Gay community groups are an integral part of the community assuming a variety of duties to improve the lives of their members, families, and friends. There are far more groups than can reasonably or meaningfully be discussed, but they all share common threads. Basically speaking the roles most organizations are founded upon are those of support, advocacy, socialization, health concerns, and education.

Something that is often forgotten about the function of gay community groups is that they are not solely for the benefit of the gay individual. While their immediate aim is to provide some form of service or support to gay community itself the fuller scope reaches out to everyone in the community as we all live together. Matters of education and support are intended to be for everyone gay and straight. Following is a sampling of gay community groups and the roles they play in regards to the community.

While there are many support groups serving the gay community as a whole which can be found in almost all cities in the U.S. at this time, none may be as well known or established as the the national organization Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, or PFLAG for short. PFLAFG's mission is to support the health and well being of the LGBT community through support, education, and advocacy. The advocacy on behalf of it's gay members is undeniably valuable. Their efforts have played a major role in fighting for equal rights for the gay community since 1972. PFLAG's educational initiatives have long been regarded as outstanding in regards to improving awareness of gays in society as well as helping break stereotypes concerning gays to the community as a whole. The impact it has on most people individually however is the support it provides to it's members dealing with issues like coming out, coping with issues surrounding family and friends, and in many cases helping people struggling with self identity become comfortable with themselves.

Aside from PFLAG there are numerous organizations with grassroots community programs aimed at improving the public image of the gay community through education. Among the most prominent are organizations like: The Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center of New York, Gay and Lesbian Community Action Council of Minneapolis, and the Gay and Lesbian Media Coalition of West Hollywood. These are all foundations which try to help improve the image of the gay community while also serving the needs of individuals. Unlike some twenty

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