Online Resources and Websites

This section provides information and copyrighted resources that are available online. You need an active Internet connection to access these resources using the links provided.

Accord Alliance
Accord Alliance's mission is to promote comprehensive and integrated approaches to care that enhance the health and well-being of people and families affected by disorders of sex development by fostering collaboration among all stakeholders.

Advocates for Youth: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning Issues Section
Advocates for Youth champions efforts to help young people make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. Advocates for Youth believes it can best serve the field by boldly advocating for a more positive and realistic approach to adolescent sexual health.

Ambiente Joven
As a project of Advocates for Youth (see description above), Ambiente Joven provides LGBT information and resources in Spanish.

American Journal of Public Health
This is the online portal to scholarly articles published by the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH). AJPH is dedicated to the publication of original work in research, research methods, and program evaluation in the field of public health. The mission of the journal is to advance public health research, policy, practice, and education. Celebrating more than 100 years, AJPH is the official journal of the American Public Health Association. Articles of interest include:

American Psychological Association: Healthy Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Students Project
The Healthy Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Students Project of the American Psychological Association (APA) strengthens the capacity of the nation's schools to prevent the behavioral health risks of students who are LGB. The project focuses on knowledge development, dissemination, and application by working with and through national organizations of school stakeholders.

American Psychological Association: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns Office
The mission of the LGBT Concerns Office of the APA is to advance psychology as a means of (1) improving the health and well-being of individuals who are LGBT; (2) increasing understanding of gender identity and sexual orientation as aspects of human diversity; and (3) reducing stigma, prejudice, discrimination, and violence toward these individuals. The office provides support and guidance to all aspects of APA governance on issues related to its mission, and offers products and services to APA members and others seeking psychological resources to promote beneficial change in society for individuals who are LGBT.

Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Issues in Counseling
As its mission, the Association for LGBT Issues in Counseling recognizes how both individual and social contexts--race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, ability, age, and a spiritual or religious belief system, as well as indigenous heritage--interrelate to promote greater awareness and understanding of LGBT issues among members of the counseling profession and related helping occupations.

Association of Gay and Lesbian Psychiatrists
The Association of Gay and Lesbian Psychiatrists is a community of psychiatrists that educates and advocates on LGBT mental health issues, aims to foster a fuller understanding of LGBT mental health issues, and develops resources to promote LGBT mental health.

Center of Excellence for Transgender Health
The mission of the Center of Excellence for Transgender Health (CoE) is to increase access to comprehensive, effective, and affirming health-care services for trans and gender-variant communities. CoE focuses on improving the overall health and well-being of transgender individuals by developing and implementing programs in response to community-identified needs. CoE also hosts the Primary Care Protocol for Transgender Patient Care, which was developed under the supervision of eight physicians with extensive experience in treating transgender patients. This protocol contains references to additional materials that may be accessed for further study and shared with other providers and support staff to improve treatment capabilities as well as access to care for transgender patients.

Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere (COLAGE)
A national movement of children, youth, and adults with one or more LGBTQ parents, COLAGE builds community and works toward social justice through youth empowerment, leadership development, education, and advocacy.

Creating a Safe and Respectful Environment in Our Nation's Classrooms
Safe and Supportive Schools Technical Assistance Center: The two modules in this training toolkit can help address and reduce bullying in classrooms and schools by helping teachers develop relationships with students and foster positive school climate.

Day of Silence Project
A project of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), the National Day of Silence brings attention to anti-LGBT name calling, bullying, and harassment in schools. Founded in 1996, the Day of Silence has become the largest single student-led action towards creating safer schools for all, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Each year the event has grown, and now hundreds of thousands of students participate to encourage schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBT behavior.

Family Acceptance Project
The Family Acceptance Project (FAP) is a community research, intervention, and education initiative to study the impact of family acceptance and rejection on the health, mental health, and well-being of youth who are LGBT. The project's results are the basis for resources to help families provide support for youth who are LGBT. In addition, as part of its research-based family intervention approach, FAP has a free family video series that is an important education and training resource. These videos 1) give ethnically and religiously diverse families hope and model family support; 2) show the journey of diverse families from struggle to support of their LGBT children; 3) are a prevention (suicide, substance abuse, etc.) and support resource to promote well-being; and 4) are a professional training and clinical intervention resource.

Gay & Lesbian Medical Association
The Gay & Lesbian Medical Association aims to ensure equality in health care for individuals who are LGBT and their health-care providers. It offers resources including a provider directory.

Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network
The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) works to ensure safe schools for all students, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. More than 40 GLSEN chapters exist around the country. Chapters work closely with the network's national staff to implement programs and keep national staff informed of local events. They also work to address a variety of subjects and issues, from public policy to teacher training to supporting students and educators around the country.

Gay-Straight Alliance Network
The Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) Network is a youth leadership organization that connects school-based GSAs to each other and community resources. Through peer support, leadership development, and training, the GSA Network supports young people in starting, strengthening, and sustaining GSAs. The network also builds the capacity of GSAs to: (1) create safe environments in schools for students to support each other and learn about homophobia and other oppressions; (2) educate school communities about homophobia, gender identity, and sexual orientation issues; and (3) fight discrimination, harassment, and violence in schools.

Gay Straight Alliance for Safe Schools: Resources for Educators
Provides publications, tools, and resources to help educators create supportive school environments for LGBTQ students.

Gender Education and Advocacy
Gender Education and Advocacy is a national organization focused on the needs, issues, and concerns of individuals who are gender variant. It seeks to educate and advocate for all individuals who experience gender-based oppression in all of its many forms.

Gender Spectrum
Gender Spectrum provides education, training, and support to help create a gender sensitive and inclusive environment for all children and teens, including those who are gender variant (i.e., children/teens who do not identify with their birth-assigned gender).

GLBT National Youth Talkline (800-246-PRIDE or 800-246-7743)
The GLBT National Youth Talkline provides telephone and e-mail peer counseling, as well as factual information and local resources. Telephone volunteers who are in their teens and early 20s speak with teens and young adults up to age 25 about coming-out issues, relationship concerns, parent issues, school problems, HIV/AIDS anxiety, safer sex information, and other concerns.

GLBTNearMe.org
With 15,000 accessible resources, GLBTNearMe.org represents the nation’s largest collection of LGBT resources, services, and organizations on the web. The site features a search tool that allows users to find local resources in their communities by entering their zip code, how many miles they are willing to travel, and a specific search topic.

GLSEN Local School Climate Survey
To meet demand from local members, GLSEN developed two versions of the GLSEN Local School Climate Survey (LSCS) to measure school climate for LGBTQ youth at the school, school district, or community levels. These surveys follow a model similar to the National School Climate Survey. The LSCS provides users with a sample participant letter, tips for conducting a LSCS, and a survey form. Keywords= education, educational environment, safety, safe space, school climate, surveys

GLSEN’s Transgender Student Rights Page
Transgender Student Rights is a grassroots student-created organization, dedicated to creating safe schools for all, regardless of gender identity and expression. The webpage provides resources for youth who want to lead initiatives in their schools to protect transgender student rights or just learn about the issues.

The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People: Building a Foundation for Better Understanding
This landmark report, from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (2011), documents the status of research on LGBT health, including research related to childhood and adolescence. There are five priority areas identified for future research by the National Institutes of Health specifically, as well as other individuals and organizations contributing to research on LGBT populations.

Helping Families Support Their Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Children
(2009, National Center for Cultural Competence, Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development): This 12-page practice brief was developed for families, caretakers, advocates, and providers to provide basic information to support LGBT children. Written by Caitlin Ryan, Ph.D., it shares some of the critical new research from the Family Acceptance Project (FAP) at San Francisco State University. This important research shows that families have a major impact on their LGBT children's health, mental health, and well-being; and gives families and LGBT youth hope that ethnically, religiously, and socially diverse families, parents, and caregivers can become more supportive of their LGBT children.

Homelessness Resource Center: Homeless Populations: LGBTQI2-S Youth
On this topic page of the Homelessness Resource Center, homeless service providers can access tools, such as best practices for serving youth who are LGBTQI2-S and assessing an organization's preparedness for working with this vulnerable youth population.

Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the largest national LGBT civil rights organization. HRC envisions an America where LGBT people are ensured of their basic equal rights, and can be open, honest, and safe at home, at work, and in the community. HRC provides a range of resources and supports the Welcoming Schools Project.

It Gets Better Project
The It Gets Better Project provides an opportunity for the public to submit user-created videos so that (1) children and youth who are LGBT can see with their own eyes how love and happiness can be a reality for them, (2) adults who are LGBT can share the stories of their lives, and (3) straight allies can add their names in solidarity with this effort. The website has received thousands of submissions, including videos from celebrities, organizations, activists, politicians, and media personalities, such as President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

Just Evelyn
Mom, I Need to be a Girl by Just Evelyn is an online e-book that tells the true story of one young transgender girl's transition from the perspective of her supportive mother. (This link will open a PDF file in a new window.)

Lambda Legal (866-LGBTeen or 866-542-8336)
Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of individuals who are LGBT and those with HIV through impact litigation, education, and public policy. Lambda Legal produces various publications and its Out-of-Home Care Project raises awareness and advances reform on behalf of youth who are LGBTQ in child welfare, juvenile justice, and homeless systems of care. Adults or youth can contact Lambda Legal with questions or concerns related to discrimination of youth on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or HIV status in foster care settings, the juvenile justice system, or homeless shelters.

Lambda Legal- What To Do If You're Bullied Infographic
This infographic outlines steps LGBTQ youth, and those who are perceived as LGBTQ, could take to protect themselves from harrassment at school.

National Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Addiction Professionals (NAGLAP)
The National Association of Lesbian, Gay, BIsexual, Transgender Addiction Professionals and Their Allies (NAGLAP) is a membership organization dedicated to the prevention and treatment of alcoholism, substance abuse, and other addictions in LGBT communities. NAGLAP aims to confront all forms of oppression and discriminatory practices in the delivery of services to all people and to advocate for programs and services that affirm all genders and sexual orientations. NALGAP provides information, training, networking, and advocacy about addiction and related problems, and support for those engaged in the health professions, individuals in recovery, and others concerned about the health of gender and sexual minorities.

National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)

National Center for Lesbian Rights
The National Center for Lesbian Rights is a legal organization committed to advancing the civil and human rights of individuals who are LGBT and their families through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education.

National Center for Transgender Equality
The National Center for Transgender Equality is a social justice organization devoted to ending discrimination and violence against individuals who are transgender. The center provides education and advocacy on national issues of importance to these individuals.

National Coalition for LGBT Health
The National Coalition for LGBT Health is committed to improving the health and well-being of individuals who are LGBT through research, policy, education, and training. The coalition supports the annual LGBT Health Awareness Week to bring issues of LGBT health into the public discourse.

National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections: LGBTQ Issues and Child Welfare Webpage
The website of the National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections (NRCPFC) at the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College has a webpage on LGBTQ Issues and Child Welfare that provides resources on children, youth, and parents who are LGBTQ. Resources include information packets, PowerPoint presentations, and links to relevant websites.

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) promotes the health and well-being of individuals who are LGBT, their families, and friends through: (1) support, to cope with a society that presents challenges to individuals who are LGBT; (2) education, to enlighten those lacking information about individuals who are LGBT; and (3) advocacy, to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights. PFLAG provides opportunity for dialogue about sexual orientation and gender identity, and acts to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity.

PBS Sex: Unknown
A PBS website on sex and gender development and the intersex spectrum.

Poverty and Race Research Action Council
The Poverty & Race Research Action Council (PRRAC) is a civil rights policy organization convened by major civil rights, civil liberties, and antipoverty groups in 1989-1990. PRRAC's primary mission is to help connect advocates with social scientists working on race and poverty issues, and to promote a research-based advocacy strategy on structural inequality issues. One publication of interest from PRRAC is Poverty, Race and LGBT Youth (2005).

Practice Parameter on Gay, Lesbian, or Bisexual Sexual Orientation, Gender Nonconformity, and Gender Discordance in Children and Adolescents
Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (2012) Discusses the important role mental health professionals play in the healthy development of gay, lesbian, bisexual, gender nonconforming, and gender discordant youth and the factors that influence sexual orientation and gender non-conformity. Reviews related practice principles, issues of cultural competence, research needs, and ethics. Available directly on the Web site of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Promoting Cultural Diversity and Cultural and Linguistic Competency: Self-Assessment Checklist for Personnel Providing Services and Supports to LGBTQ Youth and their Families
(2012, National Center for Cultural Competence, Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development) This self-assessment checklist is intended to heighten the awareness and sensitivity in working with LGBTQ youth and their families, stressing the importance of cultural diversity and cultural competence in human service settings. This assessment includes questions about the physical environment, materials, and resources; communication practices; and personnel values and attitudes. The checklist is also part of a Brookes Publishing volume, Improving Emotional & Behavioral Outcomes for LGBT Youth: A Guide for Professionals.

Providing Services and Supports for Youth Who Are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Intersex, or Two-Spirit
(2008, National Center for Cultural Competence, Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development): This 8-page practice brief is intended for policymakers, administrators, and providers seeking to learn more about (1) youth who are LGBTQI2-S and (2) how to develop culturally and linguistically competent programs and services to meet their needs and preferences. Authored by Jeffrey Poirier, Karen Francis, Sylvia Fisher, Kristin Williams-Washington, Tawara Goode, and Vivian Jackson.

The Red Circle Project
The Red Circle Project is a cultural network for the Native-American gay/two-spirit community and provides various resources including training materials and links to Native LGBT and two-spirit social and cultural groups in urban and island areas.

Safe Schools Coalition
The Safe Schools Coalition is an international public-private partnership to support youth who are LGBT. The coalition works to help schools become safe places where every family can belong, every educator can teach, and every child can learn, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.

Somos Familia
Somos Familia supports Latino families with children who are LGBT and conducts educational activities to foster family and community acceptance. The group was started by two mothers to support other families with similar experiences.

Straight for Equality
Straight for Equality is a national outreach and education project created by PFLAG National to empower allies in supporting and advocating for LGBTQI2-S individuals.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) LGBT-Focused Efforts
Designed to give a quick overview of SAMHSA’s efforts to prioritize the LGBT community as a specific population of focus. The site provides links to SAMHSA’s resources, as well as other Federal and behavioral health initiatives and tools.

Trans Student Equality Resources
Provides information graphics, posters, policy examples, and other resources to signal safe spaces for, and provide information about, transgender and gender-variant youth. The graphics and resources can be easily downloaded, printed, or shared on Facebook and Twitter.

Trans Youth Family Allies
Trans Youth Family Allies empowers children and families by partnering with educators, service providers, and communities, to develop supportive environments in which gender may be expressed and respected.

The Trevor Project LGBT Suicide Prevention Hotline (866-4-U-Trevor or 866-488-7386)
The Trevor Project is the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among youth who are LGBTQ. It operates the only accredited, nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention helpline for youth who are LGBTQ. The Trevor Project also facilitates Trevorspace, a peer social networking site for LGBTQ youth and their allies;Ask Trevor, an online forum through which youth can anonymously ask experts questions about sexuality and gender issues; Trevorchat, an online messaging service that allows youth in crisis to live chat with volunteers who can provide support; and the Lifeguard Workshop Program, which educates participants through a structured curriculum about recognizing and responding to the warning signs of depression and suicide.

Truechild.org
TrueChild helps donors, policymakers, and practitioners reconnect race, socioeconomic status, and gender through "gender transformative" approaches that challenge rigid gender norms and inequities. This includes a focus on the impact of gender on at-risk communities (e.g., individuals of color or who are LGBTQ). They provide expertise and resources to policymakers and non-profit organizations to increase the efficacy of their work.

True Colors
True Colors works to create a world where youth, adults and families of all sexual orientations and gender identities are valued and affirmed. It provides education, training, advocacy, youth leadership development, mentoring, and direct services as well as a conference (in March of each year) with youth and professionals in Storrs, Connecticut.

True Colors Fund and the Forty to None Project
The True Colors Fund was co-founded by Cyndi Lauper to inspire and engage everyone, especially straight people, to become active participants in the advancement of equality for all and to raise awareness about and bring an end to LGBT youth homelessness. The Forty to None Project is carrying out extensive set of programs and initiatives around the areas of education, advocacy, empowerment, capacity building, and inclusion. The project’s webpage includes a search engine to identify local runaway and homeless youth providers that are welcoming and inclusive. The website also has best practice and other resources for community and providers.

The World Professional Association for Transgender Health, Inc.
The World Professional Association for Transgender Health is an international, multidisciplinary professional association that promotes evidence-based care, education, research, advocacy, public policy, and respect for the health of individuals who are transgender.

YES Institute
The YES Institute aims to prevent suicide and ensure the healthy development of all youth through powerful communication, resources, and education on gender and orientation.

YouthResource
Created by and for youth who are LGBTQ, YouthResource takes a holistic approach to sexual health and issues of concern for these youth.