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PFLAG Greater Providence
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    • In Memoriam: Myra B. Shays
    • About PFLAG
    • Mission
    • PFLAG Greater Providence Chapter's Goals
    • About Our Support Meetings
  • Calendar/Events
    • Calendar
    • 2025 RI PrideFest & Illuminated Night Parade
    • Legal Planning for TGNB People
    • 2025 Trans Health Conference
    • 2025 401 Gives Campaign
    • RI Freedom to Read Act
    • Addressing Housing Needs in West Warwick
    • 2024 Transgender Day of Remembrance
    • Renew Your PFLAG Greater Providence Membership or Join Us Today!
    • Pride Fest Volunteers & Pickup Truck Needed!
    • Born This Way Prom--2024
    • The Prom--The Community Players
    • RI 401 Gives Day
    • Queer History of RI Panel
    • Free Teen Movie Night
    • Trans Thanksgiving Returns on November 23
    • Speak Up For Trans Youth: A Community Action Meeting
    • Expanding Culturally Responsive Mental Health Care: 8/26/2023
    • United Against Hate: 8/30/2023
    • 2023 Born This Way Prom
    • Our Best Lives: A Conversation on Issues Affecting the Transgender Community
    • Tiverton Community Outreach Day
    • 2023 Parenting Matters Conference
    • 2023 Trans Health Conference
    • 6th Annual Stonewall Lecture
    • Vigil for Club Q Victims
    • Trans Day of Joy
    • U.S. Trans Survey
    • RI Gay Men's Chorus
    • LGBTQIA+ Cafe Reopening
    • 2022 YPI Lavender Graduation
    • Calling LGBTQIA+ and Ally Artists!
    • Born This Way Prom
    • RI PrideFest & Illuminated Night Parade
    • Newport Pride 2022
    • RI Pride Street Jubilee
    • Providence, RI PRIDE Flag Raising & Rally Event
    • June 2021 PRIDE EVENtS IN RI
    • LGBTQ+ Health Fair
    • Drag Storytime
    • SAGE RI Zoom Cafe
    • SAGE-RI Pride Movie Series
    • PFLAG Testimony in Support of SB 2827 Sub A Banning Conversion Therapy for Minors
    • StoryCorps Interview
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    • 2024 RI Pride Fest & Parade
    • 2023 RI Pride Fest & Parade
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    • 2022 West Warwick Pride
    • 2022 Little Compton Pride
    • RI Pride Fest 2019
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    • RI Pride Fest 2016
    • RI Pride Fest 2015
    • Prior Years Gallery

About Our Support Meetings

PFLAG meetings are strictly confidential. What is said at a meeting is not repeated outside a meeting. We do not reveal the identities of those who attend. If we meet fellow attendees outside a meeting we do not say or imply how we know each other or where from. We do not “out” each other or others’ LGBTQ+ loved ones.

Our in-person meetings typically follow this format:
Welcome and opening statements followed by introductions. We give a name, pronouns, and what brought us tonight. Then we move into the support session. Before we begin the meeting and once we conclude, we have a free literature table available with a variety of resources. We also provide light refreshments accessible at any time during the meeting.   We generally do not have speakers at our in-person meetings.

Our virtual meetings over jZoom typically follow this format:

Welcome and opening statements followed by introductions. We give a name, pronouns, and what brought us tonight. Then we move into the support session.   We occasionally have a speaker during the latter half of our virtual meetings--approximately 3-4 times a year.  When we have a speaker, we will have a shortened support meeting during the first hour and then have the speaker and allow Q&A afterwards.  When we do have a speaker scheduled, we extend our meeting time to 2 hours from the typical 1 1/2 hours.

Everyone is welcome at our meetings, including both LGBTQ+ persons and their family, friends, spouses, co-workers, and those who simply wish to learn. You do not need prior contact or an appointment to come to an in-person meeting.  However, for security reasons, registration is required to participate in our virtual meetings over Zoom.  There is no cost to attend any of our meetings. You are never required to speak or answer any questions you do not wish to or feel comfortable enough to answer. If you come in a group (such as two members of the same family), should we split into small groups for support, you are welcome to stay together. Some groups like to split and cover both smaller support groups so that they can compare notes in case of useful information in either group.

We are all in different places in our journey. You may see other attendees who seem to “have it together” or “know way more” but rest assured – they didn’t start out that way. They had to learn and process too.

If our regular in-person or virtual support meetings do not work for you or you feel uncomfortable with a larger group setting we offer alternatives. We offer coffee-meetups and parlor meetings which can range from one-on-one conversation at a friendly café to a handful of support-givers visiting a family in comfort of their own home. Please contact us through email or phone if you would like to arrange one of these.

None of our chapter leaders are associated with professional counseling services. We are not trained in counseling and are not a substitute for professional help.