NOTE: As someone who identifies as queer and nonbinary, I often use the term “queer” to describe the whole LGBTQ+ community, as do many people I know. This is because it is better fitting than “gay”, as gay most accurately refers to homosexual males. I recognize that this is a debated choice, and I apologize if it offends anyone.
I would like to start off by saying to everyone: happy Pride! Pride Month is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate all the progress we’ve made and the fact that we exist. And to help celebrate Pride, every one of our posts this month will be related to LGBTQ+ issues.
Today, I’d like to share a collection of LGBTQ+ resources. Even during Pride, things can be tough for queer people, and it’s always important to know how you can get help.
That’s why I’m sharing these resources. Some of them are general, some are specifically geared towards trans people, some towards youth; some are legal help, and some are mental health support. The goal is to get a variety of different resources that could help as many people as possible.
For Pride Month, we will also be dedicating each post to a passed LGBTQ+ hero or icon. For the first, it seemed only fitting to dedicate it to Marsha P. Johnson, a trans woman of color who was a pivotal part of the Stonewall Riots, and an all-around queer icon. More information about her can be found here.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC)
HRC has long been a champion of queer rights, and they do a lot of good work for the community. They are not only an activist organization, but provide much-needed education, and also promote celebration of things like gay pride.
This group is very politically active, and they have been a part of many big changes. They helped to get Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in office, they’re pushing once again for the passing of the Equality Act, and they work with a lot of other legislation as well.
HRC also has a fantastic collection of LGBTQ+ resources available for free on their website. These include educational information, databases of laws and bills, collections of queer death statistics, and more.
If you’re looking to get involved with activism or find out more information, HRC is a great place to start. And as with any organization, they can always use more support.
GLSEN is an organization dedicated to creating safer, more inclusive schools for queer people all over the country. They use a combination of activism and education to foster change in schools, and work with both students and staff.
GLSEN also sponsors many nationwide events that help raise awareness in schools, such as the National Day of Silence and No Name-Calling Week.
They provide a variety of resources and opportunities to uplift LGTBQ+ students, including offering students leadership positions within GLSEN so they can help make a change.
This organization also has a lot of resources to support GSAs in schools, and help queer students and staff in general. If you’re looking to get involved with making changes in schools or just want some extra resources for a GSA, GLSEN can help.
The Trevor Project is perhaps the largest mental health resource for queer youth in the country, if not the world. It is dedicated to helping LGBTQ+ people under 25 in any way it can.
Their most prevalent resource is the 24/7 hotline that is available for all queer youth. They always have staff and volunteers available to help youth through mental health struggles, and are one of the largest suicide prevention hotlines. If you are considering self-harm or just really need help as a queer youth, the Trevor Project is free, completely safe, and confidential, so you never have to go through it alone.
This organization also provides other LGBTQ+ resources for youth’s mental health. They conduct surveys to help keep people informed about what the best next steps are. And they provide other educational information on how to better queer youth’s mental health.
If you’re looking for help or just want to know how you can help, the Trevor Project is a great resource.
The National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE)
Not to be confused with the National Council for Teachers of English, NCTE is an organization that helps promote equality for transgender individuals. They are a very large organization, and do everything from activism to education to support.
NCTE is a very active activist group, and works to pass legislation like the Equality Act. They also organize many different events to promote activism.
They have a great collection of resources that aim to help cis people understand trans people better, so they can educate themselves.
NCTE also has a large collection of resources that help inform trans people of their rights. From healthcare to immigration to schools, NCTE helps ensure that all trans people know what their rights are.
If you’re looking for any resources related to being trans and trans rights, NCTE is a wonderful place to start.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
The ACLU is a legal group that fights tirelessly to help queer people achieve as much legal equality as possible. They fight in local, state, and even the Supreme Court to uphold the rights of queer Americans.
They have been around for a long while, and have done a lot of great work in that time. They’ve been a part of some major pieces of legislation and court decisions.
The ACLU provides a lot of gay resources to inform about various legal fights that are happening currently. They also help to teach others how they can get involved.
This group is always looking to help as much as they can. If you need legal help or want to know more about queer people’s legal rights, start with the ACLU.
GLAAD is a group dedicated to promoting change in media that will increase acceptance for LGBTQ+ people. They share stories from the queer community, as well as working to increase queer representation in media.
Media is how many of us form our world views and get education, so good representation is vital. That’s what GLAAD fights for.
They don’t just promote more queer representation in media. They also share stories from the queer community constantly, to actively create more representation and visibility.
With more representation, acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals will also increase. So if you want to learn more about queer representation in media, check out GLAAD.
Celebrating Pride and getting help
These are just a few of the many, many LGBTQ+ resources available. You can find another list here, as well as doing your own research.
If you run, or know someone who runs, a small or medium-sized business (SMB), there are also some great resources for finding out how to be more queer-inclusive, like this article.
And these resources aren’t just available during Pride Month. They are active year-round, so you can get involved or get help whenever you need it.
Being queer isn’t easy, and there’s nothing wrong with needing help. You can always reach out to any of these resources to get help with things ranging from mental health support to legal battles.
And of course, it’s Pride Month, so it’s time to celebrate! Take some time to feel good, and to acknowledge how much progress we’ve made towards queer equality. And if you are able to, consider supporting one or more of these organizations.
Do you have other resources you’d like to share? Something you’re really looking forward to this month? We’d love to hear from you! Let us know by leaving a comment below or tagging us on social media (@llctherapeutic on Twitter and @therapeutichealingjourney on Instagram).
