When Susie Shepherd came out to her parents Bill and Ann Shepherd in the early ‘70s, none of them knew it would be the beginning of a lifelong commitment to the battle for equality for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Bill and Ann, with another couple, Chuck and Rita Knapp, co-founded Parents of Gays – POG – which later became the parents’ support group we now know as PFLAG Portland, and Susie went on to serve on the chapter’s board of directors during one of the many times when Oregon was a battleground over gay rights.
Fast forward 40+ years to February 24, 2024: a cozy meeting room where Susie Shepherd captivated a Fourth Saturday Support Circle audience with memories of those revolutionary times.
As guest speaker, Susie showed a short documentary video (“A Life’s Work”) about her parents’ efforts to start a support group, then took questions from the audience of about 30 people at Multnomah Arts Center in southwest Portland.
One touching moment came when Bill was asked on camera what he thought when Susie told him she was gay.
“I sat there and didn’t know what to make of it. I didn’t know beans about lesbians,” he said. “I took a look at her. She was the same girl sitting there a moment ago. It’s still Susan. No change in her.”
Bill Shepherd died in 1995 and Ann in 2003, leaving a legacy of advocacy for future generations to aspire to.
Susie, one of the couple’s five children, has been married for 33 years and is winding down a long career as a domestic relations legal assistant in Portland.
This was PFLAG Portland’s first in-person general meeting since the pandemic forced the chapter to bring together people on Zoom. Attendees loved it, calling the experience “magical” and “fabulous” – even “humbling.”
The Portland chapter is considering holding more of these in-person programs. Did you attend this one? What did you think? Would you be likely to attend future in-person Support Circle meetings and social events? Which topics would you like to see addressed? Write to us at supportcircles@pflagpdx.org.