Madison

Founded in 1973, PFLAG is the first and largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and their families.

January 18 Meeting Recap:

Jack Feria, the Director of Membership Experience for the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce

Jack Féria (he/they), Director of Membership Experience of the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce was our speaker for our January 2026 meeting. Jack presented an overview of the Chamber’s mission, history, networking events and Chamber programs. The Chamber, a statewide organization of 654 (and counting) LGBTQ+ and allied owned businesses was founded in 2012 and now has a staff of 5. The Chamber hosts more than 80 impactful events each year along with an Online Business Directory and Job Board for people to find businesses that support their values. It also works to build a stronger pro-fairness community and attract LGBTQ+ and allied visitors and guests to Wisconsin. Jack highlighted several of the Chamber’s educational and signature events. The monthly Coffee Connections is a free morning networking event for members of the Chamber to connect with other business owners and professionals who share their values. It is held monthly in Madison, Milwaukee and quarterly in the Appleton/Green Bay Area. The Chamber’s OUT After Work event is also a networking event held at area bars/restaurants offering the perfect opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals in a vibrant and inclusive atmosphere. These are held monthly in Madison and Milwaukee and quarterly in the Appleton/Green Bay area. Other Chamber events include: Eggs and Economics Breakfast, The Big Gay Pride Market, Pride Luncheon, Out in the Kitchen, National Coming Out Day Breakfast and the Chamber’s 2026 Business Awards among others. Chamber programs include LGBT Workplace Alliance, Business Leadership Academy and the LGBTQ+ Entrepreneur Bootcamp. The Chamber also is in partnership with humanworks8 to offer a Culture Elevation Series which offers interactive workshops designed to help organizations build sustainable, inclusive workplace cultures. Any of these events/programs can be found on the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce website. Jack can be reached at jack@wislgbtchamber.com. He would be happy to talk further about any of the Chamber’s events or programs.

Learn more about the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce

Next meeting: Sunday, February 15 2-4pm

**Please note that we will be in a different room for this month’s meeting, and parking will be limited, Please privately message us for meeting location and more info on overflow parking. There will also be no zoom hybrid option this month, thanks for understanding.**

Mitchell Johnson, IBEW Local 159 President & Business Agent, will be our guest speaker 2/15/26. Mitchell Johnson is a State of Wisconsin Licensed Journeyworker Electrician who currently serves as the President of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 159; representing sixteen hundred electrical workers in South Central Wisconsin. As an electrician, he’s worked on schools, hospitals, industrial manufacturing plants, the beltline, the Epic Campus in Verona, solar fields, and more. Off the job, Mitch got involved in his local union almost immediately as a first-year apprentice. He’s chaired committees, tabled job fairs, organized volunteer electrical projects, advocated for union rights at both the Madison and DC Capitols, participates in prison to work advocacy, and builds bridges between the construction trades and the LGBTQ+ community. These efforts led to him receiving the State of Wisconsin AFL-CIO Organizer of the Year Award in 2024. Mitch is the first open member of the LGBTQ+ community to serve in a leadership position in the 125 year history of IBEW 159.

 

WI Trans Youth Health Care Access Fund 

Fair Wisconsin and GSAFE are joining forces to establish the Wisconsin Trans Youth Health Care Access Fund. This fund will support Wisconsin’s trans youth and their families in accessing gender-affirming health care. The Wisconsin Trans Youth Health Care Access Fund, which is a partnership with the Trans Youth Emergency Project at the Campaign for Southern Equality, will be housed under Fair Wisconsin Education Fund. Donations to the Wisconsin Trans Youth Health Care Access Fund are tax-deductible.

Donate today! Thank you for supporting Wisconsin’s trans youth!

To access funding support, families or legal guardians should fill out the “Request Support” intake form at Trans Youth Emergency Project. Please be sure to fill out the form in full, including the attestation at its conclusion. Once a connection is established with TYEP, families will receive care navigation support from the TYEP team and can access travel grants to relocate their youth’s health care. Sustained financial support will be available through this process, facilitated through TYEP and financially supported by the Wisconsin Trans Youth Health Care Access Fund.

Interested in making a major donation to the Wisconsin Trans Youth Health Care Access Fund? Please reach out to Fair Wisconsin’s Executive Director Abigail Swetz at abigail.swetz@fairwisconsin.com or GSAFE’s Executive Director Tyrone Creech at tyrone@gsafewi.org. Thank you for your generosity!

Perfect Harmony Chorus presents: In Our Musicals Era!

**NEW LOCATION**

The curtain rises on another spring season! Join Perfect Harmony Chorus for our annual cabaret fundraiser spectacle, at our new location of the Sunrise Theater at Madison Youth Arts, with special guest host Victoria Lynn!

We are seasoned stagehands with this theater business, and we have some excellent LIVE musical entertainment lined up. Stunning solos and hilarious group numbers, all in a fabulous black box stage!

This year we are putting on TWO performances in one day – another op’nin’, another show! Both events will include a cocktail hour, an exciting raffle, and a silent auction full of wonderful items to take home…but only if YOU are the highest bidder!

So grab your playbill and opera glasses and do-re-meet us at the Sunrise Theater on Saturday, March 14th, for another splendid cabaret with Perfect Harmony Chorus!

Join us, come and waste an hour or two – In Our Musicals Era!

Saturday March 14th – TWO Shows in ONE day!

3:00PM (doors open 2:15) & 7:30PM (doors open 6:45)

Madison Youth Arts – Sunrise Theater

1055 E Mifflin St, Madison

Parking available at Ingersoll St ramp and surrounding neighborhood

Admission $55

Register for Winter Camp with Boardslide Mission

Boardslide Mission is a local queer-led organization working to make snowsports more accessible. We’ve hosted a camp for Milwaukee teens for the past 3 seasons, and are moving this camp to the Madison area! This year, we’re hosting a learn to ski/snowboard event on Sunday, 2/22 for youth ages 12-18. The event is focused on creating access for under-represented demographics in snowsports (LGBTQ+, black, indigenous, people of color, and girls). The event is ‘pay what you can’, and we offer transportation from east Madison, lessons, equipment, snow gear (snow pants, etc.), and a meal. Check out the event page for more info/registration.

Chez Dickson, she/they, Executive Director, Boardslide Mission

Membership and Other Donations

Our annual dues are $30 per person or $40 per couple and are due in October. We share some dues with the National level of PFLAG and our local dues help support our Farmer’s Market, educational and outreach opportunities. Donations are welcome at any time, but especially in this season of giving and in honor of Giving Tuesday.

Submit payment online through our website donation button or send your check directly to PFLAG Madison, courtesy of our Treasurer, Paul Wertsch, 4221 Venetian Ln, Madison, WI 53718.

When you hit the Donation button at the top of our website, enter “other” and your total, and that will go to our PayPal account. You can write a memo, like “McConnell family dues” and that will help us know this is for renewing your membership.

\When submitting payments using PayPal or credit cards, please provide the following information via email to Paul Wertsch, Treasurer, pwertsch@gmail.com:

 Your complete name, mailing address for a tax receipt, and email address to receive the monthly newsletter.

 The amount of money you submitted either as membership ($30 individual/$40 family) or as a donation.

Email pwertsch@gmail.com if you have not received a confirmation of past transactions.

Learn more about PFLAG Madison

Contact us: pflagmadison@gmail.com

Voice-Mail: 608-848-2333

Email: pflagmadison@gmail.com

Website: https://pflag-madison.org/

Meeting Place: Contact us for details on the location and parking

Meetings: 2:00 to 4:00 PM, 3rd Sunday of the month, Sept. to May

National PFLAG Website: http://www.pflag.org

President: Jeanne Williams

Treasurer: Paul Wertsch

Secretary: Jackie Wealti

Board Members: Sandy Feria, Bill Gillespie, Deb Laurence, Amelia McConnell, Michael Rosenman, Sue Martinson