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.
Michele Schlehofer MEMBERSHIP & LEGISLATIVE CHAIR Dr. Schlehofer is an applied social/community psychologist who has conducted extensive research and trainings on LGBTQ+ topics. She has long advocated for LGBTQ+ people. |
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. |
John Wright board member John is a distinguished minister with the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship located in Salisbury, Maryland as well as Chair of the City of Salisbury's Human Rights Committee. He has a long history of civil rights work. |
Nicole Hollywood board member Dr. Hollywood is a professor, author, research scholar, perpetual learner, cheese lover, and collector of purses and old books. |
William K. Wallace BOARD MEMBER William is a staff member with the Wicomico Public Library. He is passionate about history, equity, diversity, and inclusion. |
Makya Purnell Board member Makya is a social worker and expert in Title IX equity. She is an experienced community organizer and community activist. |
Joseph Nieberding
BOARD MEMBER
Joey is a proud member of, and advocate for, the transgender community. He is active in both PFLAG and TransLiance. He works in the healthcare industry, and enjoys comics and sarcasm.