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PFLAG Washington State Council Records, 1996-2019

Overview of the Collection

Cre
PFLAG Washington State Council.
Title
PFLAG Washington State Council Records
Dates
1996-2019 (inclusive)
2000-2015 (bulk)
Quantity
2 linear feet, (4 boxes, 1 oversize document)
Collection Number
XOE_CPNWS0386
Summary
These records document the history and work of the PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) Washington State Council.
Repository
Western Washington University, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Goltz-Murray Archives Building
808 25th St.
Bellingham, WA
98225
Telephone: (360) 650-7534
cpnws@wwu.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection is open to the public for research.

Languages
English
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Content Description

These records contain documents relating to the PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) Washington State Council and other LGBTQ+ organizations in the United States. The collection spans 1996 to 2019, however the bulk of the material falls within the 2000-2015 range. The collection includes administrative and financial records, event materials, publications, clippings, and ephemera. The majority of the PFLAG material relates to the PFLAG Washington State Council (PFLAG WSC) but a small portion of the material contains information on the activities of other PFLAG chapters operating in and outside of Washington.

The Administrative Records date from 2001 to 2019, and document organizational policy, meetings and conferences, and information regarding PFLAG WSC and other PFLAG chapters. The meeting minutes document general and executive level gatherings discussing financials, leadership, education programs, and chapter upkeep. Administrative records also contain a letter to Kathy Reim from Senator Ranker.

Events and Activities materials date from approximately 2005 to 2019, and contain flyers, booklets, and photographs from various events and conventions hosted by PFLAG, including material from the Straight for Equality campaign. Also included are theatre and movie programs, and advertisements for the 2011 Skagit Human Rights Festival.

Outreach and Education records date from approximately 2007 to 2017, and contain PFLAG and non-PFLAG education material and information regarding LGBTQ+ resources.

Publications and Clippings date from 1993 to 2013, and contain full and partial issues from various newspapers and newsletters. This material includes five issues of PFLAG Skagit, eighteen issues of Skagit Gay times, and a memorial for Jeanne Manford.

Ephemera Materials contain booklets, business cards, buttons, and stickers.

Also included in this collection are multiple independent works including the children's book "Spot" by Todd Tuttle, a 2012 survey of LGBTQ+ youth in the United States, and a collection of material chronicling the 2001 controversy surrounding the removal of the book "Jack" from the Cascade Middle School library.

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Historical Note

The PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) Washington State Council was a coalition of PFLAG chapters within Washington State founded in the 1990s, which provided oversight and support to Washington PFLAG chapters before officially dissolving in 2022-2023.

PFLAG was founded in Queens, New York in 1973 by Jeanne and Jules Manford with the encouragement of their son Morty Manford, a prominent gay rights activist. The organization was formed as a support group for the parents of LGBTQ+ individuals where they could connect with each other and advocate for their children as a community. After the establishment of the first and largest PFLAG chapter in New York, other similar groups and chapters began forming across North America, becoming involved in federal and state legislation by 1980.

The creation of the first PFLAG group was a response to the brutality and police inaction shown towards gay rights activists and LGBTQ+ individuals, with a mission to "create an equitable and inclusive world where every LGBTQ+ person is safe, celebrated, empowered, and loved." (Source: pflag.org, About Us). PFLAG was the first national LGBTQ+ organization to expressly include Transgender individuals as part of its mission statement in 1998.

Activities of PFLAG Washington State Council (PFLAG WSC) included campaigning for marriage equality and referendum 74 in Washington State, and the organization of, and participation in, various educational events across the country.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

PFLAG Washington State Council Records, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections, Western Washington University, Bellingham WA 98225-9123.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The collection is organized in accordance with the following series arrangement:

  • Series I. Administrative Records, 1999-2019
  • Series II. Events and Activities, 2005-2019
  • Series III. Outreach and Education, 2007-2017
  • Series IV. Publications and Clippings, 1993-2013
  • Series V. Ephemera Materials, 2009-2021
  • Series VI. Additional Chapter Records, 2001, 2004-2012

Acquisition Information

Materials were donated to CPNWS by Kathy Reim in 2022 and 2023.

Processing Note

William Powers processed the PFLAG Washington State Council Records for the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies in 2023.

Processing Note

To learn more about problematic content in our collections, collection description and teaching tools (including how to provide feedback or request dialogue on this topic), see the following Statement About Potentially Harmful Language and Content.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Finding aid prepared by William Powers.
2023

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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