About

The Mother of a Movement is a true story of a mother’s support and unconditional love. It tells the story of Jeanne Manford, the co-founder of PFLAG. When her son Morty was beaten by New York City officials for handing out pro-gay leaflets, Manford wrote a powerful letter to the New York Post to complain about how Morty was treated. In the letter she came out as the mother of a gay son—an act unheard of at the time. When Jeanne marched with Morty in the June 1972 Christopher Street Parade others in the crowd were overwhelmed with emotion to see a mom standing side-by-side with her gay son. While marching, Jeanne had the idea to form a group to help parents and families of LGBTQ+ people. That was the beginning of PFLAG.