LGBTQ Local and National Resources

This collection of resources includes local and national organizations that offer support geared towards the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning community and website links for learning more about gender, sexuality and social justice.

Local Resources

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) provides HIV testing as well as comprehensive healthcare to persons living with HlV/AIDS through their Columbus healthcare center and pharmacy.

Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization (BRAVO) provides comprehensive individual and community programs for survivor advocacy and support to LGBTQI survivors of hate and bias violence, discrimination, intimate partner violence, stalking, and/or sexual assault.

Columbus Public Health LGBTQ Health Initiative connects community partners through the Greater
Columbus LGBTQ Health Coalition, offers LGBTQ training to healthcare professionals and other providers,
and addresses health disparities with programs geared toward LGBTQ communities.

Equality Ohio is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that advocates for full legislative equality for the
LGBTQ community in Ohio.

Equitas Health is a not-for-profit community-based healthcare system in Columbus that specializes in working with the LGBTQ community and people living with HIV/AIDS.

The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN Columbus) works to ensure safe schools for ALL students, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Greater Columbus Empowerment Center (GCMC) is a community center that offers HIV/STD testing, social events and counseling for same-gender-loving men of color and their allies.

Helping Us Emerge (HUE), works to empower LGBTQ people of color by developing leaders who possess the skills, political consciousness, and sense of self-worth necessary to be effective agents of change and builders of community.

Kaleidoscope Youth Center (KYC) works in partnership with young people ages 12-20 in Central Ohio to create safe and empowering environments for LGBTQ youth through advocacy, education and support.

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) Columbus is committed to advancing equality through its mission of support, education, and advocacy. Meetings times are listed on their website.

Queer Behavior works to unite the Columbus queer community by creating fun, interesting, and educational queer programming and community events.

Stonewall is Central Ohio's LGBT Community Center. Programming includes social groups, therapeutic and
support groups, counseling, HIV/STI testing, and the annual Columbus Pride Parade.

TransOhio serves the Ohio transgender and ally communities by providing services, education, support and
advocacy, which promotes and improves the health, safety and life experience of Ohio transgender
individuals and community.

National Resources

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) LGBT Project strives to protect the rights of LGBT individuals through legal advocacy, including protecting rights of LGBTQ youth at school, advocating for non-discrimination laws, advancing LGBT access to healthcare, and protecting the rights of LGBTQ parents and families.

The Center for Black Equity’s mission is to promote a multinational LGBT network dedicated to improving health and wellness opportunities, economic empowerment, and equal rights. The organization offers programming geared toward LGBT people of color and their allies.

Human Rights Campaign (HRC) advocates on behalf of LGBT Americans, mobilizes grassroots actions in diverse communities, invests strategically to elect fair-minded individuats to office, and educates the public about LGBT issues.

The National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) is a non-profit social justice organization dedicated to advancing the equality of transgender people through advocacy, collaboration, and empowerment.

The Trevor Project is the country's leading voice on LGBTQ youth suicide prevention. They offer a free 24-hour crisis prevention hotline for LGBTQ youth and educational programming for youth and educators around bullying and crisis prevention.

Additional Resources

Websites for Learning More About Gender, Sexuality & Social Justice

Full List of LGBTQIA+ Terms

Asexual Visibility and Education Network — "The world's largest online asexual community as well as a large archive of resources on asexuality."

Bisexual.org — "A voice to the bisexual community, share accurate information, answer questions, and provide resources for further learning."

Everyday Feminism —  "Learn how to heal from and stand up to everyday violence, discrimination, and marginalization," with plenty of articles about class, gender, LGBTQIA issues, and race.

Get Real — "Comprehensive Sex Education That Works.”

It's Pronounced Metrosexual — An online resource educating on issues of identity, sexuality, gender, privilege, and oppression, but in a fun, approachable way (by Safe Zone Project co-creator, Sam Killermann).

Soul Force — Family that travels and does speaking events, have a ton of materials on their site, and do an “equality ride" (super cool), all from a Christian perspective.

TransWhat? —  "A Guide Towards [Trans] Allyship"

Transgender Victims of Sexual Assault — “Statistics documenting transgender people's experience of sexual violence...”

We Are The Youth — "Sharing stories of LGBTQ youth in the United States."

Organizations Doing Good

Consider these organizations and projects to have the SZP-check-mark-of-approval. We strongly encourage you give them your support — whether that's in time, donations, or just spreading awareness.

Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLADD) — "GLAAD works with print, broadcast and online news sources to bring people powerful stories from the LGBT community that build support for equality."

Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) —  "Every day GLSEN works to ensure that LGBT students are able to learn and grow in a school environment free from bullying and harassment."

Family Acceptance Project — "Research, intervention, education and policy initiative that works to prevent health and mental health risks for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) children and youth, including suicide, homelessness and HIV — in the context of their families."

It Gets Better Project — "The It Gets Better Project's mission is to communicate to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth around the world that it gets better, and to create and inspire the changes needed to make it better for them."

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force — "The mission of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is to build the power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community from the ground up.” They also run Creating Change the "largest annual gathering of LGBTQ activists, organizers, and leaders within the LGBT movement" in the US.

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) National is committed to advancing equality through its mission of support, education, and advocacy. Meetings times are listed on their website.

The “Not All Like That” (NALT) Project — Videos of (awesome) Christians (mostly families) explaining how they fully support LGBTQ people and that being Christian shouldn't mean being anti-gay.

The Religious institute — Religious Institute is a multifaith organization dedicated to advocating for sexual health, education, and justice in faith communities and society.

Transgender Law Center — "Transgender Law Center works to change law, policy, and attitudes so that all people can live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination regardless of their gender identity or expression."

The Trevor Project — "Crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ youth."

Want even more resources?

Head to The Safe Zone Project resources to find more!

 

Thanks to Columbus State Community College's Global Diversity and Inclusion Center for compiling these resources.