Content area
Abstract
Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (P-FLAG) is a national Federation of over three hundred Contact persons and Chapters in the United States. P-FLAG goals are to: (1) support parents, families, and friends as they learn about their gay loved ones; (2) educate both their members and the public about homosexuality; and (3) advocate for the civil rights of their children and friends. Understanding the complex nature of these groups and identifying the ways in which Chapters, selected because of their apparent effectiveness, were able to function provides valuable insights into the functioning of these groups.
The literature describing research into the effectiveness of self-help groups has focused primarily upon the efficacy of the groups in meeting the needs of individuals rather than the effectiveness of the group in meeting its overall goals. This is the first study of the effectiveness of P-FLAG Chapters.
A pool of several local P-FLAG Chapters was identified by national P-FLAG Board members. Five were selected by the researcher based on geographic locations and overall feasibility. The Board members were asked for their definitions of a successful or strong chapter from which a checklist of the attributes of an effective chapter was derived. The checklist was used in the examination of the data obtained from visitation at the Chapters.
Qualitative methodology consisted of interviews with a variety of individuals at each site, participant observation, and review of locally generated documents. The total of 79 people interviewed, inclusive of 20 individuals in two group settings, consisted of core group family members, "new" parents, gay people, and individuals peripherally connected to the Chapter. Their varied perspectives were taken into account in analyzing the data. Ten propositions were derived from the findings, implications and recommendations for further research were drawn, and suggestions for individuals involved in Chapter development and leadership training were offered.
