Last Updated on January 7, 2024 by Kittredge Cherry
Jeanne Manford loved her gay son so much that she founded PFLAG, the first and now the largest organization for LGBTQ people and their parents, families, and allies. She died on Jan. 8, 2013 at age 92.
Her son, the late Morty Manford, was beaten during a gay rights protest in April 1972. She responded by writing a letter to the New York Post stating, “I have a homosexual son, and I love him.” A couple months later she and her son marched in New York’s Christopher Street Liberation Day Parade. These actions and the support she received led to the founding of PFLAG in 1973.
Formerly PFLAG was an acronym for Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. The organization officially changed its name to just plain PFLAG in 2014 to reflect decades to reflect decades of work in the whole LGBTQI+ community.
PFLAG has grown to more than 400 chapters with 200,000 members, and Jeanne Manford is an inspiration to many. President Obama talked about her in his 2009 speech to the Human Rights Campaign National Dinner in 2009.
Thank you, Jeanne, for your courage and your love! You are counted among the LGBTQ saints for the huge positive impact that you had on queer people and straight allies everywhere.
Prayers
Q Spirit’s Litany of Queer Saints includes this line:
Saints Jeanne Manford and Adele Starr, mothers of gay sons and co-founders of PFLAG, thank you for the healing power of your great love!
Woman holds “In honor of Jeanne Manford” sign at San Francisco Pride 2013. Photo by Quinn Dombrowski (Wikimedia Commons)
Links related to allies, spouses and parents of LGBTQ people
Patron saints for straight allies of LGBTQ people: Adele Starr of PFLAG and others (Q Spirit)
Desmond Tutu: Anti-apartheid Archbishop who stood for LGBTQ equality (Q Spirit)
Tribute to Mrs. Edith Allen (Mom) Perry, mother of MCC founder Rev. Troy Perry and thousands of people in Metropolitan Community Churches (revtroyperry.org)
Casey and Mary Ellen Lopata, co-founders of the LGBTQ Catholic group Fortunate Families (LGBT Religious Archives)
Books related to allies, spouses and parents of LGBTQ people
“Holding On to Hope: Help for Friends and Family of Transgender People” by Suzanne DeWitt Hall and Declan DeWitt Hall, 2022.
“Blessed Parents: Experiences of Catholic Parents with Lesbian and Gay Children” by Jeannine Gramick and Francis DeBernardo (editors), 2021.
Straight Parents, Gay Children: Keeping Families Together
“Always My Child: A Parent’s Guide to Understanding Your Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, or Questioning Son or Daughter” by Kevin Jennings with Pat Shapiro
“Beyond Acceptance: Parents of Lesbians and Gays Talk About Their Experiences” by Carolyn W. Griffin
The Other Side of the Closet: The Coming-Out Crisis for Straight Spouses and Families, Revised and Expanded Edition
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Top image credit: Jeanne Manford in 1993 with a photo of her son Morty
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This post is part of the LGBTQ Saints series by Kittredge Cherry. Traditional and alternative saints, people in the Bible, LGBTQ martyrs, authors, theologians, religious leaders, artists, deities and other figures of special interest to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people and our allies are covered.
This article was originally published on Q Spirit in January 2017, was expanded with new material over time an most recently updated on Jan. 7, 2024.
Copyright © Kittredge Cherry. All rights reserved.
Qspirit.net presents the Jesus in Love Blog on LGBTQ spirituality.
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Thank you, Saint Jeanne, for the healing power of your great love!!