new home.

Finally, on Halloween, we open Pride, inspired by an extraordinary true story. It’s the summer
of 1984, Margaret Thatcher is in power and the National Union of Mineworkers is on strike,
prompting a London-based group of gay and lesbian activists to raise money to support the
strikers’ families. Initially rebuffed by the Union, the group identifies a tiny mining village in
Wales and sets off to make their donation in person. As the strike drags on, the two groups discover that standing together makes for the strongest union of all.
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Lesbian, Gay
and Bisexual
Clinic
UNMC Physicians Family Medicine
Durham Outpatient Center
44th and Emile Street
Jim Medder, MD, MPH
Board Certified Preventive
Medicine and Family Medicine
physician provides general and preventive healthcare services to the
lesbian, gay and bisexual
community.
FOR AN APPOINTMENT
CALL (402) 559-4842
Dr. Carol Beaty, Life Coach
lifeunleashedcoaching.com
Carol@lifeunleashedcoaching.com
402-332-8215
In-home pet health care
402*312*8527
Life unLeashed Coaching
Fax 402*496*8468
drpetwhisper@aol.com
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