PFLAG-Johnstown members change direction, leadership by Jane Muder ‘he Johnstown chapter of Parents, Families and Frionds of Lesbians and Gays is changing i rulee— sod ling errr iar rently reviewing and revising its by-laws, PPLAGJohnstown bogan making definitive changes to ts exective board ts March 30 meeting "At that meeting, board chair John DeBartola was removed from effie by 221 vote. The vacated Postion was fled by nominating, Will Stinmetz {Ronng that same meeting, ‘Nancy Meredith, trnsurer said that one gol of recvalusing. bylaws and ‘chatrahips "0, gat FPRLAGobnstown) on tho right track where it be: longs." Meredith joined PFLAG-Johnstown in part ‘cee her som ha tried fo take hi if while come *“hecording to Meredith, one problem with the soup infrastructure provely ie that there in Geil ofce of “president” denoted in PFLAG's ota We've novor had a president, por 30” she sald serve with ue, “here were ‘lected boar hale in Sepemboe 2007. According to several board members, he bad feted ana capable leader ofthe group during hs fret {ow month i elle However, DeBartla. later ee tha were ott ine with Soredith sald that PFLAG's porposa is to pro. vide suppor to the GL community and thet te Tier and frends, "John ‘ore of les to be ‘socal organization,” she sald. "We are more o lets & Support geaup ‘Shidey “Gardill is the founder of PFLAG. PFLAG chapter changes leadership, direction Continued trom page had gone from a PFLAG ovent to a personal event Bolt sald that the group speeseally designated time at their March meeting to reevaluate the x ‘cutive board's pedtone Uy re-electing al of the rou = officers “Trearurer Nancy Meredith said, “Yes, [DeBarto- 4a ered to have a fundraiser. He’ maimed i "Yo Isic] Fuk-Graay in Love.’ He tied to put PFLAG's hname on its. twas Just vidoulous the way he worded everything ‘On Feb. 6, PELAG Co-Chair Andrea Sadvari, as voll as Meredith, Bot and Gardil, provided Lucile bar with a notice thet read) “We, the wundersiged from the executive board of the Johnstown Chapter of PELAG, have in no way approved tho cantents of 'A Paycho Spectacular Valentnm's Extravagansa’” ‘Though the note requested that PFLAG not be sasoelated with the drag show, it-ad not demand thatthe show be stopped It also advocated that all proceeds be donated toa worthy eases Tm an email interview with Out om April 9, De Bariola wrote, "Those who oppose me da so beealee they do not ste the great vision of what we cai do Being mare united within our efforts to repress the say community a it allet and bes igh He added that be had "dynamicaly led this or- ganization into making’ the changes necessary 10 Fepresent the whole gay community that exits ith inour specific area ahd have put on a nuimber of se- poke teeter 5 “ohnstowa, Aftor her tenure as group chair, she cur Fenlly sits as an adviser on the beard, She said th Started the Johistown chapter of PFLAG because she has a gay son who came out to her az living in Pitsburg at the time, going to Pitt, anda came out. to me. Ofcoure, being from ‘Johnstown, T needed somo support myself. Todd ad joined PFLAG in Piticburgh, and they were. very supportive of him, and they gave hin the Courage to ‘come out and come hone to ot, Sho felt there had to be other mothers and fa- thors in her area who” were going. through. the process of find out thir nom of daughter eg ‘After discovering that DuBois already hada local PFLAG chapter, Gardill made some phone ells. "We hhed” 19° or" 20, peopleat-the “fst meeting. Lin ‘Thnatown} and east geet Gard said ‘Gara boioves that PFLAG-Johnstown’s role in the local community Is important bees bia je stil rampant inthe aren and that e supportive environment is necessary. All phono calls tothe ‘Jhustowa headquarters aro carefully sctesned to ‘snr he ton oft a piracy fr ober in addition to reavaluating the makeup of the ive board, Garall sald, "We are redaing ot Bylaws. We're doing a lot of damage control anf also tying to get back some ‘aembers who have quit in the past year and a half—and hopefully we can get ‘members ‘Because PFLAG’s proximity tothe University of Pittsburgh-Johnstowa. ‘maker i¢'2 prime means. of support for GLBT calloge students, PELAG fe worl {ng withthe university to add student sees tothe Membership controversy ‘Gardill explained that DeBartola was removed Gardill confirmed this statement, “When Joh first borame president, he waa dolng a really good Jeb he had a speaker every month,” she sat. She Sided that the drag shew taused such controversy Because It eontelned unaoeoptable content: Tt pare died personal fight betwoen two dotinstow! es ane He wanted to depict the fight, but in drag. avails ‘Stil Gardll romains hopeful about the ongani- zation’s future. "We want people to fes! comfort fnd come back co this organization or iain thie or ‘anlzation [for the ist timel” She added, “Over the pest to years, things have really-progressnd in Totatowa ‘Board secretary Holt, nad decided to make organizational changes in pert because “Un Foviewing the bylaws, we realizad we don't have a ‘president’ or a vice president" The language say ‘Shair and " Bolt said that in the spirit of their bylaws, Steinmste was named the new chair of the PFLAG board. “Though ‘ehai” shows authority,” sho added, is not a word that someone might let go to theit PFLAG's newest board chalr ie @ 22-yearsld student at Pittlohnstown. Asrorsing the group from bis postion ae chair, Steinmets wrot in an email to Out, “Te rejuvenation of PFLAG-Johnstown will be continuing fora while. We are alco glug to look {nto eter advertising (for) the group and our mse from office because he had sent letters to Out during hie tenure as chair, and Uhat some of thor letare contained negative press for PFLAG Johnstown, ‘One of DeBartolas lettre to Out, dated March 13, sald "The executive board had a sesret meeting swith eight people on Sunday to remove me as pres dent without announcing the agenda... whieh is ‘complotaly ridiculous when everything T have done, ght or wrong, has bean right out in the community and ss beou upfront He contined, "Look ab the controversy of the clubas itis” ‘in January 2008, DeBartole mado plans for a drag show fond.esior atthe Jabatown gay bar Lie tilles, On Jan. 21, DeBertola emailed a ntlce about fhe show to Out He wrote, “On Feb, 8, 2008, at 11:30pm, PELAG-Jahnstown io presenting a drag show se Lat elles ted, "A Poyeho. Spectacular Valentine's Extravagant: Your (sc) PukeCraay in Lavo.” Later in ‘the. e-mail, he “wrote, “Two. lesbians from Johnstown... are claiming that this drag show ie bout thei relationship end they demanded that Lele’ eancol the chow. They age laa de that the exeentive board of PFLAG sJolustown te ‘nove lite! loge and cane i ‘Board Secretary dilate Bolt, a graduate student at Indiana University of Pennaglvania, sd DeBarto 4s planned dhe show without slicing input from lier PFLAG members “Other members of the executive board sere allowed to Yeieo their opinions, Droblem was that onco wo got closer to the drag lized the content of it was not sme thing that PFLAG wanted to bo associated with ‘Continued on page 7 how, we