About
PFLAG is the United States' first and largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them. Headquartered in Washington, DC, PFLAG National anchors a nationwide network of local chapters where families, allies, and LGBTQ+ people find peer support and community.
Mission
PFLAG's work centers on supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and their families and allies, in pursuit of an equitable and inclusive world where every LGBTQ+ person is safe, celebrated, empowered, and loved.
What they do
- Chapter network: local PFLAG chapters provide confidential peer support meetings and community for LGBTQ+ people, their parents, families, and friends.
- Education: resources and programs that help families and communities understand and affirm LGBTQ+ loved ones.
- Advocacy: advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and inclusive policies at local, state, and national levels.
History
PFLAG grew out of a mother's love for her gay son. In 1972, Jeanne Manford published a letter in the New York Post expressing outrage over violence against her son Morty, then marched with him in that year's Christopher Street Liberation Day March; the response inspired the first support group meeting nine months later, in 1973. After a first national meeting of chapter representatives in Washington, DC in 1979, members voted to launch a national organization: PFLAG National was established in Los Angeles in 1981 under founding president Adele Starr and incorporated in California as a nonprofit in 1982. The national office moved to Denver in 1987 and then to Washington, DC in 1990. The organization added "Families" to its name in 1993, expanded its mission to include transgender people in 1998, and officially shortened its name to simply PFLAG in 2014. PFLAG celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023.
Scale and impact
PFLAG reports a network of over 360 chapters and more than 550,000 members and supporters across the country.
Financials
PFLAG Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 95-3750694) based in Washington, DC. According to ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, for fiscal year 2025 it reported total revenue of 5,258,727 dollars, total expenses of 6,636,934 dollars, and total assets of 5,490,924 dollars, with contributions making up about 89 percent of revenue.
