PFLAG Franklin-Hampshire Chapter

Support, education and advocacy for the LGBTQIA+ community and those who love us.

Welcome to our Chapter!

We are so glad you're here! Learn more about our chapter, our services, how to connect with us, how to donate, and more below!

About our local PFLAG Franklin-Hampshire Chapter

Our chapter history:

In 2008, a small circle of families in Western MA saw the need for a group to provide advocacy, education and support for their own LGBTQIA+ children and started to meet in Ashfield, MA.

The group learned to support each other concerning LGBTQIA+ issues, and quickly became Franklin-Hampshire Chapter, an official 501(c)(3) chapter of PFLAG National.

We started participating in parades, rallies and setting up educational tables at events throughout the Pioneer Valley. After some years in Ashfield, the group also expanded meetings into Northampton, where we grew our membership, and eventually made Northampton our chapter's home where we remain today.

As membership grew, in addition to the support we offer at our PFLAG meetings, we recognized a particular and additional need for families with transgender/non-binary children and our sister group, TransForming Parents, was formed in 2012, to provide space for families of trans/NB children of all ages. Learn how to connect with them here.

In 2014, our chapter created the Eric Collins Memorial Award, as a way to honor our LGBTQIA+ youth. Learn more about the story of this award and how to nominate someone here.

In 2015, we added our guest speaker program to our monthly support groups. This popular addition to our programming connects us with a wide variety of local organizations, service providers, professionals, and representatives of our LGBTQIA+ community.

Tabling at community events, conferences, conventions and Pride celebrations, as well as attending Transgender Day of Remembrance vigils and ceremonies, we maintain an active community presence, meanwhile managing our database and publishing our newsletter, responding to frequent requests for resources and advice, and making referrals to our community collaborators. Our advocacy has included participating in lobbying efforts to protect LGBTQIA+ rights, locally and at the State level, particularly fighting discrimination against our transgender community.

In 2020, in response to the pandemic, we pivoted from in-person meetings to virtual meetings, allowing us to continue to provide vital support to our members.

In 2021, we added a virtual monthly video/discussion group, for the purposes of increasing our knowledge about relevant and important queer and trans/NB issues.

In 2023, due to a successful fundraising initiative, we increased our Eric Collins Memorial Award amount from $250 to $500. Learn more here!

From our origin of a small group of people informally gathering together, to our active and vibrant chapter of today, we have seen lots of growth and evolution. Now more than ever, PFLAG Franklin-Hampshire Chapter remains committed to our three core principals of advocacy, education and support for LGBTQIA+ people and those who love us.

About PFLAG National

The idea for PFLAG began in 1972 when Jeanne Manford marched alongside her gay son, Morty, in New York's Christopher Street Liberation Day March, the precursor to today's Pride parade. After many gay and lesbian people ran up to Jeanne during the parade and begged her to talk to their parents, she decided to begin a support group. The first formal meeting took place on March 11, 1973 at the Metropolitan-Duane Methodist Church in Greenwich Village (now the Church of the Village). Approximately 20 people attended.

PFLAG is the first and largest organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, (LGBTQIA+) people, their parents and families, and allies. With nearly 400 chapters and 250,000 members and supporters crossing multiple generations of families in major urban centers, small cities, and rural areas across America, PFLAG is committed to creating a world where diversity is celebrated and all people are respected, valued, and affirmed.

For more details about PFLAG's history, click here.

PFLAG National has a wealth of material available for LGBTQIA+ people, parents and families, friends and allies. We encourage you to check out their website and look around at the wealth of resources you will find there!

Contact and Meeting Information

Contact us:

Phone: (413) 758-0124

Email: fhcPFLAG@gmail.com

Mailing address: