PFLAG WA co-founder Margaret Pugh OAM passed away unexpectedly on Saturday June 28th.
Margaret, along with her husband John was one of the co-founders of the Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays in Western Australia.
Both Margaret and John were recognised for their work through social justice organisations and the Uniting Church. Both were awarded an Order of Australia medal in January 2011.
Margaret’s passing comes just months after her husband John passed away.
Prior to the decimalisation of homosexuality Margaret and John were often prepared to speak up in the media.
When John passed away just a few months ago, Brian Greig who was the spokesman for Gay and Lesbian Equality (GALE) in Western Australia in the 1990′s recalled that John and Margaret made an exceptional contribution to the fight for LGBT rights at a time when few people were prepared to make a stand.
“John Pugh and his wife Margaret were almost the only parents with a gay child who were prepared to do media during the ugly law reform campaign of 1989 to decriminalise homosexuality in WA,” recalled Greig.
“It was a rough political period with some extreme homophobia flying around, including from politicians. Both John and Margaret were stoic, resilient, supported by their faith and protective of their children.
“Together, they became the compassionate, articulate, parental face of social change and helped, with PFLAG, to shift the toxic debate back to love and to families. Their advocacy continued for many years afterwards, both through PFLAG and with lobbying MPs to support anti-discrimination laws in the 1990’s.
In 2011 when OUTinPerth wrote a feature story about inspirational women in Perth for International Women’s Day Margaret was at the top of the list. At the time Margaret nominated Martin Luther King as her own inspirational person saying; “just because he stood up and wanted his children to grow up like everyone else and paid for it with his life.”
Margaret’s son Jeff Hughes broke the news of his mother’s passing on OUTinPerth’s Facebook page. Margaret will be laid to rest at Karrakatta next Tuesday 8 July at 2:30 pm.
OUTinPerth offers sincere condolences to all of Margaret’s family and friends.
