Message From Our Executive Director:
Welcome to Salisbury PFLAG! We are so glad that you are here.
Diversity is one of our biggest community assets. We here at Salisbury PFLAG firmly believe that people thrive and are best able to live up to their full human potential when they are fully supported and unconditionally accepted. While recent years have seen considerable progress in the movement for LGBTQ+ rights, there is still much work to be done. LGBTQ+ people still experience disproportionate rates of harassment, victimization, and discrimination in comparison to their cisgender and heterosexual counterparts. The disparities that LGBTQ+ people experience are even greater in rural environments, such as ours, where resources are at a minimum.
Here at Salisbury PFLAG, we are committed to working to advance LGBTQ+ equality right here, in our local community. We do this in a variety of ways: by helping LGBTQ+ people be their authentic selves, by working with families and friends to foster stronger allies, by helping organizations, such as schools, businesses, and nonprofit groups, develop best-practices and policies for serving LGBTQ+ people, and by working to advocate for local, state, and federal-level legislation that advances the rights of LGBTQ+ people.
People find their way to PFLAG for a variety of reasons: to find like-minded others, to learn how to better support their loved ones, to seek assistance with an issue they are dealing with, or to just be fully themselves in a supportive, affirming environment. Some people come to PFLAG meetings regularly, some just drop by once or twice, and some are not yet ready to attend in person. Regardless of your motives for getting involved or where you are on your journey, we are so happy to have you as part of the PFLAG family.
Welcome to Salisbury PFLAG! We are so glad that you are here.
Diversity is one of our biggest community assets. We here at Salisbury PFLAG firmly believe that people thrive and are best able to live up to their full human potential when they are fully supported and unconditionally accepted. While recent years have seen considerable progress in the movement for LGBTQ+ rights, there is still much work to be done. LGBTQ+ people still experience disproportionate rates of harassment, victimization, and discrimination in comparison to their cisgender and heterosexual counterparts. The disparities that LGBTQ+ people experience are even greater in rural environments, such as ours, where resources are at a minimum.
Here at Salisbury PFLAG, we are committed to working to advance LGBTQ+ equality right here, in our local community. We do this in a variety of ways: by helping LGBTQ+ people be their authentic selves, by working with families and friends to foster stronger allies, by helping organizations, such as schools, businesses, and nonprofit groups, develop best-practices and policies for serving LGBTQ+ people, and by working to advocate for local, state, and federal-level legislation that advances the rights of LGBTQ+ people.
People find their way to PFLAG for a variety of reasons: to find like-minded others, to learn how to better support their loved ones, to seek assistance with an issue they are dealing with, or to just be fully themselves in a supportive, affirming environment. Some people come to PFLAG meetings regularly, some just drop by once or twice, and some are not yet ready to attend in person. Regardless of your motives for getting involved or where you are on your journey, we are so happy to have you as part of the PFLAG family.
Mark DeLancey EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Mark is retired Marine who has over 30 years’ of board, event organizing, and theatrical experience while focusing on strengthening local non-profits. His current goal is to mentor LGBTQ+ youth to become agents of change. |
Nicole Hollywood board president Dr. Hollywood is a Professor as well as a parent, author, journal editor, research scholar, perpetual learner, gun safety advocate, activist, cheese lover, and collector of purses and old books. |
Hayleigh LaChance BOARD Treasurer Haleigh is a Grants Administrator at Salisbury University, and a doctoral student at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. She studies community change, disruption, and leadership. |
Cass Dasher BOARD SECRETARY Cass Dasher (they/them) works for the Worcester County Library. A lifelong bookworm, they are passionate about fighting censorship and promoting diverse representation in literature and other media. |
Joseph Nieberding BOARD MEMBER Joey is a proud member of, and advocate for, the transgender community. He is active in both PFLAG and TransLiance and serves as our PFLAG youth program enjoying comics and sarcasm. |
Makya Purnell Board member Makya is a social worker and expert in Title IX equity. She is an experienced community organizer and social justice activist. She us also the founder of Oshun's Garden |
Semaj Wright BOARD MEMBER Semaj has been a professional interpreter for the deaf and hearing impaired since 1990. A veteran, he advocates for accessibility and inclusion for all to individuals in order to ensure equal access. |
William K. Wallace BOARD MEMBER William is a staff member with the Wicomico Public Library. He is passionate about history, equity, diversity, and inclusion. |
John Wright board MEMBER John is a minister with the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Salisbury, Maryland as well as member of the City of Salisbury's Human Rights Advisory Council. He has a long history in civic activism. |