Pflag Tampa

Honored to have been chosen as the organizational Grand Marshal for the upcoming St. Pete Pride parade, PFLAG Tampa prides itself on community outreach. As with most chapters, PFLAG Tampa is staffed entirely by volunteers. The chapter started operating in Tampa Bay in August of 2011 and has quickly immersed itself in numerous educational and LGBT advocacy efforts in Tampa Bay.

Although the heart of PFLAG Tampa is the monthly support meetings, we also speak at local college graduate and undergraduate classes and events, as well as churches considering becoming 'open and affirming.' We are often asked to speak at area businesses (and would love to speak at yours!). We join with many LGBT organizations across the Tampa Bay area to do advocacy work. We are charter members of the LGBTQI2-S Youth Advocacy Group, which investigates possible solutions to LGBTQ homelessness in Hillsborough County, and the LGBTQ Roundtable at The Spring, Tampa’s domestic violence shelter. Other project partners have included GLSEN Tampa Bay, the Ybor Youth Clinic, the Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County, the Tampa Hillsborough Homeless Initiative, the GaYbor District Coalition, USF Pride Alliance, UT GLTSBA and the USF Transgender Student Union. We spoke at the Tampa City Council meeting in support of the Domestic Partnership Registry, which was successfully passed. We have met personally with HIllsborough County commissioners, and have lobbied Florida representatives with Equality Florida in Tallahassee. PFLAG Tampa is currently assisting the  ACLU to uncover problematic areas for transgender school-age youth, and to better understand these issues in order to assist them to set legal precedents.

Of course, PFLAG Tampa marches in and mans booths at St. Pete Pride and marches in Orlando Pride.

Knowing the power of PFLAG, we are excited to be supporting a neighboring county in their effort to form a new PFLAG chapter.