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Drew Harbaugh, RN, CCRN

Chapter President, PFLAG Fresno

he/him/his

Insight into Running A Community Support Group

For Fresno State MFT Grad Students 2024

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Support is vital,

and representation matters!

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About PFLAG

June 25, 1972:

Schoolteacher Jeanne Manford marches with her gay son Morty in the Christopher Street Liberation Parade

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Jeanne and Morty worked together to envison a group where LGBTQ+ people and straight family members can work together and support each other, and PFLAG was born.

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March 11, 1973:

The first PFLAG Meeting is held Metropolitan-Duane Methodist Church, Greenwich Village

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Today, PFLAG’s network of hundreds of chapters and more than 325,000 members and supporters are helping create an equitable and inclusive world where every LGBTQ+ person is safe, celebrated, empowered, and loved.

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Why Are Support Groups Necessary, specifically for the LGBTQ+ Community?

From Human Rights Campaign’s

The State of Mental Health of the LGBTQ+ Community

Report

https://www.hrc.org/resources/mental-health-resources-in-the-lgbtq-community

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Why Are Support Groups Necessary, specifically for the LGBTQ+ Community?

https://tinyurl.com/fitzpatrickthesis

Crow Fitzpatrick, PFLAG Fresno Board Member and 2023 Fresno State MSW Grad

Master’s Thesis: Barriers to Accessing Gender-Affirming

Mental Healthcare in the Central Valley

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Why Are Support Groups Necessary, specifically for the LGBTQ+ Community?

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/research-briefs/fostering-the-mental-health-of-lgbtq-youth/

One of the biggest protective factors for LGBTQ+ people’s mental health is social support

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Here’s where things get really interesting...

A “Role Model” in a peer support group like PFLAG could look like...

A healthy, thriving, adult transperson to a parent of a trans child who’s just coming out
A loving, accepting, and supportive parent, to the trans person who never had that
An ally to the community standing up for us publicly, leading by example that LGBTQ+ folks deserve to be treated with respect and dignity
A queer or trans person, simply existing and living their life authentically, to another queer or trans person

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A sense of universality, of being understood, is immensely comforting and helps alleviate feelings of isolation and stigma. When group members hear others share similar experiences and feelings, it validates their own joys and challenges, fostering a sense of support and aiding in the formation of community.

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What do our support groups look like?
Where do our members come from?
How do they find out about us?
Who is primarily attending these days?
Who leads the discussion groups?
How do we manage it when they get too large?

How does PFLAG Fresno’s Support Group Work?

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The connections people form- creating lines of support that go beyond the walls of the room
Resource-sharing; passing along of knowledge of affirming providers or local services
Safe Space for trans/gender diverse folk to present in their true gender
Improved understanding (for family members/allies) leading to better relationships
Resilience building for marginalized cultural group via connection with others

Benefits and Challenges

Benefits:

Challenges:

The cost of the emotional labor of holding space for folks
(Directly related) The lack of professional training for volunteer leaders in this area
Safety risks: potential to become a target for violence
Maintaining safe space for people of many varied personal beliefs, backgrounds, & life experiences
Finding and raising up new leadership that will have the capacity to take on holding space

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www.pflagfresno.org

@pflag_fresno

pflagfresno@gmail.com

Webpage with resources, Jordan Fitzpatrick’s full thesis, links, and a copy of this PowerPoint:

Final Questions and Resources

www.pflagfresno.org/mft

Drew’s personal email:

pflagdrew@gmail.com