Founder of PFLAG, Group for Parents of Gay Children, Dies at 92

Pioneered group back in the 1970s

On Tuesday, January 8, 2013, Jeanne Manford, the founder of PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) and the Mother of the Straight Ally movement passed away, according to a statement issued by Executive Director Jody M. Huckaby. She was 92.

Manford was one of the LGBTQ community's biggest allies, fighting for acceptance and equality for 40 years. Her fight began in April of 1972 when her and her husband learned that their son Morty, a gay activist, had been beaten and ended up in the hospital. After her son's attack, Manford penned a letter to The New York Post, stating "I have a homosexual son and I love him."