It’s been a decade, and you can bet many can still hear his cry for help as he was beaten to death–for being a homosexual. Utterly deplorable–thinking of the fact that some people out there would look down on, demean, even kill anyone because of their sexual orientation. That’s why there’s one particular group out there that unites parents, families, and friends to one unified cause: peace and understanding, a defense of the unalienable rights of the homosexual.
The group is known as PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), a national nonprofit organization, 200,000 members and supporters strong with over 500 affiliates in the U.S. alone and located in Washington D.C. Their mission is to help, nothing more. Like saviors of those who get backed into a wall, PFLAG is there to provide education, support, and advocacy of civil rights. Basically, if you’re a homosexual and you’re being treated unfairly by anyone, PFLAG is the place to go. The organization began in 1972 when Jeanne Manford marched with her homosexual son during New York’s Pride Day parade. With the spirit of a Martin Luther King Jr. march down the street, many other homosexuals followed, asking for her support as well–so she decided to start the support group that would be later called PFLAG. About twenty people attended the first meeting in 1973 at a local church.
There’s a lot of history behind all of that. The memory of Matthew Shepard is already a part of it. Remember this while you are online playing video games or gaming at an online casino: if you’re dealing with pain and suffering because of your sexual orientation, remember Matthew–and hold in your mind the name PFLAG. It may save your life in more ways than you can count.