PFLAG (pronounced “P-flag”) stands for Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, and is a registered 501(c) nonprofit organization. There are over 500 local PFLAG chapters across the country and around the world, totalling over 200,000 members.
Our mission is to promote the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer or questioning individuals, as well as their families, friends and allies. We do this through support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights. We seek to provide opportunities for dialogue about sexual orientation and gender identity, and to act to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity.
Additional information about PFLAG’s history, vision, structure and more can be found on the About page of the National PFLAG website.
Jersey Shore PFLAG Chapter
Jersey Shore PFLAG was formed in 2004 and serves Monmouth and Ocean counties in New Jersey. Our main role in the community is hosting three monthly support meetings (2 for all LGBT topics and 1 exclusively for transgender topics) that provide comfort, information and discussion about LGBT issues in a safe, confidential and nonjudgmental environment. We have helped countless parents who were struggling to accept their child after they came out as gay, LGBT teens who were being harassed in school because of their sexuality, transgender people who were struggling with their transitioning process, and LGBT individuals and their loved ones in many other situations. If you or someone you know is in a situation similar to these, we urge you to join us at a support meeting.
We also sponsor a number of other special events throughout the year. Past events have included things like panel discussions for parents of LGBT youth at local libraries, involvement in LGBT awareness training seminars for schools and workplaces, sponsorship of social and cultural events like LGBT youth dances and the NJ Gay Men’s Chorus, and much more. The Upcoming Events page has a full list of special events we are currently planning.
We have provided a set of FAQs on our Support Meetings page to address some of the most frequently asked questions about Jersey Shore PFLAG.
Welcome to Jersey Shore PFLAG!
Jersey Shore PFLAG is a community organization that provides support, education and advocacy for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals and their family and friends in Monmouth and Ocean counties in New Jersey. Our main activity is hosting monthly support meetings that provide comfort, information and discussion about LGBT issues, and we also sponsor a number of other special events throughout the year. If you or someone you know is gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, please visit the Support Meetings page to find out more information about when and where we meet. We hope to see you soon!
Next Support Meetings
We host 3 support meetings for LGBT individuals and their families and friends every month. Our Monmouth County support group in Shrewsbury meets the 2nd Monday of each month, and our Ocean County support group in Toms River meets the 2nd Wednesday of each month. We also have a support group just for transgender/transfamily issues in Shrewsbury, which meets the 3rd Monday of each month. All meetings start at 7:00 pm. For location, details and directions, visit the Support Meetings page. We encourage you to call us at 908-814-2155 before attending your first PFLAG support group so we can direct you to the meeting that will be best for your needs and answer any questions you may have about attending.
