Marion Hammer has made a huge difference to so many LGBTQ+ people through her years working with PFLAG* both in Spokane and at the national level. Her son Mark “loved wearing frilly, silky things” at an early age. An Oakland school psychologist said, “He knows exactly who he is.” When the family moved to Spokane in 1973, “things were not so good.” There was a supportive drama teacher in high school, but after a hateful incident a school official told her, “We have no resources to deal with a child like yours.”

Some years later, in the mid 80’s, a friend told Marion about Spokane’s PFLAG. “You could probably help these people.” And so Marion went to a meeting. “It was all very secret,” she said. “Nobody was to know.” But soon the group got more active. They went to high schools, held panels, testified at school board meetings. For several years, they had a booth at “A Family Affair,” a community sponsored event at the convention center. They were a lot more visible, a lot more helpful. In the early 1990’s PFLAG helped facilitate the beginning of the Odyssey Group.

As an active member of UUCS, Marion led their move in the late 1980’s to become a UUA Welcoming Congregation. This soon happened, and in 1992, when Linda Whittenburg was minister, UUCS and PFLAG organized Spokane’s first Pride March. Marion remembers that she and Helen Bonser, a fellow PFLAG member, went to the police department to get the permit. “Why are you doing this?” a policeman asked her. “Because I love my son.” After the march, Rev. Whittenburg commented, “What if you threw a party for 50 people and 450 showed up?!” (In 2015, Marion and Helen recorded their experience for “StoryCorp,” which is now stored at the Library of Congress, Washington DC.)

In 1997, Marion joined the national board of PFLAG, working to develop public policy on the Long Range Planning and Policy Committee. In January of 2000, the PFLAG National Board of Directors announced the first public policy on LGBTQ+ rights for marriage equality. Times were changing, and on June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court gave the right to “equal dignity in the eyes of the law” for marriage equality.

What a difference! Thank you, Marion.

*PFLAG is the United States’ first and largest organization uniting parents, families and allies with people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) by providing Education, Advocacy and Support.”