Brody's Notes... PFLAG Opens Bi-Annual Conference With Speech By Dr. Jill Biden

Dr. Jill Biden
White House Photo By Pete Souza

By Brody Levesque | ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA -- PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) opened its bi-annual National Convention today at the Westin Hotel here with a speech delivered by Dr. Jill Biden, wife of U. S. Vice-President Joe Biden. Dr. Biden, an educator, told the appreciative crowd of attendees, "As a teacher and a mom, I know what Jeanne Manford knew- that there is a direct connection between acceptance and positive, healthy outcomes in every important area of life, including education, mental health, and physical health." The Second Lady referring to the organisation's founding 'parent' Jeanne Manford, who founded the organisation in March of 1973, several months after she had marched with her gay son in New York's 1972 Pride Day parade.

Dr. Biden spoke about her experience telling the assembled parents, supporters, and allies;

"I've been a teacher for longer than I care to admit...I've taught as a reading specialist in public high schools and I've tutored at-risk teens at a psychiatric hospital in Delaware. I believe the greatest accomplishment of any teacher is not instructing students how to read or how to understand biology, but giving them the confidence to do the work. Instilling that belief in themselves is the key - not only for learning in the classroom, but for succeeding in life.

We all know that self-confidence can be a challenge for youth and adolescents - even under the best of circumstances. These are the years when all kids are trying to figure out who they are and who they hope to be. For children who are struggling with understanding their sexual orientation or gender identity, the teen years can be particularly challenging. And, of course, kids are not always kind to each other during these times, especially when one of them is different."

In an interview with LGBTQNation, Liz Owen, PFLAG's National Director of Communications said that this year's conference theme- Bringing the Message Home: From Our House to the White House- was sending Washington politicians the message that PFLAG's membership was a force to be reckoned with.

"Nothing is more powerful," Owen said, "than a parent rising to defend their child." Owen noted that Thursday was devoted to active advocacy by conference attendees, who spent the day on Capitol Hill lobbying members of Congress as well as meeting with congressional aides and staffers. She added wryly, "It's hard to say 'no' to a parent."

Dubbed 'National Lobby Day,' by the organisation, it represents the principal focus of PFLAG  this year to advance two pending legislative measures, The Safe Schools Improvement Act and the student Non-Discrimination Act. Owen pointed out that PFLAG is very much on the Front Lines of the national anti-bullying effort. "Our strength is the local chapters and the hard work they put into their schools and their communities to provide a safe place for their kids," she said.

"As we enter our 40th year of service to the LGBT community, PFLAG recognises that its role as the original ally organisation is becoming increasingly important to the national discussion around LGBT equality," PFLAG's National Executive Director Jody Huckaby said.

In her speech, Mrs. Biden noted:

"We have all heard painful stories of bullying and harassment. And we have read too many accounts of heartbreaking incidents where kids are driven to take their own lives rather than endure the taunting of their peers. No child should be subjected to that. And no parent should suffer that horrific loss.
We know the devastating price of the failure to confront a hostile school climate where bullying and harassment can be daily occurrences.
Together, we all need to stand up and do our part to keep all of our kids safe, and give them the love, support and acceptance they need to learn and grow and fulfill their dreams.
I'm proud of the progress the Obama Administration has made in the last two years for the LGBT community - including the signing of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. The White House also held a Conference on Bullying Prevention, and the Department of Education has held summits on this issue as well, and issued guidance to help combat bullying in schools and support Gay Straight Alliances.
This progress is important, but there is still more to do. At this critical time for education in our country, we need to ensure that our schools are producing the next generation of American leaders and heroes.
We must insure that our classrooms are safer for all students to learn, grow, and thrive.
I want to say to each of you here today: thank you for raising your voice and working together to open minds, shift attitudes and support all of our sons and daughters, students and neighbors.
Some of you come from places where yours is the only voice of support and acceptance - but when you speak, people listen. And we need you to keep speaking out, to keep shining a light on this important issue."

This year the organisation will institute a new award named after actress and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres' mother Betty. The Betty DeGeneres Advocate Award's first recipient, Betty DeGeneres, will accept the award during a special presentation at the PFLAG conference's formal dinner on Saturday evening. The conference is scheduled to run until Sunday afternoon.