Family and Parenting
Coming Out with Care: An E-Care Package from My Kid Is Gay
Our free e-care package sends advice, resources, and self-care tips all directly to your inbox! Included in the care package: a welcome video by My Kid Is Gay co-founder Kristin Russo, a list of frequently asked questions for parents of newly-out LGBTQIA young people; a free excerpt from This Is a Book for Parents of Gay Kids (Chronicle, 2014); and self-care tools like a guided journaling page, coloring page, and music playlist!
Breathe, Learn, Act: An E-Care Package for Parents & Loved Ones of Trans Youth
A free e-care package specifically for parents and loved ones of trans young people, including advice on common queries such as “How do I support my child while also keeping them safe?” “What do I tell other people?” and “How do I reconcile my child’s identity with my religion?” as well as a list of curated trans and non-binary support organizations, two worksheets designed to help parents and loved ones communicate with their kid and prepare for conversations with others, a guided journaling page, a coloring page designed by artist Ashanti Fortson, and a mixtape curated by musician Laura Jane Grace!
This project focuses its efforts on how a supportive family can greatly decrease the risks for LGBTQ youth. It conducts research, education, and policy initiatives, and offers inter- vention and counseling.
Family Equality Council connects, supports, and represents the three million parents who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer in this country and their six million children.
The Keshet Parent & Family Connection
This program is for parents and family members of LGBTQ Jews, with chapters across the country. They offer one on one mentoring, support, and, for parents who are ready, advocacy.
Resources, information, perspectives and connections for supporting families, caregivers and other important people in the lives of children and youth of diverse gender identities, gender expressions, and sexual orientations.
PFLAG National 202-467-8180 or info@pflag.org
The nation’s largest family and ally organization. Made up of parents, families, friends, and allies united with people who are LGBTQ, PFLAG is committed to advancing equality and societal affirmation of LGBTQ people through its mission of support, education, and advocacy.
My Kid Is Gay: Defining Series
An ongoing series in which we define and explain various LGBTQIA identities and terms in a simple, easy to understand format.
This Is a Book for Parents of Gay Kids, by Kristin Russo and Dannielle Owens-Reid. New York: Chronicle Books, 2014.
A question-and-answer guide for parents of LGBTQ children, written by the cofounders of My Kid Is Gay. This is a go-to resource for all parents that tackles issues of coming out, identity, gender, sleepovers, and so much more.
Founded by two moms from the San Francisco Bay Area with Latino gay and bisexual sons in 2007 to reach out to other families.
An online resource for families of LGBT people, created by the Association for Family and Community Integrity in Houston, Texas.
Leadership, protection, and promotion of Latino|Hispanic LGBT rights--the only organization of its kind since 2002.
TransPACT: Parent Support Group
Tony Ferraiolo is a transgender activist and speaker. His website has links to his coaching experience, documentary, and contact information to schedule a keynote presentation.
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BULLYING
National online community and resource network committed to student leaders and campus organizations. Extensive information, resources, and products.
Facts About Cyberbullying and How to Stop It
A step-by-step guide on how to identify cyberbullying, and how to help if your child is experiencing it.
LGBTQ Friendly Colleges & Student Resources
Affordable Colleges Online provides resources, tips, and guidelines for finding an LGBTQ inclusive college, including experts' opinions on what makes a campus LGBTQ friendly.
Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
National education organization that works to ensure safe schools for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.
LGBTQ Student Resources & Support
A guide for LGBTQ students to find support and resources when experiencing bullying or discrimination both at the high school and college levels.
Safe Schools Coalition Crisis hotline: 877-723-3723
An international presence that offers information, resources, and skill-based training for students, educators, and community members seeking to create safer schools for LGBTQ youth.
Stop Bullying U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services Lifeline: 800-273-8255
A U.S. government website that hosts information from various government agencies about bullying and cyberbullying.
Understanding Cyberbullying In College
Affordable Colleges Online has created an in depth guide on cyberbullying. Through videos, analysis, and resources, this guide explains what cyberbullying is and what to do if you or are child becomes the victim of cyberbullying.
Jeff Perrotti has dedicated a lot of his life to creating a safe environment for LGBT kids at school. His website offers a plethora of resources for schools as well as documentaries, news stories, and essays about bullying.
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Gender
National Center for Transgender Equality
Leading organization that focuses on legal rights for transgender people.
TYFA empowers children and families by partnering with educators, service providers and communities, to develop supportive environments in which gender may be expressed and respected. They provide numerous resources for parents, available online and in printable PDF form.
Trans Youth Equality Foundation
TYEF was started by a mother of a transgender child. Their mission is provide support and advocate for intersex, transgender, and gender non-conforming youth. The foundation has yearly youth retreats, workshops, and training for educational and medical professionals.
Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF)
Committed to ending discrimination based upon gender identity and expression and to achieving equality for transgender people through public education, test-case litigation, direct legal services, and public policy efforts.
Health
Trans Lifeline (877) 565-8860
National trans-led 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving the quality of trans lives by responding to the critical needs of the community with direct service, material support, advocacy, and education.
A national initiative to connect communities—LGBT people and our families, friends, and allies—with the new health insurance coverage options available under the Affordable Care Act
Aims to create, maintain, and share resources that educate and empower the trans community in health care spaces.
To Read
A Quick and Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Trans (But Were Afraid to Ask)
The Gender Book An online book that explains gender in an inclusive and comprehensive way; accessible for any age.
Love Lives Here by Amanda Jette Knox
My Daughter He: Transitioning With Our Transgender Children, by Candace Waldron. Stone Circle Press, 2014. Both a story and a resource, this book was written by a mother reflecting on her own difficult journey to accept her child. Waldron explores the labyrinthine path many parents travel: supporting their child’s authentic self-expression while experiencing deep-seated emotions of their own.
Raising My Rainbow by Lori Duron on her family's adventures raising a gender non-conforming son.
Real Queer America: LGBT Stories From Red States
This is a Book for Parents of Gay Kids
Transgender 101: A Simple Guide to a Complex Issue, by Nicholas M. Teich. New York: Columbia University Press, 2012 Introduces many topics surround- ing transgender people, including the psychological, physical, and social processes transgender people undergo; the unique experiences of transgender people; and the complexities of gender.
Transgender 101: A Guide to Gender and Identity to Help You Keep Up with the Conversation
Transgender History (Seal Studies), by Susan Stryker. Berkeley, CA: Seal Press, 2008. An examination of transgender history from the midtwentieth century to current times.
Transitions of the Heart: Stories of Love, Struggle and Acceptance by Mothers of Transgender and Gender Variant Children, edited by Rachel Pepper. Berkeley, CA: Cleis Press, 2012. A collection of stories by mothers of trans* children about their experiences with their child’s gender transition.
Trans-Kin: A Guide for Family and Friends of Transgender People (Volume 1), edited by Eleanor A. Hubbard and Cameron T. Whitley. Winter Park, FL: Bolder Press, 2012. An anthology of stories by friends, family, and allies of transgender people about their experiences.
To Watch
Gendernauts: A Journey Through Shifting Identities, by Monika Traut. New York: First Run Fea- tures, 1999. Follows the lives of a group of trans* people living outside of their prescribed gender identities. Participants include performance artist Annie Sprinkle and Internet activist Sandy Stone.
Transgeneration, by Jeremy Simmons and Thairin Smothers. Sundance Channel, 2005. Eight-episode documentary series depicting the lives of four transgender college students as they transition.
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Legal Rights
An advocacy organization that encourages and helps individuals get involved in their community in order to fight for LGBTQ rights.
Jim Adler Law Resources for the LGBT Community
A comprehensive list of legal resources available to the LGBT community around issues of employment, housing, and more.
Lambda Legal The oldest and largest national, LGBTQ-focused legal organization, Lambda Legal’s mission is to achieve full recognition of the civil rights of LGBTQ people and those living with HIV through impact litigation, edu- cation, and public policy work.
LGBT Hate Crimes and Resources
A helpful guide that explains hate crimes against the LGBT community, published by Shield Criminal Defense Law.
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force One of the nation’s leading advocacy organizations that works to advance legal rights of the LGBTQ community by training activists, researching and analyzing policy, and keeping the public up to date on legal issues.
Massachusetts Commission for LGBTQ Youth
An independent agency in Massachusetts that advocates for LGBT youth in regard to policies, programs, and resources. Their website also stays up to date with LGBT news.
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Religion
Gay Christian Network 919-786-0000
Provides a variety of resources, from books to documentaries to a musical, about homosexuality and Christianity. The site also offers online discussion forums and other methods of support.
Articles, chat rooms, and resources on being gay and Christian.
Working with Christian parents of LGBTQ kids to help them learn to unconditionally love, accept, and affirm their gay child without sacrificing their faith.
Writing on the intersection of sexual orientation and faith. Additional resources are also available.
Information and resources for gay and lesbian Orthodox Jews.
Organization devoted to changing the hearts and minds of religious leaders who engage in anti-gay campaigns. Published an excellent booklet by Rev. Dr. Mel White called "What the Bible Says, and Doesn't Say, About Homosexuality."
A resource project working on issues related to lesbian, bisexual, and/or transgender women who identify as Muslim religiously and/or culturally.
An online support group dedicated to creating community and acceptance for LDS LGBTQ people and their families.
Books
Homosexuality in Islam: Critical Reflection on Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Muslims, by Scott Siraj al-Haqq Kugle. Oxford, U.K.: Oneworld Publications, 2010. Examines the Koran’s writings about homosexuality, with an end goal of reconciling homosexuality and Islam.
UNFAIR: Christians and the LGBT Question, by John Shore. Seattle: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Forum, 2013. A combination of personal essays by LGBT-identified Christians and essays by Shore about the importance of reconciling homosexuality and Christianity.
What the Bible Really Says about Homosexuality, by Daniel Helminiak. Estancia, NM: Alamo Square Press, 2000. Biblical scholars analyze the Bible, especially the passages often used to condemn homosexuality, to demonstrate that homosexuality and Christianity are not as at odds as many believe.
Films
For The Bible Tells Me So, by Daniel Karslake. New York: First Run Features, 2007. Documentary that follows five families of faith as their child comes out and the family must learn to reconcile homosexuality and Christianity. A study guide can be found online.
A Jihad for Love, written and directed by Parvez Sharma. New York: First Run Features, 2008. Documentary that examines Islam and homosexuality, interviewing people from around the world.
Through My Eyes, directed by Justin Lee. Raleigh, NC: Gay Christian Network, 2009. Documentary that features young Christians who talk about their struggles in accepting their homo- sexuality and reconciling with their faith.
Trembling Before G-D, by Sandi Simcha Dubowski. New York: New Yorker Films, 2001. Documentary that follows lesbian and gay Orthodox Jews who struggle with accepting both their sexuality and their faith.
LGBTQ Places of Worship
This is a generic LGBTQ-friendly search engine for all types of businesses with a specific filter for places of worship.
Institute for Welcoming Resources 612-821-4397
Includes both a search engine for LGBTQ-friendly places of worship and online resources for issues about faith and LGBTQ issues.
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Mental Health
LGBT National Help Center National Hotline: 888-843-4564 Youth Hotline: 800-246-7743
A hotline and online chat service for LGBTQ people, with a specific line dedicated for youth. Anyone can call, even if they are not in crisis.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800-273-8255
A telephone and online chat service for those in crisis, as well as other mental health resources.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services 877-726-4727
An agency within the U.S. Department of Health that offers a variety of resources and centers with focuses on suicide, bullying, substance abuse, and homelessness, including LGBTQ- specific services.
The Trevor Project Lifeline: 866-488-7386
A leading national organization in crisis intervention for LGBTQ youth. Services include a suicide hotline, online chat services, text services, and an LGBTQ youth–specific social networking service.
Trans Lifeline (877) 565-8860
National trans-led 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving the quality of trans lives by responding to the critical needs of the community with direct service, material support, advocacy, and education.
Crisis Text Line Text START to 741-741
This free, confidential, 24/7 hotline is staffed by trained volunteers who will text with you and provide emotional support during times of crisis. To start a text conversation with someone, simply text "START" to 741-741.’
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Sex
Advocates for Youth 202-419-3420
Devoted to youth sexual health. Their services include online and print resources, policy analysis and advocacy, and outreach initiatives around the country.
This Columbia University informational site offers a daily question- and-answer blog about health and sexuality.
Health Initiatives for Youth 415-274-1970
A multicultural organization that provides online and local resources, training, and support/empowerment groups, all focused on physical and mental health. All the services tend to focus on specific issues, one of which is LGBTQ youth.
Healthline partnered with LGBTQ organizations GLSEN and Advocates for Youth to create a truly comprehensive safe sex guide for LGBTQIA youth, tackling topics like gender identity, STIs, consent, preventative care, and more.
National Coalition for Sexual Health
This guide informs men and women of all ages about sexual health. It focuses on the preventative services that can help protect and improve your sexual health and helps you find and talk with a health care provider.
Planned Parenthood Health services: 800-230-7526 Information: 212-541-7800
A leading organization in advocating for and providing sex education and sexual health services. The website includes a health center locator and informational articles.
A plethora of informational articles geared for teens about topics related to healthy sexuality, from anatomy to relationships to sexual politics. Questions about sexuality are answered daily.
Books
S.E.X.: The All-You-Need-To-Know Progressive Sexuality Guide to Get You Through High School and College, by Heather Corinna. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2007. Covers a wide spectrum of topics about sexuality, from anatomy to STIs to misogyny to deciding to live together. The writing is LGBTQ-inclusive.
Talk to Me First, by Deborah Roffman. Da Capo Lifelong Books, 2012. Roffman translates her experiences gleaned from decades of teaching kids and parents, and as a mom, into strategies to help parents become their kids' "go-to" person for talking about sex.
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Keeping Current
Campaign for Southern Equality
A non-profit organization based in Asheville, North Carolina that advocates for LGBTQ equality in the South.
Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)
A leading organization that works with news media, entertainment media, social media, and cultural institutions to shape the public’s view of LGBTQ people.
One of the largest LGBTQ advocacy organizations in the United States. The Resources and Issues sections on the website are very useful for understanding the current status of all LGBTQ rights and for finding additional information.
A website that publishes articles from a variety of viewpoints about LGBTQ issues.
LGBTQ History & Geography
Films
After Stonewall, directed by John Scagliotti. New York: First Run Features, 1999. Documentary that looks at the LGBTQ rights movement between the 1969 Stonewall Riots and the turn of the twenty-first century.
Before Stonewall, directed by John Scagliotti. New York: First Run Features, 1986. Documentary that looks at the LGBTQ rights movement before the Stonewall Riots.
Call Me Kuchu, directed by Malika Zouhali-Worrall and Katherine Fairfax Wright, 2012. Documentary that explores the struggles of the LGBTQ community in Uganda.
Out of the Past: The Struggle for Gay and Lesbian Rights in America, directed and produced by Jeff Dupre, written by Michelle Ferrari. Arlington, VA: PBS, 1998. Documentary that examines LGBTQ political and social movements in America over the last 400 years.
U.S. Books
Making Gay History: The Half Century Fight for Lesbian and Gay Equal Rights, by Eric Marcus. New York: Harper Perennial, 2002. Incorporating accounts from a large variety of voices—from everyday people to Ellen DeGeneres—this book documents the gay civil rights movement over the past fifty years.
Out in the Country: Youth, Media, and Queer Visibility in Rural America (Intersections: Transdisciplinary Perspectives on Genders and Sexualities), Media, and Queer Visibility in Rural America, by Mary L. Gray. New York: NYU Press, 2009. A look at queer life in rural areas, using the author’s personal narratives and expository writing.
Queer America: A People's GLBT History of the United States (New Press People's History), by Vicki L. Eaklor. New York: New Press, 2011. An examination of twentieth century LGBTQ issues and rights, through the lens of LGBTQ people.
Global Perspectives
Love's Rite: Same-Sex Marriage in India and the West, by Ruth Vanita. Basingstoke, U.K.: Pal- grave Macmillan, 2005. Examines the presence of gay marriage in the Hindu foundations of Indian culture and the subtle evolution of opinion regarding homosexuality in India, within the context of the global debate on same-sex marriage.
Tommy Boys, Lesbian Men, and Ancestral Wives: Female Same-Sex Practices in Africa, by Ruth Morgan and Saskia Wieringa. Johannesburg, South Africa: Jacana Media, 2006 Focuses on the prevalence of homo- sexual African women, despite the taboo on homosexuality in most African cultures.
Unspeakable Love: Gay and Lesbian Life in the Middle East, by Brian Whitaker. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006.
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Resources For Your Child
An online resource for young people thinking about graduate school, as well as information on being LGBTQ in the workforce.
Founded in 2009, Camp Aranu-tiq is a fun and safe summer camp for transgender and gender-variant youth who want to be around kids like them. In addition to summer camps, Camp Aranu'tiq offers weekend family get aways and leadership programs for teens.
An LGBTQ youth organization founded by the authors of this book that provides online advice, videos, and resources, and offers an ongoing presence at high schools and universities.
A collection of online videos described as “true stories from gay people all over.”
An organization and online movement that communicates to LGBTQ youth, through shared personal videos, that it gets better, and works to create and inspire the changes needed to make it better for them.
The Laurel Foundation provides educational programming and support for trans and gender nonconforming youth, as well as young people with HIV/AIDS.
45 Scholarships for LGBTQ Students
An online resource that connects LGBTQ students to different scholarships available to them in pursuit of various types of higher education.
A list of scholarships for LGBTQ students at the graduate and PhD level in a variety of subjects, including law, mathematics, business, and social work.
Side by Side 888-644-4390
Side by Side (located in Richmond, Virginia) is a youth community space that offers support groups, drop-in hours, and other programming for LGBTQ youth. For those not in Virginia, they also offer a youth support line at 888-644-4390.
Located in Massachusetts, this mentor program pairs adults with kids aged 7 and older whose lives have been impacted by the foster system. Their mentor relationships last about 5 years which is six times longer than the average mentor/mentee relationship.
Queer Kid Stuff is an educational YouTube series that explains LGBTQIA identities and issues to young children and their parents. Plus, every episode comes with a printable activity sheet!
Youth Guardian Services 877-270-5152
A youth-run nonprofit whose main service is Youth Talk Lines: group e-mail lists that connect LGBTQ and straight supportive youth to talk with each other about anything in a safe space.
Books for Young Children & Teens
For Young Children
A Is for Activist, by Innosanto Nagara. New York: Triangle Square, 2013.
A rhythmic book that explains activism from A to Z!
And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2005. Roy and Silo, two male penguins, unsuccessfully try to start a family until they are given an egg by a zoo- keeper and thus hatch their own daughter.
The Family Book, by Todd Parr. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2010. All sorts of families are depicted in this book, including ones that can have two moms or two dads.
The Harvey Milk Story, by Kari Krakow. Pennsylvania: Two Lives Publishing, 2002. A picture book biography of important gay-rights figure Harvey Milk.
The Princes and the Treasure, by Jeffrey Miles. Handsome Prince Publishing, 2014. A children's picture book that tells the story of two handsome princes who go on a quest to save a princess, but fall in love with each other, get married, and live happily ever after.
My Princess Boy, by Cheryl Kilodavis. New York: Aladdin, 2011. A story about a little boy named Dyson, who loves pink, sparkly things, and wears dresses as well as jeans.
Stella Brings the Family, by Miriam B. Schiffer. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2015. A children's book about a little girl with two daddies who is worried about her class's upcoming Mother's Day party, until her friends suggest she bring her whole family to the party.
George, by Alex Gino. New York: Scholastic Press, 2015. A beautiful story about George, a transgender girl who teams up with her classmate to show her entire class—and the world—who she really is for the first time.
What Makes a Baby, by Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth. New York: Seven Stories Press, 2013. A revolutionary book to answer the question, "Where do babies come from?" that is modern and inclusive of all kinds of families and all kinds of kids.
Sex Is a Funny Word: A Book About Bodies, Feelings, and YOU, by Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth. New York: Seven Stories Press, 2015. From the same folks that created What Makes a Baby, this is a groundbreaking book that tackles sex education for young children in an accessible way that is also inclusive of trans, queer, and intersex identities, as well as different races, abilities, and so much more.
For Teens
The Full Spectrum: A New Generation of Writing About Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, and Other Identities, edited by David Levithan and Billy Merrell. New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2006. Written by a variety of LGBTQ teens and young adults, this anthology of narratives and stories describes many of the possible experiences of growing up as an LGBTQ person.
GLBTQ: The Survival Guide for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Teens, by Kelly Huegel. Minneapolis: Free Spirit Publishing, rev. ed., 2011. Frank information and advice for teens who are questioning their sexuality or have already come out. Topics include coming out, getting support, and the current LGBTQ rights movement.
Lily and Dunkin,by Donna Gephart. New York: Random House Children's Books, 2016. A fictional story about the friendship between Lily, a transgender girl, and Dunkin, a boy struggling with Bipolar Disorder.
Queer: The Ultimate LGBT Guide for Teens, by Kathy Belge and Marke Bieschke. San Francisco: Zest Books, 2011. A comprehensive guide for LGBTQ teens about issues ranging from coming out to relationships to sex, written by two well-known Queer authors.