PFLAG Dayton History

PFLAG National

The story of PFLAG Dayton begins with the origin of the national PFLAG organization. In 1972, Morton Manford, a gay man, was physically attacked in New York City at a gay rights demonstration. His parents, Jeanne and Jules Manford, saw the attack reported on television and witnessed the police’s failure to intervene. Their outrage turned them into activists.

Jeanne Manford, carrying a sign, marched with her son in New York’s Pride Day parade later that year. Because many gay and lesbian people at the parade begged her to talk to their parents, she began a support group for parents. This first support group grew and branched out into other communities, forming a national network that eventually became PFLAG.

PFLAG Dayton

The creation of a support group for families and friends of gays and lesbians in the Dayton area came several years later. Willa and Meredith Dallas of Yellow Springs, generally considered the founders of the PFLAG Dayton, joined the National PFLAG organization in the mid-1980’s. Glenna Reynolds of Centerville visited California in 1987, met some PFLAG members there, and upon her return to Dayton contacted the Dallases about starting a Dayton chapter of PFLAG.

Initial meetings were convened at Sinclair Community College, and Willa Dallas served as discussion leader. Initial attendees (founding members) included: 

Willa & Meredith Dallas Glenna Reynolds 

Barbara Lotney Barbara & Jim Robertson 

Micki Adams Shirley Allen 

Sue Zorninger

This fledgling group had no officers, no formal organization or dues collection. The meetings primarily consisted of attendees sharing their personal stories and discussing issues. 

Initial gatherings continued at Sinclair until 1991 when the group moved to St. Mark's Episcopal Church on Woodman Drive. In 1994 the meetings were relocated to the Downtown Dayton Public Library; in 1996 they moved to St. John's United Church of Christ on East Third Street. Parking problems during the months of Dayton Dragon baseball games later necessitated a move to Cross Creek Community Church in Centerville.  In January 2013, Cross Creek Community Church merged with Oak Creek Church in Kettering and renamed the church Harmony Creek Church.  Harmony Creek church is the current meeting location. 

Efforts to formalize the Dayton group into a legitimate, non-profit organization began in 1991 when Willa Dallas was selected as the first president and Glenna Reynolds as treasurer. A dues structure was created, and efforts were initiated to become a certified chapter within the national PFLAG organization. The paperwork to become a 501(c)3 non-profit organization operating in the state of Ohio took some time to assemble. This was followed by another bundle of paperwork required by PFLAG national in Washington, D.C. Finally in July 1995, the Dayton group was certified as the official Dayton, Ohio, chapter of PFLAG. 

During this time, there was a gradual shift from just being a support group. Members began to acquire speaking opportunities to talk about LGBT issues in general and about PFLAG specifically at local churches, colleges, and even the County Sheriff's Department. Dayton PFLAGers participated in the first major Gay Pride March in Washington, D.C. in 1993. 

A major opportunity to expose the greater Dayton community to LGBT issues came in 1994 when Westminster Presbyterian Church invited PFLAG to participate in a month-long Adult Education program on homosexuality. Willa Dallas, Ann Wilger and Jim Bradford made presentations to this large church group. 

Starting with formal certification in 1995, the Dayton Chapter of PFLAG has been fortunate to have a continuing series of capable leaders. Currently PFLAG Dayton has 102 memberships (includes individuals and family units), and monthly attendance at meetings averages 35 people. Based on the strength of the national-chapter PFLAG connection, outreach to the community plus programming, PFLAG Dayton is considered one of the strongest chapters in Ohio and in the nation.  In 2023, PFLAG National rebranded the organization and asked chapters to follow suit. The mission and vision statements were updated to reflect more a contemporary purpose.