Parents Family and Friends of Lesbians And Gays

-Westminster, Carroll County

February '03 e-Newsletter and Update

Welcome to the 'light' version of our newsletter, which will begin in March to come out online and in print. Below, you'll find a few important dates that you may want to keep in mind, as well as some general news regarding what we here at PFLAG Westminster are thinking about as February draws to a close. If you are receiving this mailing by mistake and/or do not wish to be on our mailing list, please email pflagwestminster@yahoo.com and write "UNSUBSCRIBE" in the subject.

Free State Justice Alert

The Maryland General Assembly is now in house, preparing to consider new bills proposed for the 2003 session. Among the proposals are bills to:

• expand the classes of people protected by hate crime laws
• prohibit harassment based on sexual orientation and gender in public schools.
• require that faith-based programs receivcing public funds observe state civil rights protections in hiring and providing services.

Supporters and testimonials are needed to fill the audience to demonstrate the need for legislation promoting LGBT civil rights. Time is short. The General Assembly only meets 90 days each year. The next hearing is scheduled to be on Wednesday, February 19 at 1pm for House Bill 322, the Hate Crimes Penalties Act, which FreeState Justice (FSJ) supports. To get on the schedule and receive assistance with drafting your testimony, call or email the Field Director, Jean-Michel Bravelle at 301-891-1111 or 888-440-9944. Or you can email jean-michel@freestatejustice.org. And, by all means please visit the FSJ website at www.freestatejustice.org.

PFLAG Westminster and McDaniel College Allies Present:

tick, tick... BOOM! at the Mechanic Theater, in Baltimore.

Before Jonathan Larson wrote the hit rock opera RENT, he had to pay it. tick, tick... BOOM! is his story, a snapshot of his life as he faced turning 30 in 1990. It is an exhillarating, uplifting show told through the same pop-flavored music that propelled RENT to reinvent Broadway. On Sunday, March 9, 2003, PFLAG, in conjunction with Allies, will be taking 50 to see the show at the Mechanic Theater in Baltimore. These tickets are available off-campus only to PFLAG-Westminster members. They are $30 each, for front mezzanine seats. The show starts at 1pm, and transportation there and back will be provided by Allies. For more details, visit www.oocities.org/alliespayrent. For more details or to reserve your tickets, email mcdaniel_allies@yahoo.com or call Matt at 410-751-8327. Limit 2 tickets per person.

Upcoming PFLAG-Westminster Events

• Regular PFLAG Meetings: 1st Thursday of every month at 7:30 pm. Next: March 6.
• Regular ALLIES Meetings: Every Tuesday at 7:30 pm in the upper level of Decker College Center, at McDaniel College. (Allies is McD's lgbtq-straight alliance.)
• February 19 - FreeStateJustice State House Hearing on hate-crimes bill. 1pm at the State House, in Annapolis.
• Thru 2/23 - Ain't Misbehavin'  at Center Stage, in Baltimore.
• March 9 - PFLAG-Baltimore meeting, 1-3pm.
• March 9 - tick, tick... BOOM! at the Mechanic Theater. See above for more details. Call 410-751-8327 or email mcdaniel_allies@yahoo.com to reserve your tickets.

For more information about meetings and upcoming events, call Thom Ballantine at 410-840-9932 or Matt McGowan at 410-751-8327.

PFLAG-Westminster Website and Other Organizational News

PFLAG-Westminster, as most receiving this Update are aware, is still a nascent organization. Therefore, there is still much to do. Everything that's going on will be given greater detail in the March (real) Newsletter, and also on the website. For now, here are a few ways all of you can get involved and some things to be aware are going on.

• President Paul Himes and VP Roy Fique are currently working on drafting our Constitution and Bylaws. Those will be ready to be instituted at the March 6th Meeting.
• We are starting committees to handle the various roles PFLAG hopes to be able to play in the Westminster/Carroll County community. All but one committee has a chairperson, and all need members. They are: Programming (education, health issues, events), Parents, Youth and Community Outreach (fundraising, co-sposored events, communications, advertising). For more info, or to join or chair any of the above committees, email us at pflagwestminster@yahoo.com.
• The Committee is currently working on this chapter's website. It will include comprehensive calendars of upcoming events, profiles of the PFLAG Westminster executive board members, links to local and national lgbtq resources, and as much other information as we can squeeze onto it.

 PFLAG Westminster Executive Board

Paul M. Himes, President -- galveston79@hotmail.com

Roy Fique, Vice President -- diadematus@hotmail.com

Matt McGowan, Treasurer -- flaming_queen@yahoo.com

Candace Herron, Secretary -- cherrwmc@yahoo.com