PFLAG has new chapter, new president in Edwardsville - The Edwardsville Intelligencer
EDWARDSVILLE — Sometimes when things go stagnant, it’s better to stop, pick up and move to a new location to recharge.
That’s exactly what the Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) have done by recycling a chapter to Edwardsville after 11 years in Belleville. Meetings take place at 7 p.m. on the first Thursday each month at the Immanuel UMC Church, 808 N. Main St. in Edwardsville.
The group’s motto is to Support, Educate and Advocate, according to president Amy Sedor.
“We’re an ally support group,” she said. “We have parent and friend resources to be a better ally for their loved ones.”
She said their first meeting in town took place in September, with about 15 people in attendance, and three-fourths of those came from the Belleville chapter. At the first meeting, they had attendees from as far away as Worden and Red Bud.
This month, Sedor planned to have Steven Brawley, a public historian noted for his research related to LGBTQIA+ issues, visit as guest speaker. He is also the founder of the St. Louis LGBT History Project. The October meeting happened earlier this month and the next meeting date is Nov. 4.
Sedor said she plans to change things up each month, some speakers may be virtual, others may be in person and at other times, she might lead the topic. She also wants to reach out to the community and bring in guest speakers who will talk about their groups.
Though the group currently meets in Edwardsville, its beginnings stem from Belleville.
Sedor said the group’s secretary, Lisa Allen, formerly attended the Belleville chapter, which closed when the former president decided it was getting more difficult to attract new members after she had led it more than a decade.
Allen and others suggested instead of closing, uproot the chapter from Belleville and move it to Edwardsville for a fresh start. Sedor posed the question on Facebook and she said she received positive responses to the notion of moving north. She noted the vibrancy of the Edwardsville area.
When the Belleville PFLAG president called it quits, Sedor said she picked up the mantle and told the former president she would do it but only with assistance from her and her husband.
Sedor said she attended her first PFLAG meeting in 2016, when her daughter came out as a male-to-female (MTF) transsexual.
“I knew [about] gay but I didn’t know about trans,” she said. She said she was so nervous the first Thursday she left her home in Edwardsville to drive to Belleville and she did not know what to expect.
“Those meetings that I pushed myself into going to; they really filled my cup,” she said.
She said people at the Belleville site were warm, gracious and understanding, so she kept coming back, hoping to learn more information to help her daughter.
The last 30 minutes or so of each forum is set aside for the members and visitors to introduce themselves, share stories or accomplishments and meet others who may have a similar background or who may face a situation that is familiar.
“What it did for me is what I want it to do for other people,” Sedor said of PFLAG. “We really want to help our loved ones.”
For more information, call 618-977-5078 or email the group at [email protected] or visit the PFLAG website by clicking here.
Reach reporter Charles Bolinger at 618-659-5735