PFLAG Annouces Chapter In Southwest Virginia

As bad as things often seem in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, things are wonderful compared to the situation in Southwestern Virginia where, frankly, if I had to live there, suicide might indeed look like a most attractive option. During the course of the Michael Moore v. Virginia Museum of Natural History case (Moore was fired by the Museum for being gay and Tom Kaine, now DNC chair did absolutely nothing to enforce his own executive order) I visited Martinsville, Virginia twice. Yes, the area has great physical beauty, but socially, the place is like something out of Deliverance in terms of the attitudes towards LGBT citizens. Indeed, when I returned to Norfolk, it seem the cosmopolitan center of the gay universe in comparison. Living in southwest Virginia must be most grim if one is LGBT. Thankfully, PFLAG has launched a chapter in this region of backwardness and homophobia. It's a much needed addition to what I view as a very bleak landscape - a landscape that does nothing to encourage progressive and imaginative businesses to want relocate to that part of Virginia. As I have stated before, anti-gay bigotry and the embracing of ignorance in general does carry an economic cost. This is a reality that is lost on Southwest Virginia and the occupants of Virginia's governor's mansion and the office of the Attorney General. Out in Roanoke has the details. Here are some highlights:
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PFLAG-Parents. Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays have started a chapter in Southwest Virginia, to be located in Abingdon. The name is PFLAG- Abingdon/Washington County Chapter and will hold its first meeting Thursday, November 11, from 6:30 pm until 8:30 pm, and the second Thursday of each month thereafter, founder Dexter Tenney announced today. The Chapter will serve all of Washington and surrounding counties of Southwest Virginia.
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"Our LGBTQ citizens and their parents have been underserved in this area for too long, and now is the time for change".
The recent incidents of gay teenage suicides have been the catalyst for us taking action now. A support group has been in the planning stages for two years. This should serve as a wakeup call to all Americans; especially in rural areas were LGBTQ support is lacking. We have done our homework and the need is here, right in our own back door.
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Our local chapter website is http://www.wix.com/oscar1029/pflag--virginia-highlands.
. . . . For more information contact Dexter Tenney at 276-614-7319