PFLAG Albuquerque’s annual membership drive for 2008 -2009 is winding down. Many current and prior members have renewed their memberships. However, many have not. Despite new members joining this year, it looks like our membership will decrease for the first time in a long time. PFLAG is a leader in the Albuquerque GLBTQ community because of our dedicated members and their support. We need you to meet the challenges of our chapter in the upcoming year. If you have not mailed your membership, bring it to the meeting.

2008, Tuesday November 18. PFLAG hosted the annual general meeting for our members, friends and allies. As in the past, it was a potluck dinner with members providing the food. In addition to voting for our 2008-2009 Board of Directors, the evening included a general discussion of the chapter’s activities for the last year and its future direction. Members were asked for their comments on the chapter’s performance and their recommendations for our future endeavors.

2008, Tuesday October 21. Following our support session), PFLAG screened the video "Overruled" -- which marked the 5th Anniversary of Lawrence v. Texas, Lambda Legal's landmark U.S. Supreme Court victory that struck down all remaining state sodomy laws. A discussion of the film and its impact on our community followed.

2008, September. The September PFLAG Mountain West regional was the largest regional conferences in the country. Participants came from as far away as El Paso, TX, and Omaha, NE, as well as from the five state region: Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and Colorado. New Mexico had the second biggest contingent (after Colorado) This intergenerational conference, with special efforts made to include high school and college students, brought together nearly 200 people to share their experience, learn new skills and become more inspired to continue the work toward equality.

2008, Tuesday September 16th. Justin Tanis from the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE, based in Washington DC) spoke about NCTE and also discussed transgender and spirituality. Justin has worked in the LGBT non-profit field for over 20 years as a community organizer, manager, educator and program specialist.

2008, Tuesday August 19. Closet Cinema, producer of the Southwest Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, will present. CLOSET CINEMA is dedicated to showcasing queer cinema in an attempt to highlight the richness of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender experience.

September 5--21. New Mexico State Fair: The GLBTQ community is hosting our community booth at the New Mexico State Fair daily from. This annual project provides our community a unique opportunity to educate, support, and make others aware of “Who We Are”. Please volunteer to host at the booth by signing up at the EQNM web site: www.eqnm.org.

2008, Tuesday July 15. Miriam Friedland spoke on estate planning for the GLBT community. We learned some of the techniques used to protect same-sex partners and avoid legal conflict just when love and support matter the most. [Miriam Friedland is an attorney with Jay Goodman and Associates. She is president of New Mexico's Lesbian and Gay Bar Association.]

2008,Tuesday June 17. "TG or not TG." Sheila Mink spoke about the term "transgender," those who use it, and those who choose to lose it. (Society sometimes feels that those who are different need to be given a label. Those being labeled might not agree with the choice!)

2008, Tuesday May 20. We held our 3rd annual Families and Friends Night.  Members from LGBTQ organizations in Albuquerque were invited to a pot luck dinner with food provided by PFLAG members. It has proven to be a fun evening with everyone sharing great food and great conversation.  All participants met some wonderful people and learned what's happening within our community.

2008,Tuesday April 15. Brian Brown of New Mexico Aids Services (NMAS) spoke.  Brian gave an overview of New Mexico AIDS Services -- what is being done in New Mexico to provide community service and support to AIDS patients as well as prevention and education. It may not make the headlines with everything that's happening within our LGBTQ community but AIDS is still with us. We need to remember that and help where we can. MPOWER members (an NMAS program) joined us again.

2008, Tuesday, March 18. Equality New Mexico (EQNM) reviewed political gains and losses during the 2008 legislative session, and discussed possibilities for 2008 (legislative races this fall) and the 2009 "long" session. We are heartened to hear that there is bi-partisan support for our issues. http://www.eqnm.org/

2008, Tuesday, February 19. Cooper Lee Bombardier, coordinator of the New Mexico Gay Straight Alliance Network, told of the activities and plans of the NMGSA Network. Part of the Santa Fe Mountain Center, the NM Gay Straight Alliance Network is a youth-led organization that connects school-based Gay Straight Alliances (GSAs) to each other and community resources. Through peer support, leadership development, and training, GSA Network helps young people to create safe environments in schools where students can support each other, learn about homophobia and other oppressions, educate the school community about homophobia, gender identity, and sexual orientation issues, and fight discrimination, harassment and violence in schools.

2008, Tuesday, January 15. Just before the start of the New Mexico state legislature's "short" session (30 days), we discussed how our members, as interested individuals, could help advance PFLAG's mission at the state level. Equality New Mexico (EQNM) assisted with information on specific issues which is to be considered by this year's Legislature.