One Journey, Many Paths - George Rede & Monica Clark, PFLAG Portland

From our humble beginnings a half-century ago to the present, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, PFLAG Portland, has been a safe harbor for those of us who love and cherish the LGBTQIA+ people in our lives – and for queer individuals themselves.

The two Portland couples who founded Parents of Gays in 1977 – the forerunner to our PFLAG chapter – opened their living rooms to like-minded parents at a time when gays and lesbians were more likely to be shunned than embraced. These days, we hold our chapter meetings in a nondescript room on the campus of a gender-affirming church in Southwest Portland.

Our journey remains the same, even if our paths differ greatly from one another. And in a world that can sometimes make us feel discouraged or lonely, we take comfort in knowing there are people who “get us.”

Special Collection: PFLAG