PFLAG Queens Chapter
Parents, Families and Friends
of Lesbians and Gays







21th Annual Morty Manford Awardees


photo of Corey Johnson Waiting on Corey Johnson's Bio will be put up soon.




New York City Councilmember 3rd District











photo of Carlos Menchaca Waiting on Carlos Menchaca's Bio will be put up soon.




New York City Councilmember 38th District











photo of Ritchie Torres Waiting on Ritchie Torres's Bio will be put up soon.




New York City Councilmember 15th District













17th Annual Carmel Tavadia Memorial Awardees


photo of Will Harrell Will Harrell (Candy Samples) has called NYC home since moving here in the fall of 2000. Originally from Atlanta, GA, he worked in the bustling theatre scene there, which led him to create a character he has performed since 1995, Candy Samples. Originally a contestant in an amateur drag pageant to raise money for AID Atlanta, Candy Samples was the highest fundraiser and a star was born!

Armed with a degree in Performing Arts from Boston’s Emerson College, Will began getting work as Candy, starting with a long-running engagement as Friday Night Karaoke Hostess at Astoria’s Albatross Bar. It was there where Candy began an ongoing involvement in the LGBTQ community of NYC/Queens. Whether urging patrons to get out the vote between karaoke singers or hosting benefits for The Matthew Shepard Foundation, Candy made use of her nightlife persona to encourage others to look outside themselves and help make the world a better place.

Teaming up with Emerson College alum, Chic & Sassy, the three formed a powerhouse sketch comedy troupe Gender Offenders, delving into political and social satire. Gender Offenders had the honor of performing at both Queens Pride in Jackson Heights and Heritage of Pride’s Kick-Off in Bryant Park as well as benefit shows for Marriage Equality New York and The Anti-Violence Project.

In 2009, Candy began releasing her original music and performing again throughout NYC. Her tunes, “Green Bean Casserole” and “If I Had Only Left (Two Shots Earlier)” keep audiences in stitches, but it was her song, “Powers for Good”, inspired by people who do good for their communities garnered much attention for Miss Samples. Currently, with a monthly engagement at The Duplex Cabaret Theatre in the heart of Greenwich Village, Candy can be found tickling the ivories and singing her original tunes. She performs all over the US, from Indianapolis to Bridgeport to New Orleans --- folks can always find some Candy! Will Harrell has garnered much attention for his ginger-haired alter ego and continues to use his “Powers for Good.” www.samplemycandy.com.



9th Annual Brenda Howard Memorial Awardee


photo of Cliff_Arnesen CLIFF ARNESEN: BISEXUAL ACTIVIST & GLBT VETERANS ADVOCATE

Cliff Arnesen joined the Army in 1965, earned a military high school diploma, and was selected to attend Trainee Leadership School. But, instead, he had to go AWOL to protect his mother and because he felt psychologically trapped in the military due to the tremendous stress and fear of trying to hide his bisexual orientation. Cliff returned to the Army after making sure his mother was safe, and his admission that he was bisexual led to his being court-martialed and sentenced to a year at hard labor in the stockade--of which he served a total of three months in "segregated confinement," as other prisoners in the general population had threatened to rape and kill him .

After completing the reduced sentence, he was sent back to his AIT unit to face further threats of death and psychological intimidation by his superiors and fellow soldiers. Finally, in 1967, he was given an "Undesirable Discharge" based on homosexuality-- which effectively precluded his receiving any and all future VA medical and educational benefits. Ten years later, in November of 1977, he petitioned the Department of the Army for an upgrade in discharge, which was granted and changed from "Undesirable" to "General Under Honorable Conditions."

In 1984 he become the first person in his family to go to college and graduated with high honors. Later, in 1988, while taking a course at Harvard University Extension School, he attended a meeting of the New England Gay & Lesbian Veterans in Boston, MA. After the meeting, he dropped his course at Harvard, ran for office and was elected president.

On Wednesday, May 3, 1989, Cliff was the first and only "openly bisexual veteran" in U.S. History to testify before members of the US Congress, during formal hearings held before the U.S. House Committee on Veterans Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations -- addressing health care issues relating to Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Veterans on issues relating to Agent Orange, drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness, and less-than-honorable homosexual and bisexual related discharges.

Likewise, a year later, on Wednesday, May 16, 1990, as president of the "renamed" New England Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual Veterans, Inc., Boston, MA, he once again testified as an openly bisexual veteran before Congress, as part of a special AIDS/HIV panel . He called upon members of Congress for increased funding for the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, as well as better treatment and compassion for ALL Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Heterosexual Veterans who suffered from HIV/AIDS.

The next day, under the direction and leadership of lesbian veterans activist SSGT. Miriam Ben-Shalom --who was the First Gay Person In US History To Be Reinstated To Duty Per Order of the Eastern Federal District Court of the United States (1978), and Finally "Released From The Custody of the United States Army As An Erroneous Enlistment" (1990) With No Discharge Despite A Promotion And A Commendation --and with the assistance of gay veterans, Navy Ensign, Jim Woodward, president of the San Diego Veterans Association; Bill Lake, First Officer, Veterans Council for Rights and Equality, Los Angeles, CA; Ken Huntington of the Texas Gay Veterans Association; Gay Navy Veteran Chuck Schoen, Cliff formed the National Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual Veterans of America . This then became known as the American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER). AVER continued to press for the rights of GLB people in the military until the battle was won.

ORGANIZATIONS & ADVISORY BOARDS:1989-2004



Other Information

We also have an ad journal and YOUR AD DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
For more information regarding our celebration ad journal, see our ad journal webpage at http://www.pflag-queens.org/journal.html



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Last updated 1/31/14 by LDN