Oakton-Based Support Group to March With Pride

As they march through the 2011 Capital Pride Parade in D.C. this Saturday, Jackie Jacobson and Cliff Berg will hold the same sign they held last year: “We are proud of our gay son.”

Sixteen-year-old Jared Jacobson, his mom and stepdad, and a handful of members from the Oakton-based support group (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) will join thousands of people in the signature event of , organized by the nonprofit group Capital Pride Alliance Inc., to celebrate the LGBT community in the nation’s capital.  

Jackie Jacobsonm, whose family resides in Reston, said last year’s experience was transformational. When the spectators saw the small family with their sign, they had a big reaction.

“People cheered for us, thanked us, give us high fives,” she said. “I felt like a rock star.” 

Her path to accepting her son’s sexual orientation was a process, she said.

“At 13, he came to me and told me he was gay. My immediate reaction was ‘no, you’re not,’” Jacobson said.

She was fearful for him, scared about what might happen in his life. She told him not to tell people. She was surprised at her own reaction as she thought of herself as an understanding person.

She said she “ran” to a PFLAG meeting held at in Oakton. 

Reaching acceptance of her son’s sexual orientation took time: “The support from PFLAG saved me,” she said.

The support group at UUCF is a part of Metro DC PFLAG, a chapter of the national Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays organization, which counts more than 200,000 members and supporters in almost 500 communities across the U.S. and abroad, and whose mission is to promote the equality and well-being of the GLBT community and their families and friends. They focus on support, education and advocacy.

Jared Jacobson, a 10th-grader at the New School of Northern Virginia, said he is “the only open homosexual student” on campus and has found everyone friendly and accepting.  

Jacobson is active with , a youth support and social group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning teens and allies ages 12 through 19. The group meets twice a month at the UUCF in Oakton to meet peers, express themselves in a safe place, share experiences, mentor others, make friends and have fun. 

“I really like FLY. It’s so open," he said. "We go there to have fun but we also talk about serious issues.” 

Jacobson is busy with school: He loves the varied class options at New School, like his current favorite course “Things that Go Boom.” He participates in drama and most recently was the stage manager for a school production.  

Jacobson is looking forward to marching in the parade again this year.  

“It’s affirming to see so much energy, excitement and happiness,” he said. 

For information on the parade, 5:30 p.m. Saturday, and the Capital Pride Street Festival, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, click here.