Recent HistoryPFLAG began as Parents and Friends of Gays (PFOG), a project of Metro East Gays and Straights (MEGS). MEGS is under the non-profit organization, Coalition for Economic and Social Justice (CESJ). In 2007 several St. Paul members and others from outside the church were led by a St. Paul member, an organizer of MEGS, to consider establishing a Gay Pride event in Belleville. In 2008 MEGS organized the first annual Gay Pride event - it was spectacularly successful. The MEGS booth at the event had a signup sheet, requesting the names of persons interested in starting a PFLAG chapter in Belleville. Among those interested in starting a chapter were Steve and Teresa Schmidt whose son had recently come out to them as being gay. Steve was a St. Paul member. |
Teresa Schmidt, Rose and Steve Schmidt
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| A meeting was held at the Schmidt's home in December of 2008 and was attended by a cross-section of people from the Belleville community who were interested in starting a PFLAG chapter. With the leadership of the Schmidt's and the involvement of the Belleville gay community there was significant momentum behind the establishment of a PFLAG chapter in Belleville. | |
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Carol, Terry and Bill
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Paul and Sue
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| In January 2009 the group started meeting as PFOG. In part the success of this group as compared with "Always Family", formed earlier, was due to the involvement of many people outside of St. Paul church. As an example a student at Belleville East High School attended our meetings and brought diversity to our group. From Scott AFB Major Mark Binkowski attended, he was dedicated to the inclusion of all of God's children in all aspects of life. Major Binkowski volunteered to write the By-Laws for the new PFLAG chapter. In a February 17, 2010 email Teresa Schmidt sent the following tragic news: |
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| "It is with great sadness that I read today of Mark's death as a result of pancreatic cancer. There is an obituary in the Belleville News Democrat that gives due testimony to the wonderful servant Mark was for so many people. Mark generously donated time and talent to the formation of our proposed by laws for PFLAG. When I stated I had absolutely no idea how to go about developing by laws Mark took over the problem for me and all the other members of PFOG. He has played a vital part to our becoming a PFLAG chapter and for that I am forever grateful. We are so fortunate to have had Mark in our lives if only for such a brief time. His dedication to the mission of PFOG/PFLAG will have a tremendous impact upon many of us now and many more in the future. He was truly a friend to the LGBT community. His daughter ... has followed her father's example in also volunteering time and talent towards the acceptance of diversity within our community." | |
