Get support virtually or
​ in-person!

Tips for Navigating the Holidays!

With the Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and other holidays fast approaching, we want to provide you with some tips on navigating family gatherings, which we know can be very difficult for both members of the LGBTQ+ community and those who love and support them. Here are 2 links courtesy  of PFLAG National with info for both members of the LGBTQ+ community, their families and allies.  Hopefully, they will be useful to you as we gather with extended family this holiday season:  Going Home for the Holidays...or Any Days and How to "Ally" for the Holidays.

Virtual Meetings on Zoom

Join us on Zoom for our virtual support meetings on the 1st Wednesday of every month from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

You can join us at either or both meetings.  Although there is no need to register for the in-person meetings, you will still need to do so for the Zoom meetings.   

Ready to join us?  Register now at the following link for our virtual support meeting at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, December 4th.  This will be a support only meeting.  We will not have a speaker.

Click on link to register:  docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdx9QwsuAG-RkN1P3ZqKuCAJ42cAI2YQMCFtJ-kIHXeRm9TCQ/viewform?usp=sf_link
​
We require registration each month for the on-line Zoom meetings for security reasons. Once you've registered, we will email the log-in information to you by noon on the day of the meeting.  You need to register each time for every meeting, not just one time.

In-person Meetings

Newport

Our next Newport meeting will be on Monday, December 9th at the Parish House of Channing Memorial Church, 135 Pelham Street at 6:45 p.m.  

Providence

Our next Providence in-person meeting will be on Tuesday, December 10th at the Met School, Unity Building, 325 Public Street, Providence at 6:45 p.m.  Parking is available behind the building, which is located at the rear of the campus.  

No need to register for the in-person meetings.  You just need to show up!

If you need immediate support, you can always call our Helpline:  (401) 307-1802.  It rings on our home phone, so please leave a message if there is no answer and we will get back to you as soon as possible.  You can also attend virtual and in-person meetings held by the Attleboro PFLAG Chapter.  Contact them at [email protected] for meeting times and locations.  They meet on the 3rd and 4th Wednesdays of the month.

All are welcome to attend our meetings.  They are not just for parents seeking support.  We also welcome members of the LGBTQ community who are seeking support and questioning how to come out to family.  Allies who want to learn how to better support their LGBTQ+ friends or provide support to others are welcome, as are members of the medical community, social workers, therapists, educators, etc.  

We always welcome any suggestions for future speakers.  Please email any suggestions to us at [email protected].  

If you are unable to attend any of our meetings, please know that PFLAG Greater Providence leaders are available to provide you support at any time. Please reach out to us as follows:
PFLAG Greater Providence provides much-needed support to LGBTQ+ people and their families in Rhode Island and is surrounding communities in Massachusetts.  Now, we're proud to continue providing you trusted support, meeting you where you are--wherever you are--via PFLAG Connects.

PFLAG Connects meetings, run by trusted PFLAG Greater Providence leaders, will give you the support you need during this most-challenging time.

Whether you are:
  • An LGBTQ+ person who is newly--or not yet--out to you family and friends;
  • A parent or family member on a journey of supporting an LGBTQ+ loved one;
  • A parent or family member who suspects that someone you love is LGBTQ+ and aren't sure how to approach the subject, or if you should;
  • A teacher, counselor, or school administrator providing online instruction and looking to help support LGBTQ+ students who are out at school but not at home; or
  • A friend or ally looking to provide support as you shelter in place
​PFLAG Greater Providence has you covered.

You can register to attend our monthly virtual support meetings by clicking on the Registration link above.  

Zoom meeting schedule (7:00 - 8:30 p.m. or 9:00 with a speaker):
                             December 4, 2024
                             NO MEETING IN JANUARY
                             February 5, 2025
                             March 5, 2025
​                              
In-person meeting schedule at The Met High School, 325 Public Street, Unity Building, Providence, RI (6:45 - 8:15 p.m.):   
                              December 10, 2024
                              January 14, 2025
                              February 11, 2025
                              March 11, 2025

In-person meeting schedule at Channing Memorial Church, 135 Pelham Street, Newport (6:45 - 8:00 p.m.):
                             
                              December 9, 2024
                              January 13, 2025
                              February 10, 2025
​                              March 10, 2025

If you are unable to attend the PFLAG Greater Providence Chapter meetings, the Attleboro PFLAG Chapter meets on the 3rd Wednesday of the month from 7-8:30 p.m. over Zoom and in-person on the 4th Wednesday of the month from 7-8:30 p.m. at Second Congregation Church, 50 Park Street, Attleboro, MA.  You can email them at [email protected] to express interest in attending their next Zoom meeting or in-person meeting.

For urgent support, visit pflag.org/hotlines for an up-to-date list of emergency hotline numbers, available nationwide.

Ron Richard
Chapter President
Contact us at [email protected] for more information.

Support PFLAG Greater Providence by becoming a member or making a tax-deductible donation so we can continue to provide the support, education and advocacy to families in the LGBTQ community. By clicking on the button above, you will be taken to PayPal where you can  make your tax-deductible donation either through your PayPal account or with a credit card.  

Statement in Response to RI Senate Bill S 2501

We at PFLAG Greater Providence support and affirm that transgender and nonbinary students, like all students, deserve the chance to join a school sport without fear of discrimination. PFLAG Greater Providence strongly opposes Senate Bill 2501, the so-called "Fairness in Women’s Sports Act." This discriminatory bill is a tranparent effort to divide our community. They stoke fear so we turn against our own neighbors, creating problems where they don't exist so they can avoid tackling the real issues that would help Rhode Island families succeed. The truth is, youth have always been targets for discrimination because they are often too young to vote. Yet youth always rise up – and PFLAGers rise with them!  We at PFLAG wholeheartedly support the LGBTQ+ community in fighting against the passage of SB 2501. Let kids play.
Contact Information
P. O. Box 41344
Providence, RI 02940
tel. 401-307-1802
e-mail: [email protected]

Chapter President:
Ron Richard

Our brochure with membership form.

Picture
PFLAG Greater Providence Chapter Founder Myra Shays with U.S. Senator for Rhode Island, Sheldon Whitehouse at our PFLAG "float" at the 2019 RI Pride Illuminated Night Parade.