focus_contributor.
PFLAG with SAM DAWSON
from Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
I
n my role as a PFLAG Coordinator but very important part of our community, I have many interesting to foster tolerance, understanding and conversations with friends and acceptance as everyone’s situation is unique. parents I meet and I am happy There are many situations that many of us that this page has often raised never have to think about, like having a discussions around our LGBTI trangender child who doesn’t want to have community. I can appreciate that people their “dead” name used over and over at medical appointments for instance. Divorced who do not personally experience having parents where one a child who is having parent won’t accept the a hard time, as well I have noticed that child’s change of sex or as the family, with overall, there are name - the list goes on! all sorts of scenarios fewer opportunities in Also I think we tend to from understanding country areas to a end only see through our themselves, their gender LGBTI-related own lens so I, for one, and sexual orientation, community events or to am up for learning about that it’s confronting for access LGBTI-inclusive unfamiliar scenarios that many others who have services. Its not all bad I have not experienced, not dealt with this. I news- there are services with an open mind. know first-hand from my that I can give anyone I moved from Alice interactions with PFLAG who asks and that you Springs 14 years ago and meetings or people who can also access online, was unable to access ring me up that there is in person and through any information to help real anguish out there social media too. my family and I got to as some struggle to do thinking about LGBTI the right thing and try people in rural, regional to support their child and remote areas, like our Coffs Harbour, but worry, as did I, that having a child who’s and how these individuals can be at higher not “mainstream” may create for them risk of social isolation. a harder life journey and none of us ever want our child to suffer. I have realised there is such a need for these families to have support around them when often their own families are questioning and challenging them too. This PFLAG page is to try and educate our community about this small , 34 COFFS COAST
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This may be related to a lack of community awareness about LGBTI people’s lives, or may be due to more active prejudice and exclusion. I hate to think the latter. Existing services and groups in rural, regional and remote areas often cover large
geographical areas, and within these, there may be fewer services that are specifically LGBTI-aware and inclusive. I have noticed that overall, there are fewer opportunities in country areas to attend LGBTI-related community events or to access LGBTI-inclusive services. It’s not all bad news - there are services that I can give anyone who asks and that you can also access online, in person and through social media too. I’ll leave you with this last point - Being known to small local communities before you explore your gender or sexuality can bring on its own significant challenges. Rural, regional and remote communities are famously known as places where ‘everybody knows each other’ and this may increase pressures for people who may be changing their own understanding of themselves, concerned about not longer fitting with what is known or presumed about them and their personal stories. There may be increased resistance to change on a community level as well as personally. Coffs Coast PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians And Gays) is a group of volunteers or allies who have a child, friend or family member that they love who they want to support in the best way they know how. pflagcoffscoast.com PFLAGcoffcoast 0417 861 045
