The original announcement I received:

A Message From Ron Schlittler, Interim Executive Director

We received some great news this week! Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon will be joining us in Salt Lake City at the PFLAG national conference! The couple who, after 51 years together playing a legendary role in the early GLBT movement in the US, were the first same-sex couple to wed in San Francisco. We are thrilled to have these remarkable women - who don't opt to travel much anymore - honor PFLAG by agreeing to come. They will participate in the pre- conference evening event on Thursday, October 21, then join another iconic figure from the early days of the GLBT movement, Frank Kameny. In a long- standing Utah tradition, these trailblazers will receive a "Pioneer Award" the first night of the conference.

We are very disappointed by the California Supreme Court's decision today to nullify the San Francisco marriages. Please read PFLAG's press release below.

Last weekend, PFLAG's work these past several years to achieve transgender inclusive language in civil rights and legal protections legislation took a big step forward. Below you will see a column I wrote for the Washington Blade, one of the country's leading publications covering news of importance to the LGBT and allies communities. The column was timed to be published just before the national Board of the Human Rights Campaign met here in Washington to vote on whether or not HRC would ONLY support a Non-Discrimination in Employment bill (ENDA) that includes both sexual orientation and protection for gender non-conformity.

We have worked with our allied organizations for several years to shift the "political climate" and bring this day about. At that meeting, HRC did indeed take the step we'd hoped for, finally signaling that the corner I refer to in my column has at last been turned. We all understand that there is a great deal of work ahead to actually move an ENDA forward, but finally, we are unified as a movement on this important point. I received the most heart-warming and deeply felt voice message of thanks to PFLAG on my cell phone last Sunday from Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. Mara was effusive in her praise of the key role PFLAG has played in this effort over the years.

On another front, I'll be meeting later this week in Austin, Texas, with key leaders of state LGBT equality organizations to discuss the upcoming challenge with state level anti-marriage constitutional amendments. I want to hear from them what they think can be PFLAG's strongest role in these ballot measure battles, so stay tuned for more news about this.

As always, THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO!

Ron

My letter in response:

I normally don't try to contact you and instead just enjoy the PFLAG emails I get forwarded from my local chapter.  But I thought I should mention something, as I think it is important that you are aware of it.

Del Martin, Phyllis Lyon, and Frank Kameny will be given "Pioneer" awards.  As a Native American, this sets off some big red flags in my head.  To me, when I think of pioneers I think of conquerors, I think of broken treaties, and I think of war criminals.  In fact, just looking pioneer up in the thesaurus gives me such words like colonist, colonizer, and squatter. That's hardly the image I, or I think you, want to have associated with Del Martin, Phyllis Lyon, and Frank Kameny. 

Pioneer has a very specific historical and cultural meaning.  Other historical periods and cultures have used different words, and pioneer specifically refers to the early European "explorers" of the "new world."  While the meaning of pioneer may have adjusted over time to be used to designate someone who explores unknown regions or is the first to tame a wild area, this is based upon a very one-sided, biased, historical perspective of what the original pioneers did.  To use pioneer in such a way subtly indicates not only that the original pioneers were the first to explore and "tame" the American continent, ignoring both the indigenous who lived there and the pioneers brutal violence toward them, but also indicates (especially by giving out a "pioneer award") that such pioneers are people worthy of emulation.

At least from my individual perspective, the use of the word pioneer in such a way is no terrible crime, I understand that most people don't understand the historical significance of what they are saying.  But out of courtesy, most of the groups I work with that care at all about the colonization and current racism toward native peoples try to replace the word pioneer with the word trailblazer in their vocabulary. 

I can understand if it is too late to change the name of the award this year, with programs, awards, etc. potentially being printed already, but I would hope that you would consider changing the name of the award before the next time you give it out, and if possible, before Del Martin, Phyllis Lyon, and Frank Kameny receive it.  Not just out of a desire to my own sensitivities, but because I know that there are many people who take this issue far more seriously than me, and I fear continued use of this language would be a signal to other Native peoples that PFLAG is not a safe place for their concerns.

Even more importantly, as the movement for sexual orientation and gender identity equality has progressed, it has frequently been observed to be a predominantly white movement.  Recently, many organizations, both national and grassroots, have made attempts for inclusion of people of color, I assume that PFLAG is among them.  Using language like this is a small but very visible example of the lack of awareness the leadership of most organizations have towards issues of people of color.  If we are to create a more inclusive movement and create a united front against those who would oppose rights to sexual and gender minorities, it is important that we begin by searching for and eliminating the sources of our division, such as this.

--Tobi Hill-Meyer

PS-

Just so I’m not only negative, let me also let you know how immensely thankful I am that you have taken the stance of only supporting an ENDA that includes gender identity, and I credit your strength on this issue as an important part of what persuaded the HRC to make the same stance.

Ron's Response:

Hi Tobi- Thank you for taking the time to write to me with your well thought-out position on this.  I really do appreciate it.  This "Pioneer Award" is a one-time thing for us at this specific conference - the local planning committee wanted to do it as a tradition there in Utah.  I'm going to pass along your excellent letter and ask them to take your point into account should they find future opportunities to make similar awards.  Perhaps they can adjust the name to something like "Trailblazers."  I also intend to share this with our Families of Color Network, as I am sure they will appreciate your perspective.

Thank you for the kind word regarding our position on trans inclusion.  It has been a long road, and there remains a longer one yet ahead, but we feel very gratified that HRC has finally come along!

Regards,

Ron