SALISBURY – Salisbury-Rowan PFLAG will offer eight $1,000 scholarships to Rowan County students who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or as a straight ally, for academic year 2020-2021.

PFLAG is the nation’s foremost family-based organization committed to the civil and social rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, non-binary and transgender persons.

Founded in 1973 by mothers and fathers of gay and lesbian children, PFLAG has 220,000 members in more than 400 chapters throughout the United States, including 18 North Carolina chapters. The local Salisbury-Rowan PFLAG chapter was founded in January 2006 and was the first organization in North Carolina to award scholarships specifically to LGBTQ+ persons and their straight allies.

In the fourteen years since its inception in 2007, the Salisbury-Rowan PFLAG Scholarship Foundation has awarded 72 scholarships at a value of $1,000 each.

Salisbury-Rowan PFLAG will select winners for these scholarships:

• The Anne Stanback-Charlotte Kinlock Scholarship, named for Salisbury native Anne Stanback and her wife Charlotte Kinlock.

• The Ralph Ketner-Bill Stanback Equality Scholarship.

• The Linda Ketner Community Service Scholarship, named for Salisbury native Linda Ketner.

• The Bob Page-Dale Frederiksen Business Scholarship, named in honor of Bob Page, the founder and CEO of Replacements, in Greensboro.

• The Salisbury Pride-Scotty Ray Gilbert Scholarship, named in memory of Scotty Ray Gilbert, Salisbury Pride’s former entertainment director.

• The Roger and Linda Hull Scholarship, named in honor of the Hull’s gay son.

• The Russell E. Hellekson, Jr. Scholarship, created by benefactors Tom and Joyce Caddell and named in memory of the accomplished musician.

• The Carol Williams-Swoope Social Justice Scholarship, a newly created scholarship, named in memory of the former Salisbury-Rowan PFLAG president and well known social justice warrior.

The scholarships will be offered to senior students in public, private and home school settings within Rowan County.

“Through the success of its annual scholarship fundraisers, and with the generosity of some committed benefactors and supporters, Salisbury-Rowan PFLAG is pleased to be able to offer these eight scholarships,” Scholarship Advisory Committee Chair Angel Barber said. “Our scholarships are unique in that students do not have to be attending a traditional four year college to apply. We encourage anyone planning to attend a community college or trade school, including cosmetology or culinary school for example, to apply for one of our scholarships.” 

Scholarship applications are available at all seven local high schools guidance offices or download from the Salisbury Pride website at www.salisburypride.com. The deadline to submit application is April 1, 2021 and all candidates will be notified of the outcome by April 24, 2021. 

If you have questions or concerns, contact sBarber at 704-880-8225 or salisburypflag@gmail.com.