PFLAG Door County Provides LGBTQ+ Books to Area Schools

PFLAG Door County received a donation from Dr. Timothy Mayne Empkie in memory of his sister. Members of PFLAG decided to partner with local schools, purchasing LGBTQ+ books that would be available to students in each Door County High School. Each book received a commemorative book plate honoring Dr. Timothy Mayne Empkie’s late sister Stephanie Empkie Vittum of Fish Creek.

The PFLAG members decided to purchase these books from A Room of One’s Own, an independently owned bookstore in Madison, where they have a wide selection of genres, including strong young adult and LGBTQ+ sections. Two members of PFLAG, Lori Serb and Lynn Kotte, went to Madison to pick up these books and bring them back to the Door County area.

Sevastopol School guidance counselor Melissa Malcore said, “It is our goal to have most of them housed in the library. A few will be in my office as well. I think having LGBTQ books helps us be a more open and accepting environment. These books help students learn about themselves, their own beliefs and other lifestyles. I think these books are very important today, especially in a rural community. Students may not be able to have access to adults who they feel comfortable asking questions. This as a safe way for them to learn and see how others have worked through similar situations.”

To learn more about PFLAG visit pflagdoorcounty.org.