Organization supporting LGBTQ+ community comes to Cullman

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13 NEWS AT FOUR STARTS NOW. A NEW GROUP HOPING TO REACH THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY IN A VERY CONSERVATIVE AREA OF THE STATE. THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. I’M BRITTANY DECKER AND I’M JARVIS ROBERTSON. NOW THE ORGANIZATION PFLAG IS EXPANDING TO CULLMAN. THEY’RE PLANNING TO OFFICIALLY LAUNCH AT THE NORTH ALABAMA AGRIPLEX TOMORROW. NOW, THIS WOULD BE A CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT SUPPORTS, EDUCATES, AND ADVOCATES FOR THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY AND THEIR FAMILIES. WVTM 13 LISA CRANE HAS MORE FOR LANCE KHAN. SUPPORTING MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY IS A MISSION HE FEELS STRONGLY ABOUT, AND HE BELIEVES CULLMAN IS THE PERFECT PLACE FOR HIM TO DO THAT. I DO IDENTIFY AS PART OF THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY. I GREW UP HERE. I KNEW WHAT IT WAS KIND OF LIKE TO BE TEASED, AND SO FOR MYSELF, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT OTHER PEOPLE COULD FIND THE SUPPORT WHEN THEY NEEDED IT. SARA FOSTER IS ON BOARD AS WELL. SHE SAYS AS A PARENT, SHE KNOWS ABOUT THE COMPLEX ISSUES THAT ARISE WHEN A CHILD IS STRUGGLING WITH THEIR IDENTITY. I WAS JUST TRYING TO BE VERY SENSITIVE TO FOR HOW WE WERE GOING TO HANDLE IT, FOR HOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS GOING TO BE BEST FOR OUR CHILD AND WHATNOT. IT JUST REALLY WAS DIFFICULT AT FIRST. SHE’S HOPING SHE CAN HELP OTHER PARENTS IN THE SAME SITUATION. THEY WANT PFLAG CULLMAN TO BE A STABLE RESOURCE FOR MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY, A COMMUNITY THEY SAY IS PROBABLY MUCH LARGER IN CULLMAN THAN MOST PEOPLE REALIZE. THEY EXIST. THEY’RE HERE. IT’S THEY’RE NOT NEW TO THE AREA LIKE WE ARE. THEY’RE NOT MOVING IN. THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED HERE FOREVER, WHO HAVE FAMILY, WHO HAVE LIVED HERE FOREVER. AND THEY’RE JUST VERY DISCREET AND QUIET AND NERVOUS. HEATH LED CULLMAN WILL START MONTHLY SUPPORT MEETINGS HERE IN FEBRUARY. NOW, RIGHT NOW, THEY’RE NOT PUBLICLY ANNOUNCING WHERE THEY’RE GOING TO HOLD THOSE MEETINGS OUT OF CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY, SECURITY AND PRIVACY. IN CULLMAN, LISA CRANE, WVTM 13. SO, ACCORDING TO ITS WEBSITE, PFLAG HAS HUNDREDS OF CHAPTERS ACROSS THE U.S. THAT MEET AND GREET. IN COLEMAN IS TOMORROW AGAIN FROM 1 TO 4 AT THE NORTH ALABAMA

Organization supporting LGBTQ+ community comes to Cullman

A new group hoping to reach the LGBTQ+ community in a very conservative area of the state. The organization "PFLAG" is expanding to Cullman. They're planning to officially launch at the North Alabama Agriplex tomorrow. This would be a chapter of a national organization that supports, educates and advocates for the LGBTQ+ community and their families. For Lance Conn, supporting members of the LGBTQ+ community is a mission he feels strongly about. And he believes Cullman is the perfect place for him to do that. Conn said, “I do identify as part of the LGBTQ community. I grew up here and knew what it was kind of like to be teased. And so, for myself, I wanted to make sure that other people could find the support when they needed it.”Sarah Foster is on board as well. She said as a parent, she knows about the complex issues that arise when a child is struggling with their identity. Foster said, “I was just trying to be very sensitive to for how we were going to handle it for how, you know, what was going to be best for a child, and whatnot. It just really, it was difficult at first.” She's hoping she can help other parents in the same situation. Foster and Conn want PFLAG Cullman to be a stable resource for members of the LGBTQ+ community. A community they said is probably much larger in Cullman than most people realize. Foster said, “They exist. They're here. It's they're not new to the area like we are. They're not moving. And these are people who have lived here forever, who have family who've lived here forever. And they're just very discreet and quiet and nervous.”PFLAG Cullman will start monthly support meetings in February. At this point they're not publicly announcing where they'll be held out a concern about security, safety and privacy issues. The "Meet and Greet" is Saturday from 1 till 4 o’clock at the North Alabama Agriplex. Click here for more information about PFLAG Cullman.

CULLMAN, Ala. —

For Lance Conn, supporting members of the LGBTQ+ community is a mission he feels strongly about. And he believes Cullman is the perfect place for him to do that. Conn said, “I do identify as part of the LGBTQ community. I grew up here and knew what it was kind of like to be teased. And so, for myself, I wanted to make sure that other people could find the support when they needed it.”

Sarah Foster is on board as well. She said as a parent, she knows about the complex issues that arise when a child is struggling with their identity. Foster said, “I was just trying to be very sensitive to for how we were going to handle it for how, you know, what was going to be best for a child, and whatnot. It just really, it was difficult at first.” She's hoping she can help other parents in the same situation.

Foster and Conn want PFLAG Cullman to be a stable resource for members of the LGBTQ+ community. A community they said is probably much larger in Cullman than most people realize. Foster said, “They exist. They're here. It's they're not new to the area like we are. They're not moving. And these are people who have lived here forever, who have family who've lived here forever. And they're just very discreet and quiet and nervous.”

PFLAG Cullman will start monthly support meetings in February. At this point they're not publicly announcing where they'll be held out a concern about security, safety and privacy issues.

The "Meet and Greet" is Saturday from 1 till 4 o’clock at the North Alabama Agriplex. Click here for more information about PFLAG Cullman.

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