PFLAG Buffalo-Niagara

Parents, Families, Friends and Allies United with LGBTQ People

PO Box 617
Buffalo, NY 14207
716-883-0384

info@pflagbuffalo.org
www.pflagbuffalo.org
www.facebook.com/pflag.niagara

There is no sharing meeting in July. The August 16 meeting will feature a

presentation on transgender issues. Details will follow in the August issue.

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PFLAG Buffalo/Niagara

JUSTICE ARRIVES LIKE A THUNDERBOLT

PFLAG Buffalo-Niagara shares videos of the

long-denied and long-awaited day: June 26,
2015. Marriage Equality is the rule across the
land now and forever.
Please click or cut and paste if needed.
http://www.towleroad.com/2015/06/jim-obergefell/
http://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2015/06/26/obama-same-sex-marriage-supreme-court-entirespeech.cnn
http://www.c-span.org/video/?c4542179/lawyer-mary-bonauto-remarks-supreme-court-ruling-samesex-marriage
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gay-mens-chorus-of-washington-offers-rousing-performanceat-supremecourt_558dab5ae4b081449b4c9454https://www.facebook.com/SouthernEquality/videos/1023817550
970159/?fref=nf

PFLAG Buffalo-Niagara

Amen. So be it. Allelulia.

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PFLAG Buffalo/Niagara

PFLAG Buffalo-Niagara knows that readers of this

newsletter have been following this case and the ensuing
decision very closely. We join all in celebrating such an
incredible day and a decision many thought would never
happen. We will share daily on our Facebook page articles,
interviews, and images that give more insight and
information for all to absorb. Please visit PFLAG BuffaloNiagara on Facebook and know we will be sharing material
from many and varied sources for all of our readers,
members, and supporters.

PFLAG Buffalo-Niagara

Bennett High School Senior Jed Gallagher receives the award from Ann and Brian Carrier..

Each year PFLAG Buffalo-Niagara awards a scholarship to two local high school seniors
whose application and letters of recommendation outline their personal and academic
achievements and experiences as a LGBT or LGBT supportive individual: they also detail how
those experiences align with the mission of the PFLAG organization and how the LGBT
community and society will be enriched by the receipt of this scholarship.
This years winners came from Bennett High School in Buffalo and West Seneca East.
Board treasure Brian Carrier and board member Ann Carrier presented his award at the
Bennett High School GSA meeting on May 28th to Jedidiah Gallagher from Bennett. Jedidiah
was instrumental in starting Bennetts Gay Straight Alliance chapter three years ago. He has
been very active in promoting equality and working against bullying. He has been involved with
the yearly GSA conferences, The Day of Silence, and the Pride Parade, to name of a few of his
actions in school and in the community..
Also, on June 18, 2015, board president Phil Salemi, Jr. had the privilege of presenting
West Seneca East high school senior James Dietz with the second scholarship.
James Dietz was chosen from the many applications submitted based not only on his
academic achievements but also on his involvement and work in the school GSA, the schools
acceptance week activities, as well as his work and collaboration in drafting and
implementing policy that leads to understanding, acceptance and the creation of safe
environment for LGBT individuals within the school community. And lastly he was chosen

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PFLAG Buffalo/Niagara

based on the courage, maturity and example demonstrated during his own personal journey of
transgender transition he publically began in his senior year of high school.
PFLAG Buffalo-Niagara congratulates Jedidiah and James and wishes them well as they
begin the many new chapters of life that await them.

A NEW RESOURCE FROM PFLAG NATIONAL

By www.pflag.org
They say timing is everything. On June 1st, we all met Caitlyn Jenner--and the
conversation about people who are transgender was taken to a whole new level of engagement
and interest. There are more questions being asked, more people interested in educating
themselves, and as always, PFLAG is a valued resource for answers!
Today, were proud to announce the formal release of our newest publication, Our Trans
Loved Ones: Questions and Answers for Parents, Families, and Friends of People Who
Are Transgender And Gender Expansive.

Based on--and expanded from-- its well-loved and popular predecessor, Welcoming Our
Trans Family and Friends, Our Trans Loved Ones is a brand-new, updated resource. Written by
PFLAG staff members, and created with the help of dozens of content experts, reviewers, and
family members and friends with experience to share, it is chock full of information, firstperson stories, expert input, and more, all geared to those who have a close family member or
friend--of any age--who has come out as trans or gender expansive.

The new publication and comprehensive web resources--all available at pflag.org/trans-address frequently asked questions and is also divided into sections specific to three age

PFLAG Buffalo-Niagara

ranges -- Childhood, Adolescence, and Adulthood--giving readers easy and immediate

access to information they need based on their own circumstances, plus a full section of
Frequently Asked Questions for people of all ages.
s.

Just as Our Trans Loved Ones is geared to families and friends, remember we also have
answers for allies!
Our other invaluable publication from our Straight for Equality project, guide to being
a trans ally, applies the philosophy of the project--to invite, educate, and engage allies--to a
topic that has been key to PFLAGs work for years: inclusion for people who are transgender.
So visit pflag.org/trans for an interactive, electronic copy of Our Trans Loved Ones or
straightforequality.org/trans for your electronic copy of guide to being a straight ally. (And
dont forget the comprehensive resources on both pages!)
Our Trans Loved Ones will begin shipping on Monday, June 8th.

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PFLAG Buffalo/Niagara

NINTENDO WILL ALLOW SAME-SEX RELATIONSHIPS IN NEW FIRE EMBLEM GAME

The Huffington Post

By Damon Beres

At last, the powerful warriors and wizards in Nintendo's "Fire Emblem" franchise can be gay.

Gaming site Polygon reported Tuesday that players will be able to have same-sex
relationships in the upcoming "Fire Emblem Fates," a new entry in the strategy role-playing
franchise that made its debut on the original Nintendo Entertainment System in 1990. A
Ninendo spokesman confirmed this information to The Huffington Post
"Fates" will be be released in two separate versions, "Conquest" and "Birthright."
Nintendo told HuffPost that each will feature a different same-sex coupling -- male in one game
and female in the other.
"In the Conquest edition of the game, there is a male character that the game's player
may have his/her male main character marry after they bond in battle.
Similarly, the Birthright edition features a female character that a female main character
may marry after bonding in battle," a Nintendo spokesman told HuffPost, echoing the
statement given to Polygon.
Having both same-sex relationships in the same game may eventually be possible, since
Nintendo says there will be a downloadable component that opens up the content that both
versions of the game lack.
For the uninitiated, relationships often play a central role in "Fire Emblem" games. Your
characters can make friends and, in the case of the recent "Fire Emblem: Awakening," hook up
with characters of the opposite gender and make beautiful warrior children who travel through

PFLAG Buffalo-Niagara

time and space to assist you in battle. (There will be procreation in "Fates," but it's unclear how
this will pertain to the same-sex couples.)
In "Awakening," you completely customize the main character -- named Robin by default
-- by selecting physical build, facial features, hairstyle, hair color, voice and, of course, gender.
Because Nintendo specifically references player-created characters in "Fates," it seems likely
that a similar setup will exist in the new game.

PRIDE MARCHES ON!

PFLAG Buffalo-Niagara again very proudly marched in the annual Pride Parade on
Elmwood Avenue on Sunday, June 3rd. Some members and supporters carried the PFLAG
banner, while others passed out beads and Care With Pride coupon booklets. It was hard to tell
who had more fun, the members marching or the throngs of cheering parade attendees. One
thing was as clear to all under the sunny skies: a great time was had by all. This event gets
bigger every year, and PFLAG Buffalo-Niagara is proud to be a part this wonderful, important,
and necessary experience.

To read more about the Care with Pride initiative from Johnson and Johnson, please follow or cut and paste this link:
http://www.healthyessentials.com/our-caring/care-with-pride

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PFLAG Buffalo/Niagara

PFLAG Buffalo-Niagara Board of Directors_____________________

Phil Salemi, Jr., president

Michele Perry, secretary

Amy Fularz, vice president

Lisbeth Ball, director

Kristian Rickard, vice president

Ann Carrier, director

Brian Carrier, treasurer

Julie Christiano, director

Is it time to renew your membership? Please do so and PFLAG Buffalo-Niagara thanks you!

Lifetime Membership ................................ $500

BenefactorMembership ....................... $250

Sponsoring Membership ... $100 (Business Card Advertisement ($100 per year)

Supporting Membership .......................... $50

Household Membership . $30

Newsletter Subscription Only... $15

Donations of $50.00 or more can be included in the chapter newsletter with your permission.
Make checks payable to PFLAG Buffalo/Niagara and mail to: P.O. Box 617 Buffalo, NY 14207
PFLAG Buffalo/Niagara is a non-profit 501(c)3 and donations are tax-deductible.
PFLAG Buffalo-Niagara, is a non-profit, all volunteer, community-based organization
not affiliated with any ethnic, religious, economic or political group. Membership is
open to all. PFLAG membership lists are kept confidential.
We hope you like reading these newsletter articles, we also share current articles on
our Facebook page. Please consider liking us on Facebook and reading articles all
month long at www.facebook.com/pflag.niagara