Starr, Adele, 1920-

Biography

Adele Starr was born as Ida Seltzer in Brooklyn, New York on February 10, 1920. When she was a teenager, she changed her name to Adele. In 1941, she married Lawrence Starr, an accountant, and remained in New York till the 1950s. Moving to Los Angeles, the Starrs settled in Brentwood, where Adele helped her husband establish a private accounting practice. Adele and Larry had four sons and a daughter.

In 1974, their son, Philip Starr, told Adele and Larry that he was gay. Adele was initially upset, but Philip encouraged her and Larry to join a support group. By 1976, Adele and Larry began hosting a support group for parents and families of gay men and lesbian women. That year, they founded Parents and Friends of Gays in Los Angeles, which is the predecessor to the Los Angeles chapter of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). In 1979, Adele Starr spoke at the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, and also met with similar groups from around the country. In 1981, Adele and Larry Starr hosted the national organizing conference of PFLAG at their home in Brentwood, and Adele was named the organization's first national president.

Throughout the rest of her life, she continued to be an advocate for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights, with a particular focus on support for gay and lesbian youth in schools, communication with religious institutions, educational outreach, and support for families and friends of GLBT individuals.

Adele Starr died on December 10, 2010 in Los Angeles at the age of 90.

Source: Gold, Scott, "Adele Starr dies at 90; unflagging gay-rights activist," Los Angeles Times, December 12, 2010.

Administrative History

The impetus for the Federation of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) began in the early 1970s, when a New York mother, Jeanne Manford, marched in the New York City gay pride parade with her gay son and a sign that read, "Parents of Gays: Unite in Support for Our Children." Following the parade, Manford began speaking to many gays and lesbians, parents and community groups, and in March 1973 organized the first meeting of New York City Parents of Gays (POG). Members of POG met with other parents throughout the country to provide support and information. As a result of one of those meetings, in March 1976, Adele and Lawrence Starr launched Parents and Friends of Gays (PFG) in Los Angeles, which became the first parents' group to apply for tax-exempt non-profit status.

In 1979, representatives of POG and PFG, and parents and other parents' groups from across the country gathered at the first national March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Rights. Two years later, more than 30 people met at the Starrs' Los Angeles home for a national organizing conference to draw up bylaws and articles of incorporation. The organization created was named the Federation of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), with a five-member Board of Directors. Adele Starr became PFLAG's first President. In 1982, PFLAG, then comprising some 20 groups, was incorporated and granted non-profit, tax-exempt status.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, PFLAG provided support and information to educational institutions and religious communities nationwide. In addition, it continued to do advocacy work for gay and lesbian rights at the local and national levels. In 1988, following a period of enormous growth, PFLAG employed an executive director, expanded its staff, and consolidated operations in Washington, D.C.

As of 2009, under the leadership of a nationally-elected Board of Directors, over 500 affiliates and contacts in the US and abroad continue to provide education and support for families and friends of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

Source: "History," PFLAG: Parents, Families, & Friends of Lesbians and Gays, http://community.pflag.org/Page.aspx?pid=279, last accessed October 26, 2009.

From the guide to the Adele Starr collection on Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), Bulk, 1977-1996, 1960-2010, (ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives)