Pennsylvania Trans Resources
Statewide
ACLU of PA (www.aclupa.org) The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, membership organization dedicated to defending and expanding individual rights and personal freedoms throughout the entire state of Pennsylvania. Through advocacy, public education and litigation, our staff and volunteers work to preserve and enhance liberties grounded in the United States and Pennsylvania constitutions and civil rights laws. Among those liberties are freedoms of speech, religion and association; the right to petition the government; separation of church and state; the right to privacy; reproductive freedom; due process of law; the rights of the accused; and the right to equal treatment under the law.
Equality PA (www.equalitypa.org) Founded in 1996 as The Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights, Equality Pennsylvania is the leading statewide advocacy organization in the Commonwealth dedicated to achieving equality for all LGBT Pennsylvanians. The Equality Pennsylvania family of organizations consists of Equality Pennsylvania, a 501(c)(4) organization focused specifically on advocacy, coalition- building, and organizing, and the Equality Pennsylvania Educational Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to achieve equality for LGBT Pennsylvanians through outreach, education, and policy reform. Equality PA PAC is also part of the organization's electoral work.
Keystone Progress (www.keystoneprogress.org) Keystone Progress is Pennsylvania's largest and most effective online activist network and progressive organization with over 250,000 email subscribers. Get involved in your local chapter: Philadelphia, Lancaster, and Erie.
Pennsylvania Transgender Survey 2015 (www.transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/usts/PA-USTS-Report.pdf) The 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey (USTS) is the largest survey examining the experiences of transgender people in the United States, with 27,715 respondents nationwide. The USTS was conducted by the National Center for Transgender Equality in the summer of 2015. Of respondents in the USTS, 1,171 were Pennsylvania residents. This report discusses the experiences of respondents living in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Youth Congress (www.payouthcongress.org) Founded in April 2011 by Pennsylvania students, the Pennsylvania Youth Congress is Pennsylvania’s first and only statewide LGBTQ youth advocacy organization. As young Pennsylvania leaders, we work to empower ourselves through meaningful community engagement and effective advocacy. The Pennsylvania Youth Congress was initially established as The Pennsylvania Student Equality Coalition. Our name was changed in May 2015 to better reflect our work on state-level public policy. Our framework and values come directly from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the leading youth arm of the civil rights movement of the 1960s. PYC explicitly works to support an inclusive and affirming youth community for all young leaders to efficiently communicate and collaborate.
PFLAG (www.pflag.org) Groups are currently operating in Allentown, Danville, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Indiana, Kulpsville, Media, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, West Chester, and York, as well as in Bucks & Berks counties. PFLAG offers a 400+ chapter network which provides confidential peer support, education and advocacy to communities in nearly all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Our 200,000+ members and supporters cross multiple generations of American families in major urban centers, small cities, and rural areas. PFLAG has been saving lives, strengthening families, changing hearts, minds and laws since 1972.
Planned Parenthood (www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-keystone/community-health-education-services/lgbtqa-programs) Planned Parenthood Keystone sponsors three programs for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Queer, Asexual & Allied + (LGBTQA+) youth ages 14 to 21. Our LGBTQA+ youth groups provide a safe, supportive and empowering environment for LGBTQA+ youth. In our programs, youth can be themselves and experience the freedom of knowing they are accepted totally and without reservation. Our weekly meetings facilitated by trained Planned Parenthood educators feature a blend of education, recreation and advocacy. Program topics include sexuality education, life skills, LGBTQA+ history, guest speakers, game nights and activities to promote health, wellness and a strong sense of belonging within LGBTQA+ communities and the world. Our programs are confidential, free and provide a space where LGBTQA+ youth can learn, build support networks and have fun. The Rainbow Room meets every Wednesday from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at 181 E. Court St. in Doylestown, PA. The Curve meets every Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at 728 S. Beaver St. in York, PA. The Spectrum meets every Wednesday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 48 South 4th St., Reading, PA.
Philadelphia
The Attic Youth Center (www.atticyouthcenter.org) The Attic creates opportunities for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) youth to develop into healthy, independent, civic-minded adults within a safe and supportive community, and promotes the acceptance of LGBTQ youth in society. The Attic is proud to be Philadelphia's only independent LGBTQ youth center. The Attic offers a variety of programming and activities for LGBTQ youth and youth allies all in a safe and supportive space, as well as education services to organizations through innovative and engaging workshops and trainings.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Gender and Sexuality Development Clinic (www.chop.edu/centers-programs/gender-and-sexuality-development-clinic) The Gender and Sexuality Development Clinic offers medical and psychosocial support for gender variant, gender non- conforming and transgender children and youth up to 21 years of age and their families. They provide consultation and training for providers and organizations interested in learning how to serve the needs of gender variant youth. The multidisciplinary team — led by Nadia Dowshen, MD, Linda Hawkins, PhD, LPC, and Wilma Rossi, MD, MBE — includes pediatric specialists in gender, adolescent medicine, endocrinology, and mental health.
COLOURS (www.coloursorganization.org) The COLOURS Organization was founded in 1991 and started as a social justice oriented magazine, discussing issues of importance to Black LGBT communities. At its peak, the printed magazine was distributed across the country and had a distribution of a few thousand copies per issue. This was significant for a grass roots organization to achieve, that was creating content and distributing the magazine in house. The organization eventually developed into a funded organization where it began providing health and wellness services for Black lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals.
Hearts on a Wire (www.scribd.com/user/78046739/Hearts-on-a-Wire) We are trans and gender variant people building a movement for gender self-determination, racial and economic justice, and an end to policing and imprisoning our communities.
The Leeway Foundation (www.leeway.org) The Leeway Foundation supports women and trans* artists and cultural producers working in communities at the intersection of art, culture, and social change. Through our grantmaking and other programs we promote artistic expression that amplifies the voices of those on the margins, promotes sustainable and healthy communities, and works in the service of movements for economic and social justice.
LGBT Home for Hope (www.facebook.com/LGBTQHome4Hope) The LGBTQ Home for Hope's mission is to provide each participant with an opportunity to avoid homelessness, stabilize, find recovery and be responsible for that recovery, and to experience life in a safe setting that promotes growth and transition into a vested lifestyle of sustainable recovery. In cooperation and collaboration with the community, other agencies and treatment
providers we act as an affordable housing resource for Inpatient and Outpatient (treatment facilities) as well as for those individuals experiencing difficulty re-entering into the community from the criminal justice system. Long term success is defined when single adults retain permanent housing and are entirely self-sufficient. Our goal is to impact the understanding of transitional living as a poverty-based issue by advocating and educating the public about the number of individuals needing shelter and services due to poverty.
Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club (www.libertycity.org) Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club is an advocacy organization which builds political power for the Philadelphia area Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community through involvement within the Democratic Party. Liberty City's primary objectives are to: Register, educate and mobilize lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) voters; Elect openly LGBT candidates for public and party office; Support LGBT-friendly candidates and work to oust anti-gay office holders; Promote legislative issues of importance to the LGBT community; Provide a forum for LGBT voters to meet candidates and officeholders.
Mazzoni Center (www.mazzonicenter.org) Mazzoni Center is the only health care provider in the Philadelphia region specifically targeting the unique health care needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. It was founded in 1979 as an all-volunteer clinic to serve the needs of sexual minorities in Philadelphia. When the first cases of HIV/AIDS began to appear in the early 1980s, the organization quickly responded, becoming the oldest AIDS service organization in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the fourth-oldest in the nation. As it grew and evolved to meet the needs of our constituents, Mazzoni Center combined HIV/AIDS-related services with a broad continuum of health care and supportive services, which include: outreach, prevention, education, direct medical and care services, psychosocial services, legal services, and support groups. The Mazzoni Center offers pediatric and adolescent transgender services (PACTS program), street outreach services and peer support (Trans Wellness Project), leadership development (Sisterly LOVE), free drop-in medical care (TRUE Care Clinic), and trans support groups (TRIP, New Bois Club, Evolutions).
Pennsylvania AIDS Law Project (www.aidslawpa.org) Founded in 1988, the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania is a nonprofit public-interest law firm providing free legal assistance to people living with HIV and AIDS and those affected by the epidemic. We are still the nation’s only independent public-interest law firm dedicated to HIV and AIDS. We serve all of Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey from our offices in Philadelphia and Camden County, NJ, educating the public about AIDS-related legal issues, training case management professionals to become better advocates for their HIV-positive clients, and working at local, state and national levels to achieve fair laws and policies. We are committed to breaking the physical and linguistic barriers that often impede access to legal services. We make home and hospital visits to clients too ill to travel to our offices. Our bilingual staff serve our clients in the language they feel most comfortable speaking.
Philadelphia Family Pride (www.philadelphiafamilypride.org) A non-profit membership organization for LGBTQ-led families in the greater Philadelphia region. Our mission is to build community for LGBTQ parents, prospective parents, grandparents and our kids of all ages – including young adults, youth, kids, toddlers and infants. We support our families in the greater Philadelphia region through advocacy, education and family-centered events. We strive to create a fun, reflective and supportive environment where our diverse identities are valued and nurtured while working to promote a more just world.
Philadelphia FIGHT (www.fight.org) Philadelphia FIGHT is a comprehensive health services organization providing primary care, consumer education, research, and advocacy for people living with HIV/AIDS and those at high risk. Our Community Health Centers provide culturally competent comprehensive primary care, and state of the art HIV primary care to low income members of the community, along with research, consumer education, advocacy, social services and outreach to people living with HIV and those who are at high risk, including family members, communities with high rates of HIV, formerly incarcerated persons, and young people at risk; and access to the most advanced clinical research in HIV treatment and prevention. Programs include: AIDS Education Month, the AIDS Library, medical and dental services, HCV treatment, digital literacy training, clinical research trials, behavioral health services, PrEP, community advocacy training, treatment navigation, IOP recovery services, women’s health, transgender health, youth services, case management, drop-in services, pediatric and adolescent health, research, and services for incarcerated individuals and those reintegrating into the community.
Philadelphia Trans Health Conference (www.mazzonicenter.org/trans-health) The mission of the Philadelphia Trans Health Conference (PTHC) is to educate and empower trans individuals on issues of health and well-being; educate and inform allies and health service providers; and facilitate networking, community-building, and systemic change. PTHC strives to create an accessible and respectful environment that is inclusive of diverse gender-identities and expressions as well as inclusive of diverse opinions and ideas. While PTHC is a program of the Mazzoni Center, which provides staff and logistical support for the event, the conference is a community-led effort. Workshops are reviewed and selected by working groups made up of community members focused on different areas, like sexuality, aging, faith, and self-care. As much as possible, PTHC strives to ensure that the conference addresses the diverse needs of all people who identify as trans or beyond the binary gender system, as well as our partners, families, and allies. In addition, in an effort to increase the availability of quality, culturally-competent care for transgender communities, PTHC also provides a Professional Development track for medical providers, behavioral health professionals, and lawyers. PTHC is committed to making the conference as inclusive and accessible as possible. Therefore, the conference charges no general registration fee.
Prevention Point Philly (www.ppponline.org) Prevention Point Philadelphia is a private nonprofit organization providing harm reduction services to Philadelphia and the surrounding area. Our mission is to promote health, empowerment and safety for communities affected by drug use and poverty. Prevention Point Philadelphia began syringe exchange operations in North Philadelphia in 1991. At the time, PPP was an underground, grassroots outgrowth of the Philadelphia chapter of ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power). PPP was also supported by the Friends neighborhood Guild. At the time, the possession of syringes was illegal in the City of Philadelphia. In 1992, after lobbying efforts by the members of PPP, Mayor Ed Rendell issued an Executive Order (4-92), legalizing the possession of syringes in Philadelphia, overriding the laws of Pennsylvania, which are still in existence today. Since 1992, the breadth of services we provide or community has expanded to include: case management, medical care, overdose prevention education and naloxone distribution. In addition, we offer housing, meals, mail services for the homeless, Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) and legal services. All of these services are provided within a harm reduction philosophy.
Project SAFE (www.projectsafephilly.org) Established in Philadelphia in 2004, Project SAFE is an all-volunteer grassroots organization providing advocacy and support for women working in street economies. SAFE’s mission is to promote human rights-based public health among women working in the sex and drug trades on the street in Philadelphia*. SAFE is an organization dedicated to ensuring the health, safety and
survival of women on the street by providing advocacy, education and support using a harm reduction model. SAFE seeks to reduce the spread of HIV, hepatitis C and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among working women, promote health and safety by empowering women with relevant information and resources, and connect women to programs and services which are appropriate to their needs and interests.
RHD Morris Home (www.rhd.org/morrishome) A program of Resources for Human Development (RHD), the Morris Home is a residential drug and alcohol program in Southwest Philadelphia. As the only program of its kind in the United States, the Morris Home is a recovery-oriented environment that supports trans and gender variant individuals as they develop the knowledge, skills and supports necessary to promote sobriety, manage emotional and behavioral difficulties, choose and maintain safe and healthy lifestyles, and develop healthy relationships with peers, family, and the community. Morris Home provides a safe, recovery-oriented environment for individuals in transition from one gender to another, or other gender non-conforming individuals, who may be coming from “the streets,” incarceration, and/or shelter programs. Morris Home is named for Nizah Morris, a transgender woman and beloved community member who was found dead in Center City, Philadelphia in 2002 after receiving a courtesy ride home from police. The handling of Morris' death sparked protests in the Philadelphia LGBT community and led to several investigations into the cover-up of her death.
Trans Equity Project (www.galaei.org) The Trans Equity Project, formerly known as the Trans-Health Information Project, a program of GALAEI, seeks to co-power trans identified individuals and gender minorities through peer-based counseling and mentoring, education, advocacy, and community activism, employing sex positive and harm-reduction strategies to improve quality of life, provide safer alternatives to risky behavior, and keep our clients healthy and well.
Trans Work Independence Business Alliance (www.thinkiba.com) TransWork is an economic empowerment project focused on addressing employment needs in the transgender community. It is a program of the Independence Business Alliance with the goal of increasing access to economic opportunity for transgender people in the Greater Philadelphia region. The program will include two components: connecting trans folks with supportive employers; and promoting and supporting transgender entrepreneurship. transcribez writing group (writing.upenn.edu/wh/involved/outreach/transgnc) transcribez is a creative writing group for trans and gender non-conforming identified youth (ages 14-24). We meet the second Saturday of every month on the University of Pennsylvania Campus at Kelly Writers House from 12:00-2:00 PM. Each session hosts a different guest facilitator and all involved in the group are trans/gnc-identified. Though we started back in September 2016, folks are invited to join at any time! No experience or expertise in writing is necessary. The group is free!
William Way LGBT Community Center (www.waygay.org) The William Way LGBT Community Center serves the LGBT community of Philadelphia and its allies 365 days a year. From social groups, networking events, and counseling and support services to art exhibitions and cultural experiences, the Center consistently strives to provide new and innovative programs for the LGBT communities of Philadelphia.
Northeastern PA
Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center Allentown, PA (www.bradburysullivancenter.org) Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center creates a vibrant LGBT community in the Lehigh Valley through exciting LGBT arts & culture programs, leading-edge LGBT health programs, daily LGBT youth programs, critical supportive services and an informative Training Institute.
Lehigh Valley Renaissance Bethlehem, PA (www.renaissancelv.org) The Renaissance Transgender Association is a non-profit, non-political, educational and social transgender support group founded and designed to educate and support transgender people and those who care about them without prejudice. We accomplish this through a variety of educational programs, social activities, group support meetings, and by providing access to resources for transgender community. Membership is open to transgender individuals, their significant others and to other persons who have a personal or professional interest in our community. We support people of any gender.
LGBT Qmunity Center Norristown, PA (www.lgbtqmunity.org) We strive to provide and promote resources to increase the visibility, acceptance, equality, well-being, health and self-respect of LGBTQ people in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania and increase awareness in the community of the needs and contributions of LGBTQ people. Our Mission is: To build a better and stronger LGBT Qmunity; Empower people to live healthy and successful lives; Celebrate our diversity; Advocate for equality, justice and social change; and Act as a resource for the LGBT Qmunity.
Northeastern Pennsylvania Rainbow Alliance Pittston, PA (www.gaynepa.com) The NEPA Rainbow Alliance provides education, support, and advocacy for LGBTQIA individuals and families while working to advance fairness and equality. We envision a future where all people in Northeastern Pennsylvania can live openly and free from fear; where individuals, organizations, and businesses work collaboratively to provide an equal, inclusive community; and where we celebrate and nurture our diversity. To work towards this future we will educate and empower our volunteers to create strategic, peer-driven, sustainable programming overseen by strengthened volunteer leadership.
Prysm Youth Center Media, PA (www.prysmyouthcenter.org) The mission of The Prysm Youth Center of Delaware County is to provide Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex youth and their Straight Allies (LGBTQQIA) with a safe, supportive, non-judgmental environment where they can meet regularly and be themselves. The center will facilitate social, educational and supportive activities as well as opportunities to participate in outreach, activism, and leadership development.
Central PA
Alder Health Services Harrisburg, PA (www.alderhealth.org) Alder Heath Services improves the health and well-being of individuals living with HIV/AIDS and members of the LGBTQ community by providing a culturally competent and affirming environment that empowers the people we serve. By providing high quality case management and supports, health and wellness education, and physical and mental health services, Alder Health Services strives to: Reduce the rate of HIV infection, Ensure access to person-centered care, Foster a healthy and informed community.
Central PA LGBT Center Harrisburg, PA (www.centralpalgbtcenter.org) The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) Center of Central PA is a volunteer-led effort to create a regionally representative community center that is both a location and a unifying point for central Pennsylvania's large, diverse, and multi- county LGBT population. The mission of the LGBT Center of Central PA is to create common ground for the LGBT community and allies in central Pennsylvania by providing services through educational, cultural, and community activities that foster wholeness. We seek to: Create a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment; Provide and support comprehensive programs throughout the community; and Embrace diversity, health, and wellness.
Keystone Conference Harrisburg, PA (www.keystone-conference.org) Attendees of the Keystone Conference will find four full days of varied and meaningful workshops, seminars and activities and four nights of social functions, the finale being the Keystone Gala Dinner and Dance and the LGBTQ youth's Butterfly Ball. The conference offers continuing education credits, provider training, spouse/significant other activities, and a family & youth program.
The Program Harrisburg, PA (www.theprogramhbg.org) Our mission is to serve and support individuals involved with the criminal justice system to prevent recidivism and promote productive crime free lives. We offer an array of high quality programs and services using evidence based strategies and an experienced staff.
TransCentral PA Harrisburg, PA (www.transcentralpa.org) TransCentralPA is a federally recognized 501c3 non-profit organization committed to providing advocacy and caring support for transgender individuals, their significant others, families, friends and allies. TransCentralPA also provides gender education and information to businesses, organizations, educational institutions and governmental agencies.
Northwestern PA
Let’s Get Free! Women & Trans Prisoner Defense Committee Cambridge Springs, PA (www.letsgetfree.info) The Women and Trans Prisoners Defense Committee (WTPDC) is a group of committed people in Western Pennsylvania who have come together to advocate for justice for women and transgendered people behind bars. Our purpose is to shine a light on the specific issues confronting women and transgender folks in prison as well as the underlying causes of gender-based violence and oppression which contribute to their imprisonment. Our current campaign seeks to free two women serving life without parole in Pennsylvania, Avis Lee and Charmaine Pfender. These women pose no threat to society and have already unjustly served over 29 years each.
NorthWest Pennsylvania Pride Erie, PA (www.nwpapride.org) Incorporated in March, 2012, NW PA Pride Alliance, Inc is a 501(C)(3) that works to improve visibility of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersexed and Ally/Asexual (LGBTQIA) community. We also facilitate communication and collaboration between groups and individuals within the region's LGBTQIA community and the greater region's community, while respecting individual and group identity.
Trans Family of Erie Erie, PA (www.transfamilyerie.blogspot.com) A safe, supportive environment for people all over the gender spectrum. Whether you are a trans man, trans woman, non-binary or genderqueer individual, crossdresser or someone just looking for a little information. Transfamily hopes to provide a judgment- free environment where you can openly express yourself in whatever way feels right for you. Transfamily also welcomes people of all races, ages, religions, and sexualities to the meeting. Join us the fourth Saturday of every month, 2-5pm at the Mental Health Association of Northwest PA (1101 Peach St. Erie, PA 16501).
Pittsburgh
Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Gender and Sexual Development Program (http://www.chp.edu/our-services/aya-medicine/gender-development) The Gender and Sexual Development Program is an integrated and coordinated collaboration of the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Pediatric Endocrinology, and Behavioral Health. The program serves children and youth (up to age 26) with questions around gender and sexual identity development, gender non-conforming behaviors, and transgender care. We provide thorough clinical assessments, promote shared decision making around treatment options, and connect our patients and families to relevant resources and supports in our community. We are also actively involved in advocating for safe, inclusive policies in health care settings and the workplace.The Center for Adolescent and Young Adult Health (CAYAH) also offers GLBTQIA-friendly care. We offer physical care, Trans* care, gynecological care, STD testing and treatment, Trans* counseling, mental health counseling, social work services, and nutrition services.
Dreams of Hope (www.dreamsofhope.org) Through the power of the arts, Dreams of Hope provides the region’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and allied (LGBTQA) youth a welcoming environment to grow in confidence, express themselves, and develop as leaders. Their creative contributions educate audiences, build awareness, and increase acceptance. Dreams of Hope sees a future where LGBTQ and all youth are nurtured, have freedom of expression, and live in communities that embrace them.
Garden of Peace Project (www.gardenofpeaceproject.org) Garden of Peace Project (GPP) was created to uplift, uphold, and empower the narratives and lived experiences of queer and/or trans folks of color. Since our inception, GPP has worked to center and focus the lives of queer and/or trans people of color through art, culture, education, and activism. We have established and maintained relationships throughout the community, locally and nationally, as the need for access to resources has shown to be greatest in those neighborhoods. Early on in our development, we acknowledged that queer spaces and organizations have largely been dominated by cis, white gay/lesbian folk. This systemic erasure has led to an unbalanced community and legislative platform that disregards our lives. We were and are determined to uplift the voices of young, queer and trans poc folks driving our work and vision. With the collective efforts from our community partners and stakeholders, we work to foster spaces of healing to shift the impact of systemic and structural violence and foster spaces of resistance and liberation.
Gay and Lesbian Community Center (www.glccpgh.org) The Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Pittsburgh (GLCC) provides gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals, their families and supporters in Western Pennsylvania with resources and opportunities to promote visibility, understanding, and equality within the LGBT communities and the community at large. The GLCC will work toward these goals through education, social support, networking, and advocacy.
Initiative for Transgender Leadership (www.transyouthleaders.blogspot.com) Our idea is that one motivated young trans person can change the world through their creativity and dedication if provided with a welcoming and supportive place to work. Not enough doors have been open to trans youth for professional development; in fact,
hazards and concerns around simply coming out in the professional realm have presented a barrier to learning and accomplishment. We are committed to generating a new experience of safety and agency for trans youth in the working world. Our mission is to positively impact community life through professional and leadership development of transgender youth.
Persad Center (www.persadcenter.org) The Persad Center is a human service organization whose mission is to improve the well-being of the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning) communities, and the HIV/AIDS communities. We serve our target populations and their loved ones, cradle to grave, across western Pennsylvania, with service centers in Pittsburgh and Washington, PA. We fulfill our mission through outreach, prevention, counseling, training and advocacy services.
Prevention Point Pittsburgh (www.pppgh.org) Prevention Point Pittsburgh (PPP) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing health empowerment services to injection drug users. PPP is deeply rooted in a concern for the well being of not only our clients, but the general health of the entire community. Prevention Point Pittsburgh was founded in 1995 when James Crow and Caroline Acker, along with a handful of dedicated volunteers, began providing needle exchange services once a week on a Hill District street corner to prevent the spread of injection-related blood-borne disease. In April 2002, PPP established a county-authorized needle exchange site in East Liberty. Since that time, over 5,000 injection drug users have enrolled into our program for critical prevention services. In addition to needle exchange services, PPP has grown to include comprehensive case management services, assistance to drug treatment, individualized risk-reduction counseling, health education, condom and bleach distribution, overdose prevention with Narcan prescription, and free HIV, Hepatitis C, and syphilis screening in collaboration with the Allegheny County Health Department. PPP’s services are authorized by the Allegheny County Board of Health and The Allegheny County Council (Ordinance #3671- 08). PPP has three outreach sites located in East Liberty, Perry Hilltop, and the Hill District.
Project Silk (www.chscorp.org/service-area/program/project-silk) Project Silk is an HIV prevention and care initiative targeted toward black and latinx young men who have sex with men (YMSM) and young transgender people (YTG) 13-29 years old, and their varied sexual partners, in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area. Project Silk is committed to member driven structures and offers unique pathways to service delivery on site at the Community Human Services youth drop in center. Project Silk provides STI/HIV testing on-site to increase knowledge of undiagnosed infections; implements behavioral interventions related to positive adult identity development and sexual health education; skills-based programming for youth to actualize their goals; and provides linkage to medical care and ancillary services to promote overall wellness within HIV positive as well as high risk negative communities. Project Silk creates skill-building and recreational activities and provides food, clothing, and transportation assistance for our youth members.
TransPride Pittsburgh (transpridepittsburgh.org) TransPride Pittsburgh seeks to strengthen existing communities of gender non-conforming, Trans* individuals as well as create sustainable networks through cooperative educational, social programs and events.
National Trans Resources
Athlete Ally (www.athleteally.org) Athlete Ally is a 501c-3 nonprofit organization that provides public awareness campaigns, educational programming and tools and resources to foster inclusive sports communities. We mobilize Ambassadors in collegiate, professional and Olympic sports who work to foster LGBTQ “allyship” in their athletic environments. The programs include Ambassadors from over 80 colleges and over 100 professional athletes.
Black and Pink (www.facebook.com/blackandpinknational) Black and Pink is a volunteer organization that lists LGBTQ individuals on a pen-pal website, distributes a monthly newsletter of primarily queer/trans prisoner writing, and advocates for specific prisoner needs whenever possible while also working to abolish the Prison Industrial Complex as a whole. In addition to their Boston headquarters, Black and Pink has chapters in Boise, Buffalo, Chicago, Denver, New Orleans, NYC, San Diego, and San Francisco.
Black Trans Advocacy (www.blacktrans.org) The Black Trans Advocacy mission is to advance social equality for all disenfranchised people with specific focus on inequities faced in the black and transgender human experience.The Black Trans Advocacy program provides referral services, case management and direct services within ten components served through our national advocacy network and state chapter coalitions: Community Outreach, Human Services, Education & Training,Health & Wellness, Economic Development, Community Outreach, Legal & Public Policy and Faith & Healing. The Black Trans Advocacy program also includes the Annual National Black Trans Advocacy Conference that further extends the Black Trans Advocacy social justice agenda and outreach programs to over 300 LGBT, gender variant families and allies worldwide. All Black Trans Advocacy Programs are offered free to local communities and services are provided by community volunteers.
Camp Aranu’tiq Newton Lower Falls, MA (www.camparanutiq.org) Camp Aranu'tiq is a summer camp that provides transgender and gender-variant youth ages 8-15 with a safe, fun, and unique experience. Youth are encouraged to express gender however they are comfortable and connect with others in similar situations.
Family Equality Council (www.familyequality.org) 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. We are changing attitudes and policies to ensure that all families are respected, loved, and celebrated—including families with parents who are LGBTQ. We are a community of parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren that reaches across this country. For over 30 years we have raised our voices toward fairness for all families.
Gender Spectrum (www.genderspectrum.org) We provide an array of services to help youth, families, organizations and institutions understand and address concepts of Gender identity and Gender expression, including how societal, cultural, organizational and community definitions of gender can be detrimental to any young person that does not fit neatly into these categories.
Human Rights Campaign (www.hrc.org) The Human Rights Campaign represents a force of more than 3 million members and supporters nationwide. As the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer civil rights organization, HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are ensured of their basic equal rights, and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community. By inspiring and engaging individuals and communities, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBTQ people and realize a world that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.
I AM: Trans People Speak (www.transpeoplespeak.org) I AM: Trans People Speak is a project to raise awareness about the diversity that exists within transgender communities. It gives a voice to transgender individuals, as well as their families, friends, and allies. Together we can make our own media and continue to make a positive change in the representation of transgender people. We do this by focusing on the full individual. Transgender people come from a range of experiences and backgrounds, including age, race, ethnicity, gender expression, and sexual orientation. This is the space to empower yourself and your community by sharing your own experiences.
Injustice At Every Turn (www.thetaskforce.org/static_html/downloads/reports/reports/ntds_full.pdf) The 2011 "Injustice at Every Turn" is a survey of over 6,400 transgender people detailing the discrimination faced by this community.
Lambda Legal (www.lambdalegal.org) Founded in 1973, Lambda Legal is the oldest and largest national legal organization whose mission is to achieve full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and everyone living with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, we do not charge our clients for legal representation or advocacy, and we receive no government funding. We depend on contributions from supporters around the country. What we do: Select cases that will have the greatest impact in protecting and advancing the rights of LGBT people and those with HIV; Lead high-impact public education campaigns to help people exercise the rights they have and to build public support for equality; and Advocate for public policy at the local, state and federal levels to improve the lives of LGBT people, people affected by HIV, and their families and allies.
LGBT National Help Center (www.glng.org) The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) National Help Center, founded in 1996, is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization that provides vital peer-support, community connections and resource information to people with questions regarding sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Utilizing a diverse group of LGBT volunteers, we operate three national hotlines, the LGBT National Hotline, the LGBT National Youth Talkline, and the SAGE LGBT Elder Hotline as well as private,
volunteer one-to-one online chat, that helps both youth and adults with coming-out issues, safer-sex information, school bullying, family concerns, relationship problems and a lot more. We also maintain the largest collection of resources for the LGBT community in the United States, with 15,000 local resources for cities and towns across the country. We are the oldest and most comprehensive national organization of its type and scope in the United States, providing this critically needed service regardless of age or geographic location. The people who turn to us for help often live in rural and conservative parts of the country and are frequently feeling severely isolated, closeted and despairing, with literally no one else safe to talk to.We provide a safe environment on the phone or internet for people of all ages to discuss issues that they don't feel comfortable talking about anywhere else.
The Marsha P. Johnson Institute (www.marshap.org) The mission of The Marsha P Johnson Institute (MPJI) is to create a crucial entry point for Black trans women and gender non- conforming femmes to obtain the skills, financial and programmatic resources necessary in advocating for an end to violence against all trans people. Through the leadership of Executive Director Elle Hearns and her commitment to women and girls (both trans and cisgender) as a response to to the murders of (primarily Black) trans women of color, the MPJI is grounded in supporting of the needs of the most impacted communities. MPJI considers most impacted to mean trans and queer communities, poor communities, those who are undocumented, who may be differently abled, or formerly incarcerated (as is the case with Hearns). MPJI is focused on providing responsive solutions to the conditions that arise from the systemic, structural and physical violence which marginalized communities experience.
National Center for Transgender Equality (www.transequality.org) The National Center for Transgender Equality is the nation’s leading social justice advocacy organization winning life-saving change for transgender people. NCTE was founded in 2003 by transgender activists who recognized the urgent need for policy change to advance transgender equality. With a committed board of directors, a volunteer staff of one, and donated office space, we set out to accomplish what no one had yet done: provide a powerful transgender advocacy presence in Washington, D.C. Today, NCTE has grown to a staff of 17 and works at the local, state, and federal level to change laws, policies and society.
National LGBTQ Task Force (www.thetaskforce.org) The National LGBTQ Task Force advances full freedom, justice and equality for LGBTQ people. We’re building a future where everyone is free to be themselves in every aspect of their lives. Today, despite all the progress we’ve made to end discrimination, millions of LGBTQ people face barriers in every aspect of their lives: in housing, employment, healthcare, retirement, and basic human rights. These barriers must go. That’s why the Task Force is training and mobilizing millions of activists across our nation to deliver a world where you can be you.
Planned Parenthood (www.plannedparenthood.org) We provide quality, compassionate care from an informed-consent model for our transgender patients. We serve transgender people and people at various places on the spectrum of gender identity and expression. We are committed to improving the way transgender people receive health care and we proudly work together with our transgender community to lead the way in eliminating barriers to care. We offer preventive sexual health care services as well as hormone therapy for transgender women and men. Patients under our care receive a written prescription for hormones which they fill at a pharmacy.
Sylvia Rivera Law Project (www.srlp.org) The Sylvia Rivera Law Project (SRLP) works to guarantee that all people are free to self-determine their gender identity and expression, regardless of income or race, and without facing harassment, discrimination, or violence. SRLP is a collective organization founded on the understanding that gender self-determination is inextricably intertwined with racial, social and economic justice. Therefore, we seek to increase the political voice and visibility of low-income people and people of color who are transgender, intersex, or gender non-conforming. SRLP works to improve access to respectful and affirming social, health, and legal services for our communities. We believe that in order to create meaningful political participation and leadership, we must have access to basic means of survival and safety from violence.
Trans Assistance Project (www.transassistance.org) TAP is a national trans-led organization that gives money to and advocates on behalf of trans folks attempting to navigate legal and bureaucratic systems. By listening to and trusting trans people, we allow them to self-determine their own path to care. As of May 2017, we've given out over $38,325 to trans folks, and we're just getting started. Hundreds of trans people have signed up for our assistance through us and to help them, we need your help. Your dollars are going directly into the hands of members of the trans community, especially those in the margins, so that they might update their documentation to reflect their true identity.
Trans Latin@ Coalition (www.translatinacoalition.org) Members of the Trans Latin@ Coalition (tlc) are transgender latina leaders who come together from all across the country, donating their time to organize and advocate for the issues and needs of trans latin@ community living in the United States. Our vision is to amplify education and resources to promote the empowerment of Trans leaders.
Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (www.transgenderlegal.org) Founded in 2003, Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to end discrimination and achieve equality for transgender people, particularly those in our most vulnerable communities. Transgender people have been subject to pervasive discrimination that has kept them, with rare exceptions, hidden from public view. While this discrimination has begun to lessen, transgender people still experience much prejudice and violence. Our strategies include pathbreaking trans rights cases and "friend of the court" briefs regarding the key issues of employment, health care, education and public accommodations. We seek to coordinate with traditional civil rights organizations and other LGBT civil rights organizations. We also provide public education on transgender rights. Our Name Change Project provides free legal name change services to community members through partnerships with some of nation's premier law firms and corporate law departments
Transgender Law Center (www.transgenderlawcenter.org) 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. We envision a future where gender self-determination and authentic expression are seen as basic rights and matters of common human dignity.
Trans Law Help (translawhelp.org) Trans-positive legal resources for people living in the United States. Trans Law Help is an online database of trans-positive legal resources for people living in the United States.The database is organized by state and includes a list of lawyers, notaries and additional legal services who have identified themselves as resources for the trans community.
Trans Lifeline (www.translifeline.org) Trans Lifeline is a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to the well being of transgender people. We run a hotline staffed by transgender people for transgender people. Trans Lifeline volunteers are ready to respond to whatever support needs members of our community might have. US: (877) 565-8860 Canada: (877) 330-6366
Transgender Lives: Your Stories (www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/storywall/transgender-today) As part of a series of editorials about transgender experiences, The New York Times featured personal stories that reflect the strength, diversity and challenges of the community. Welcome to this evolving collection.
Trans Relief Project (www.transrelief.com) It all started with four friends and an idea. After the fallout of the 2016 U.S. Presidential election we became acutely aware that the transgender and gender non-conforming communities would need our support more than ever to mitigate safety risks and potential civil rights abuses. Knowing that an updated passport would be a way to empower trans and GNC individuals, the four of us set to work collecting donations. The goal: help as many trans and GNC people as possible get updated U.S. identification – passports specifically – before the regulations surrounding those rules potentially changed. Over the course of a weekend the Trans Relief Project was born. We could not have expected the outpouring of responses from around the globe. Now we are riding the wave of momentum as long as we can, to help as many as we can. Stay safe, and take care of each other.
Trans Student Educational Resources (www.transstudent.org) Trans Student Educational Resources is a youth-led organization dedicated to transforming the educational environment for trans and gender nonconforming students through advocacy and empowerment. In addition to our focus on creating a more trans- friendly education system, our mission is to educate the public and teach trans activists how to be effective organizers. We believe that justice for trans and gender nonconforming youth is contingent on an intersectional framework of activism. Ending oppression is a long-term process that can only be achieved through collaborative action.
Trans Tech (www.transtechsocial.org) TransTech is an incubator for LGBTQ Talent with a focus on economically empowering the T, transgender people, in our community. TransTech is a co-working, co-learning community dedicated to empowering trans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer people and allies with practical, career-ready skills so they can push themselves up to the next level in their lives. TransTech member learn to create careers that are both independent of their multiple identities, but also uniquely infused by them. We focus on Resources, Support, and Community. Resources include an online repository of career-prep courses and other technology courses that our members can access for free. Support comes from a mentor and support network of TransTech volunteers trained
by our founder, Angelica Ross. Community is achieved not only through digital means year-round but also through the TransTech Summit, the goal of which is to offer real-life opportunity to our members.
Transgender Veterans Association (www.transveteran.org) TAVA acts proactively with other concerned gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) organizations to ensure that transgender veterans will receive appropriate care for their medical conditions in accordance with the Veterans Health Administration's Customer Service Standards promise to "treat you with courtesy and dignity ... as the first class citizen that you are." Further, TAVA will help in education the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) on issues regarding fair and equal treatment of transgender and transsexual individuals. Also, TAVA will help the general transgender community when deemed appropriate.
Trans Women of Color Collective (www.twocc.us) The TWOCC seeks to uplift the narratives, lived experiences and leadership of trans and gender non-conforming people of color, our families and comrades as we build towards collective liberation for all oppressed people. There is a critical need for more trans people of color led initiatives that create opportunities to engage in healing and restorative justice as trans and gender non- conforming people of color are disproportionately impacted by structural oppression that is inextricably linked to physical violence. TWOCC is a grass-roots funded global initiative created to offer opportunities for trans people of color, our families and our comrades to engage in healing, foster kinship, and build community. We strive to educate and empower each other through sharing skills, knowledge and resources as we build towards the liberation of all oppressed people. Our Healing and Restorative Justice Institute (HRJI) seeks to builds capacity in three components; Health and Wellness, Advocacy/Leadership Development and our Visibility Campaign. By focusing our efforts on building capacity in these key areas, we aim to create opportunities for our communities to thrive unapologetically in their truths.
Trans Youth Equality Foundation (www.transyouthequality.org)The Trans Youth Equality Foundation provides education, advocacy and support for transgender and gender non-conforming children and youth and their families. Our mission is to share information about the unique needs of this community, partnering with families, educators and service providers to help foster a healthy, caring, and safe environment for all transgender children.
Trevor Project (www.thetrevorproject.org) Founded in 1998 by the creators of the Academy Award®-winning short film TREVOR, The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24.
U.S. Transgender Survey 2015 (www.ustranssurvey.org/report) The 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey (USTS) is the largest survey examining the experiences of transgender people in the United States, with 27,715 respondents from all fifty states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and U.S. military bases overseas. Conducted in the summer of 2015 by the National Center for Transgender Equality, the USTS was an anonymous, online survey for transgender adults (18 and older) in the United States, available in English and Spanish. The USTS serves as a follow-up to the groundbreaking 2008–09 National Transgender Discrimination Survey (NTDS), which helped to shift how the public and policymakers view the lives of transgender people and the challenges they face. The report of the 2015 USTS
provides a detailed look at the experiences of transgender people across a wide range of categories, such as education, employment, family life, health, housing, and interactions with the criminal justice system. The findings reveal disturbing patterns of mistreatment and discrimination and startling disparities between transgender people in the survey and the U.S. population when it comes to the most basic elements of life, such as finding a job, having a place to live, accessing medical care, and enjoying the support of family and community. Survey respondents also experienced harassment and violence at alarmingly high rates. Several themes emerge from the thousands of data points presented in the full survey report. we happy trans (www.wehappytrans.com) We Happy Trans was created so that trans people could share stories of positive experiences, so the wider world could see that like any other community, we too thrive, struggle, and overcome; to give further evidence that we too have writers magically shaping words to reflect and elevate shared human experience, and eloquent speakers calling to the better angels of our nature; that we too have bold, visible heroes, as well as quiet warriors or ordinary life; that we laugh, cry, gossip and occasionally engage in petty squabbles; that we are Christians, Jews, Muslims, atheists, pagans, Buddhists, Hindus, Theosophists, magical panty wearing Mormons, and seekers; we read Shakespeare and watch reality t.v.; occupy queer neighborhoods, small towns, dance halls, local pubs, schools, offices, theaters, prisons, NPOs, nursing homes, hunting parties and coffee klatches in every conceivable place on earth, and possibly beyond; that we are parents, friends, children, second-cousins once-removed, neighbors, strangers, lovers and mortal enemies; that we too are every possible variation of X-sexual; are freaks, utter bores, hysterically funny, plain odd, droll, absurdist and everything between; that we contain multitudes.
WPATH (www.wpath.org) The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), formerly known as the (Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association (HBIGDA), is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, interdisciplinary professional and educational organization devoted to transgender health. Our professional, supporting, and student members engage in clinical and academic research to develop evidence-based medicine and strive to promote a high quality of care for transsexual, transgender, and gender- nonconforming individuals internationally. We are funded primarily through the support of our membership, and through donations and grants sponsored by non-commercial sources. Our mission is to promote evidence based care, education, research, advocacy, public policy, and respect in transgender health by bringing together diverse professionals dedicated to developing best practices and supportive policies worldwide that promote health, research, education, respect, dignity, and equality for transgender, transsexual, and gender-variant people in all cultural settings.