November - PFLAG Brisbane

Transcription

November - PFLAG Brisbane
PFLAG Brisbane
Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Newsletter October/November 2011
Welcome
Our last meeting was enriched by the
practical and enlightening Rev. Matt Glover.
Matt’s down to earth chat with us resonated
with many people. For many families
reconciling faith and homosexuality is a
challenging one and Matt’s idea of a pastoral
response by the church is included in this
newsletter.
As we go to print we are unsure of the Labor
Party’s final conference agenda but same
sex marriage will hopefully be a hot topic of
discussion and we watch with anticipation at
what could be the beginning of an exciting
time in Australian human rights policy, and the
opportunity of equality for our gay sons and
daughters who wish to legally marry.
I hope you enjoy this edition of our
newsletter and please remember our AGM on
the 26th November.
Cheers Pip :-)
Report From Shelley
Queen Elizabeth’s Visit
I was very surprised to receive an invitation to
attend the official reception for the Queen and
Prince Phillip in the mail a few weeks ago. My
son James was also invited as my partner and
so I decided this had to be a must do.
I am not particularly a ‘royalist’ but saw it as a
form of recognition of the work I do. I am
guessing that I got the invite because I am until
November 20th, Queensland’s Senior
Australian.
It was also a great opportunity to talk with MP’s
and Senators that I would have to formally
request a meeting and receive a possible knock
back. I chatted with among others, Malcolm
Turnbull, Julie Bishop and Senator Gary Gray
from WA, Craig Kelly from Gladstone electorate
and many of the Greens Senators.
The night was very well done and it was great
to see that the majority of people in the room
were from community organisations. So I was
very pleased I went, furthermore it was nice to
be there and not be racing from one office to
the other for meetings.
Civil partnerships
Senator Sarah Hansen - Young, Paul Thomas,
Shelley and Senator Bob Brown photographed in
the Great Hall at Parliament House recently at the
occasion of the Queen’s visit.
I was in Parliament on 24th October when Andrew Fraser’s Private Members Bill was introduced into Queensland. This Bill aims to introduce a civil partnership or union for same sex
couples. I felt our State and this country have
come a long way since James first came out in
1995. I feel as if marriage will become a reality
for our sons and daughters within the next few
years.
I felt quite overwhelmed as I sat in the gallery,
thinking of just how far we have come on rights
for our sons and daughters in a relatively short
time. It won’t be long and our sons and daughters will be seen as equal in this country.
Shelley Argent
PFLAG Brisbane - Keeping Families Together www.pflagbrisbane.org.au
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Aims :: PFLAG Brisbane - Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Aims :: PFLAG Brisbane - Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
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Aims :: PFLAG Brisbane - Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
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Prime Minister Julia
Gillard is
reportedly set to
allow a conscience
vote on the issue of same sex marriage in
Parliament. Disappointingly, (for us) this will
now probably occur after the Labor Party
National Conference later this year. We would
prefer that this vote be held before the
conference, in order that healthy and
transparent debate be undertaken at the
conference, potentially leading the way for
debate and legislation change in the Federal
Parliament. The issue of same sex marriage
may now not make it to the main agenda of
the conference.
PFLAG’s Shelley Argent has paid to be an
observer at the conference.
In recent years the National Conference has
been held concurrently with a progressive
Fringe program.
Labor affiliated networks, progressive
organisations and charities are able to run a
series of events aimed at promoting an
exchange of ideas about some of the nation’s
most challenging policy debates.
In addition to attending the conference
Shelley will hold an official PFLAG fringe
event.
She will be accompanied by a father from
Tasmania who has a gay son and has been
a Labor Party member for forty years, and a
mother from Newcastle who has been in the
Labor Party for 10 years.
Joining them will be Jeff Thomas who is a
Vietnam veteran and ‘tradie’ and has
spoken publicly about gay rights on ABC
programmes Q&A and Compass.
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Aims :: PFLAG Brisbane - Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
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bane.org.au/aims/
w.pflagbrisbane.org.au/aims/
(1 of 2)31/01/2011
(1 of 2)31/01/2011
6:09:37 PM6:09:37 PM
http://www.pflagbrisbane.org.au/aims/
(1 of 2)31/01/2011 6:09:37 PM
http://www.pflagbrisbane.org.au/aims/
(1 of 2)31/01/2011 6:09:37 PM
ke people
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FLAG
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bane.org.au/aims/
w.pflagbrisbane.org.au/aims/
(1 of 2)31/01/2011
(1 of 2)31/01/2011
6:09:37 PM6:09:37 PM
http://www.pflagbrisbane.org.au/aims/ (1 of 2)31/01/2011 6:09:37 PM
http://www.pflagbrisbane.org.au/aims/ (1 of 2)31/01/2011 6:09:37 PM
bane
FLAG
- Parents
Brisbane
and
- Parents
Friendsand
of Lesbians
Friends of
and
Lesbians
Gays
and Gays
Aims :: PFLAG Brisbane - Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Aims :: PFLAG Brisbane - Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
bane
FLAG
- Parents
Brisbane
and
- Parents
Friendsand
of Lesbians
Friends of
and
Lesbians
Gays
and Gays
Aims :: PFLAG Brisbane - Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Our
ms Aims
Our Aims
ounderstanding
hasten understanding
and acceptance
and acceptance
by families
by families
Aims :: PFLAG Brisbane - Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Our Aims
●
Home●
●
Our Aims
●
Our Aims
●
Products
●
Products
& Services
& Services
To hasten understanding and acceptance by families
Home
To hasten understanding and acceptance by families
●
Home
●
Home
●
Our Aims
●
Our Aims
●
Products & Services
he
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motto ofBrisbane
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Our
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Aims & Events
●
Our Aims & Events
●
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●
Meetings
& Events
●
Meetings
ounderstanding
hasten understanding
and acceptance
and acceptance
by families
by families
To hasten understanding and acceptance by families
To hasten understanding and acceptance by families
●
Products
●
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& Services
●
Products
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●
Publications
●
Publications
& Multimedia
& Multimedia
●
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& Multimedia
he
of PFLAG
motto ofBrisbane
PFLAG Brisbane
is “keeping
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families united.”
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united.” PFLAG●
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●
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oiversity
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and
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●
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●
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●
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●
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●
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●
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ffer
tance.
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offer assistance.
offer assistance.
FLAG
lieves it
believes
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it is important
that mainstream
that mainstream
society understands
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effect homophobic
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outdated
believes
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has on the
that
gay
mainstream
communitysociety
in
understands the negative effect homophobic beliefs and outdated attitudes has on the gay community in
●
Meetings
Meetings
& Events& Events
●
Meetings
& Events
●
Links ●
●
Links
●
Links
eneral.
general.
general.
Publications
●
Publications
&
Multimedia
&
Multimedia
●
Publications
Multimedia
Membership
●
Membership
/ Donations
/ Donations
●
Membership &
/ Donations
Our
agemessage
is delivered
is delivered
through radio
through
interviews
radio interviews
(local, state
(local,
andstate
national),
and national),
newspaper
newspaper
articles and
articles
speaking
and speaking
to community
Our
to message
community
organisations
is organisations
delivered
on a variety
through
on a
of
radio
variety
topics
interviews
of topics(local,●state
and
national),
newspaper articles and speaking
Our
to message
community
is organisations
delivered through
on aradio
variety
interviews
of topics(local, state and
national),
newspaper articles and speaking to community organisations on a variety of topics
Projects
●
Projects
●
Projects
gducating
the general
the community
general community
Educating the general community
Educating the general community
●
Contact
●
Us
Contact
/ Worldwide
Us / Worldwide
●
Contact Us / Worldwide
elevant
the difficulties
to the difficulties
of being lesbian,
of beinggay,
lesbian,
bisexual
gay, or
bisexual
transgender.
or transgender.
relevant to the difficulties of being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
relevant to the difficulties of being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
●
Advocates
●
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●
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FLAG
lieves it
believes
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it is important
that mainstream
that mainstream
society understands
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bane.org.au/aims/
w.pflagbrisbane.org.au/aims/
(1 of 2)31/01/2011
(1 of 2)31/01/2011
6:09:37 PM6:09:37 PM
http://www.pflagbrisbane.org.au/aims/
(1 of 2)31/01/2011 6:09:37 PM
http://www.pflagbrisbane.org.au/aims/
(1 of 2)31/01/2011 6:09:37 PM
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w.pflagbrisbane.org.au/aims/
(1 of 2)31/01/2011
(1 of 2)31/01/2011
6:09:37 PM6:09:37 PM
http://www.pflagbrisbane.org.au/aims/ (1 of 2)31/01/2011 6:09:37 PM
http://www.pflagbrisbane.org.au/aims/ (1 of 2)31/01/2011 6:09:37 PM
Talking to Someone Who Really
Understands Makes it So Much Easier
Working through some of the deeper
emotional issues with having a gay or
lesbian son or daughter can be one of the
most painful and stressful experiences of
your life. Counselling is a highly effective way
of feeling better and also can assist in
keeping your family together. Centre for
Human Potential have been working with
parents of gays, lesbians and transgender
for over 15 years. Contact one of our friendly
psychologists to explore whether counselling
can be of real benefit to you and your family,
or simply call and book a time with one of us.
Phone: 3211 1117
Email: info@centreforhumanpotential.com.au
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connecting your senses
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Web Design and Hosting
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www.bigbuddaboom.com.au
PFLAG Brisbane - Keeping Families Together www.pflagbrisbane.org.au
Our last meeting was very well attended and
we were grateful for the contribution of Rev.
Matt Glover who joined us via teleconference
from Lilydale in Victoria.
Matt is Senior Pastor of Lilydale Baptist
Church and has been involved with the Gay
community for the last fifteen years.
The elderly are barred from
Matt is convinced that in every church there
moving into aged care with
is somebody who has
their life-long, same-sex partners
questioned their sexuality.
because their status as a
It’s his guess that even now,
couple is legally
The love of God,
most churches contain
unrecognized.
communicated
by
those
people that are questioning
from the faith community
their sexuality, but struggle in
Of course, those living with
that care for LGBT people,
private.
HIV/AIDS are treated as the
needs to be told and
“unclean” of our time.
displayed
It is an issue that touches
without fear.
many of us at one level
People in all of these
or another through family,
situations, both inside and
friends and work colleagues,
outside the Church, need to
and Matt
be loved and cared for by more than just the
believes it is important that an
LGBT community.
appropriate pastoral response be articulated
for the church.
All of them need to be free from the
oppression and anxiety that has been unfairly
A pastoral response to the LGBT community,
placed on them.
in some ways, will be no different to any other
group of people.
This is a pastoral response to homosexuality.
However, there are unique needs and
challenges that are quite foreign to
heterosexual people, but which gay people
must face all the time. The process of selfawareness leading to coming out, and then
exploring and accepting one’s orientation can
be a very lonely, traumatic and confusing time
for a LGBT person and a time where “travelling companions” are desperately needed.
Family members of LGBT people also face
their own “coming out” and must wrestle with
their feelings and responses to the news that
the orientation of someone they love is
different.
LGBT people from ethnic and religious
minorities, as well as the disabled, face
enormous obstacles.
Taken from A Pastoral Response to the Homosexuality in the
Church
Rev. Matt Glover Lilydale Baptist Church
October 2010
It was written as part of his theological studies and in response to the pain and suffering he has seen in his journey
with the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender)
community. The full article can be downloaded at
www.pflagbrisbane.org.au
FYI: QAHC’s faith site
http://www.qahc.org.au/faith links to www.
gaychurch.org which recommends the following 2 Brisbane churches and other
communities all of which can be found on
Facebook.
Metropolitan Community Church,
New Way Community Chapel,
LGBT’s: Praying out loud and proud
. QAHC also lists Muslim, Buddhist
and other support groups.
PFLAG Brisbane - Keeping Families Together www.pflagbrisbane.org.au
Christians 4 Equality - Religious
Leaders Speak Out
“When a couple want to be part of the
institution of marriage, when they fully accept
the same rights and responsibilities of marriage
and treat marriage with the respect it deserves,
why should they NOT get married? As a
Christian minister, I believe that marriage is
under threat from many angles, but also believe
that recognizing same-sex unions will help
return marriage to its rightful place in society.”
Rev Matt Glover (Baptist Minister, Melbourne)
“From a Christian point of view, marriage is an
institution designed to serve two social needs:
1. contribute broadly to social stability
2. provide a stable environment for the
nurturing of children.
If this is the case then the only questions
Christians need to concern themselves with
when it comes to the issue of gay marriage are
these two:
1. Would gay marriage lead to greater social
stability?
2. Would a married gay partnership be likely
to provide a more secure environment for the
nurturing of the children of a gay couple than an
unmarried one?
I think the answer to both these questions has
to be ‘yes’.”
Fr Dave Smith, (Anglican parish priest, Sydney)
“Today in Australia we all live in a secular non
discriminatory society. Churches and other
spiritual institutions exist within this society. It
seems to me that in a secular and non
discriminatory society gay couples should be
as free to marry as any other human couple.
If people wish to be married within a religious
or spiritual institution’s framework then they
should accept the rites and rules of that
institution. However it is the state that
legitimises all marriages.”
Rev Bill Crews (Uniting Church Minister,
Sydney)
“How can I, a heterosexual who’s been very
happily married for 50 years, tell anyone else
they don’t have the right to form a loving,
committed, lifelong union and enjoy the fruits
of marriage as I have done? Marriage is not a
club to be restricted to some. Like the
Gospel, it is a blessing to be shared.”
Rev Rowland Croucher (Baptist Minister,
Sydney)
Access to marriage, a public expression of
commitment and love, is an essential part
of being human and an inalienable right. As
Christians we need to support those who are
excluded and challenge those who through
exclusion dehumanise and discriminate. I
urge you to join the campaign to welcome our
GLBT friends to express their love and
commitment to each other through this
special rite.”
Rev Roger Munson (Uniting Church Minister,
Canberra)
www.christians4equality.com.au
PFLAG Brisbane - Keeping Families Together www.pflagbrisbane.org.au
Gays
Aims :: PFLAG Brisbane - Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Aims :: PFLAG Brisbane - Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Gays
Aims :: PFLAG Brisbane - Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Aims :: PFLAG Brisbane - Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Our Aims
elies
by families
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To hasten understanding and acceptance by families
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amilies
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by families
To hasten understanding and acceptance by families
To hasten understanding and acceptance by families
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amilies
ited.” PFLAG
united.”is
PFLAG
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relevant to the difficulties of being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
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he
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37 PM
http://www.pflagbrisbane.org.au/aims/
(1 of 2)31/01/2011 6:09:37 PM
http://www.pflagbrisbane.org.au/aims/
(1 of 2)31/01/2011 6:09:37 PM
26th
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37 PM
http://www.pflagbrisbane.org.au/aims/ (1 of 2)31/01/2011 6:09:37 PM
PFLAG Brisbane AGM 1.30 pm 30 Helen
St Newstead
December
1st
Get RED Gala Cocktail Party
Wednesday 1 December
Hotel Urban Brisbane
345 Wickham Terrace, Brisbane
From 7pm
Join hosts Camilla Severi from B105 and
David Graham in Getting RED this World
AIDS Day.
Bid on one-off pieces designed by a number
of Australia’s leading designers and fabulous auction items .
Tickets : $90 per ticket or buy 4 or more for
$70 per ticket Info: www.getred.com.au
be held on Saturday 26th November at
QAHC, 30 Helen St, Teneriffe at 1.30.p.m.
If you are interested in being on the
committee or would like to hold an official
World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day Information Stall
Wednesday 1 December
King George Square
From 9am to 7.30pm
Live Entertainment, information Stall with
display of vintage posters, red ribbons,
leaflets and people to talk to.
1st
http://www.pflagbrisbane.org.au/aims/ (1 of 2)31/01/2011 6:09:37 PM
position e.g. President, Secretary or
Treasurer etc., or would like to know more
about how PFLAG operates, please come
along.
You also may have some goals or projects
you would like PFLAG to undertake and be
part of.
If so, please come along and contribute to
our group.
Everyone is welcome at the AGM and the
meeting to follow.
PFLAG Brisbane - Keeping Families Together www.pflagbrisbane.org.au
Tsiolkas was
The Slap, was the 2009 winner of the
Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, and is a
plot-driven, unpretentious novel written by
Australian author Christos Tsiolkas.
The idea for the book came from a real life
incident in which Tsiolkas’ mother gave a
child a small smack at a family gathering.
Although the incident was not a contentious one for those involved, it stayed with
Tsiolkas and became, many years later, the
catalyst to pen the Aussie book he had always
wanted to write, and to highlight issues he had
grown up with as a Greek Australian.
The book comprises a set of eight vignettes told
from the perspectives of eight different adults
who were present at a suburban Melbourne
barbeque when a man slapped someone else’s
out of control four-year-old son. It’s a quietly
epic work that raises compelling and at times
unsettling questions about family, personal
identity, class, race and sexuality without
resembling a sociology text book in the
slightest.
born and grew up
in Melbourne. He
was educated at
Blackburn High
School and the
University of Melbourne where he completed
an Arts Degree in 1987. His first novel, Loaded (1995), was filmed as Head On (1998) by
director Ana Kokkinos, starring Alex
Dimitriades. In 2006, his novel, Dead Europe,
won The Age Book of the Year fiction award
and is currently being made into a feature
film, produced by the team behind the Oscar
winning The King’s Speech.
He is openly gay and has been with his
partner Wayne for 26 years.
A self confessed ‘bad activist’ Tsiolkas believes that on a fundamental human rights
level, same sex marriage should be allowed.
He has no desire to marry his long term
partner however, citing the struggle and continued love necessary to maintain their long
term relationship as all the proof they need.
With reference to:
www.samesame.com.au
www.abc.net.au/tv/firsttuesday
Each of Tsiolkas’ characters – from Harry, the
man who is utterly convinced that he was right
to slap the boy threatening his own older son,
to Rosie, the mother of the child who so keenly
feels a need for her son’s attacker to be punished – is voiced with stunning authenticity. The
novel doesn’t fall into a trap of moral relativism,
rather Tsiolkas deftly navigates the complexity
of his characters’ choices and the constraints
that limit them.
Even more surprising is this novel’s power to
spur self-reflection. The reader is unwittingly
drawn into thinking and rethinking their own
reactions to the events that unfold and to the
resulting actions and feelings of the
protagonists. It is deeply moving, both because
of the sadness of the compromised existences
it charts and because of the strange sense of
belonging it evokes. This is Australia, it seems
to whisper, and it’s full of people who are
everything and nothing like you.
The Slap has aired recently on ABC TV and
past episodes can be viewed on
www.abc.net.au/iview
Jennifer Byrne’s interview with Tsiolkas can
be seen on www.abc.net.au/tv/firsttuesday
PFLAG Brisbane - Keeping Families Together www.pflagbrisbane.org.au
PFLAG is very proactive in promoting acceptance and understanding of
people who disclose their sexual diversity to family and loved ones. Parents
often feel isolated, confused or angry when their loved one ‘comes out’ and
this is an important area where PFLAG can offer assistance.
Join us at our meetings, held every 2 months or contact us by
phone: 0400 767 832 or email: info@pflagbrisbane.org.au
PFLAG Brisbane Annual Membership Form
Please complete the form below and return to PFLAG.
You can also pay online - www.pflagbrisbane.org.au
Larger donations are always welcome. Thanks for your support.
Name: _______________________________________________________________________
Ph: _________________
Mailing Address: _______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Email: _______________________________________________________________________
Membership Type:
Family - $25.00 annually - I have included a cheque or Australia Post Money Order made out to PFLAG Brisbane Inc.
Corporate - $100.00 annually - (includes website and newsletter advertising) I have included a cheque or Australia Post Money Order made out to PFLAG Brisbane Inc.
Mail to: PO Box 1372, Eagle Farm BC Qld. 4009
Bring to: 30 Helen St, Teneriffe 4006
Pay Online: www.pflagbrisbane.org.au
Pay direct deposit: Account Name - PFLAG Brisbane
BSB - 124-001
Account No - 2023-8607
Bank of Queensland
Please make sure you provide us with your contact details (name, email
and /or postal address so we can receipt your payment and ensure you
receive our newsletters.
PFLAG Brisbane - Keeping Families Together www.pflagbrisbane.org.au