At first glance, this year’s annual meeting may have seemed like nothing special. We elected new board members, thanked two outgoing directors for their service, hosted a guest speaker and held our customary Support Circles.
Look below the surface, however, and you’ll realize that where this meeting was held is what mattered, both as a return to a familiar venue and for the promise that it symbolizes. The nondescript meeting room at the historic First United Methodist Church is home–where we held our chapter meetings before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
After three years of online meetings and events, we held our first in-person meeting in February 2024 and then gradually made them a regular monthly thing. We had to scramble, though, and we held those chapter meetings in three different locations around the city. Finally, an opportunity arose to return to our home in southwest Portland – and we seized it. The space is no longer free; we must pay a custodial fee each time we use it.
Still, the annual meeting in Room 202 was the first gathering we’d had in that space in more than five years.
Certainly, we appreciate the ample off-street parking and convenient location near a MAX station. But knowing that we have this familiar space once again gives us stability and the confidence to plan new and exciting programs as we tap into the skills and interests of all in our PFLAG Portland community.
Room 202 will be our home for chapter meetings on the 4th Saturday of each month. The nearby Fireside Room, a big, cozy space with a warm vibe, is where we will hold our Holigays Party on December 13th.
A few words about the church. First United Methodist is the city’s oldest congregation, started in 1848, three years before Portland was founded, and has been at its current location in the Goose Hollow neighborhood since 1979.
In 1993, it was among the first churches to become “reconciling congregations” committed to working toward full participation of all races, abilities, classes and ages, and welcoming LGBTQ members.
The following year, the church opened the Goose Hollow Family Shelter, providing private sleeping spaces and other services to unhoused people. Also, First Methodist members and clergy have marched in the annual Portland Pride Parade for years. (Fist bump!)
This year has been a challenge under the new administration. Executive orders and court rulings have added barriers and stress to the lives of transgender people, and Republican-led states continue to propose new laws to make things even harder.
But opposition to the administration is building steadily, judging by the attendance at massive No Kings rallies across the country and public opinion polls.
We can’t control what happens from day to day, but we can do what we’ve always done since PFLAG Portland was founded in 1982. And that is to be an unwavering source of support for all in our community of LGBTQ+ individuals and those who love them. We aren’t going away. We recommit ourselves to support, education and advocacy.
With an infusion of new volunteers and board members, we are already diving into the work that lies ahead in 2026. We will be looking at fundraising events to support GSA mini-grant and scholarship programs; expanding our collaborative efforts with community partners; and building upon an excellent lineup of guest speakers.
As one year ends, we will take time to celebrate each other at the “holigays.” And as another year begins, we will prepare for it with resolve, with renewed commitment to our values and our work, and with open hearts for all those who enter our space at First United Methodist.
With gratitude,
George Rede
PFLAG Portland