Family & Caregivers
Densil speaks to the role of community care in embracing your LGBTQ+ identity.
Nina West shares some advice for family and caregivers on how they can help create an affirming environment for LGBTQ+ youth.
My child/youth is trans or gender diverse. How do I support them and myself as I learn about what they're experiencing?
Nationwide's THRIVE Gender Development Program offers support for a spectrum of patients, from those just starting to explore their gender identity, to those meeting diagnostic criteria for Gender Dysphoria and/or are looking to transition. Services can therefore range from therapy alone, to integrated services with therapy, psychiatry, social work, endocrinology, and/or adolescent medicine.
Learning how to support your LGBTQ+ youth
- Tips for Parents of LGBTQ Youth
- Friends and Family FAQs
- The Trevor Project’s How To Support Bisexual Youth: Ways to Care for Young People Who Are Attracted to More Than One Gender is a handbook that covers best practices for supporting bisexual youth, including the basics of multisexual identities, sexual vs. romantic orientations, preventing bisexual erasure and biphobia, navigating gender and bisexuality, exploring different relationship types, and self-care tips.
- Black and LGBTQ: Approaching Intersectional Conversations: this resource helps readers navigate tough conversations around the intersection of race and LGBTQ identities. Readers can use the guide to explore what those conversations can look like in their unique situations, including before, during, and after the discussion.
- The Trevor Project’s Coming Out: A Handbook for LGBTQ Young People is a resource that covers a wide range of topics to support LGBTQ young people in exploring what coming out safely can mean for them.
- When Someone Comes Out To You: DO AND DON’T
- Nationwide's THRIVE Gender Development Program offers support for a spectrum of patients, from those just starting to explore their gender identity, to those meeting diagnostic criteria for Gender Dysphoria and/or are looking to transition. Services can therefore range from therapy alone, to integrated services with therapy, psychiatry, social work, endocrinology, and/or adolescent medicine.
- I think my youth may be considering suicide.
For Caregivers of Trans Youth
- Understanding the Basics
- TransOhio
- The Trevor Project’s Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Youth is an introductory educational resource that covers a wide range of topics and best practices on how to support transgender and nonbinary people, including the basics of gender, forms of address that show respect, common mistakes and what to do if you’ve made one.
Support for Parents
- PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays)
- For Parents of Children with Disorder of Sex Development (DSD)
Spiritual and Religious Resources
- Christianity-specific
- Believe Out Loud | Welcoming Church Map
- Q Christian
- GayChurch.org
- National LGBTQ Task Force – Institute for Welcoming Resources
- Q Christian Fellowship: Online/in person community for LGBTQ+ Christians
- Check out Church Clarity to learn where specific churches stand on different issues.
- Islam-specific
- Imaan: LGBTQI Muslim Support Group
- Al-Fitrah Foundation: A faith-based organization that uses spiritual tools to provide acceptance and healing to the queer Muslim community
- Muslims for Progressive Values
- Queer Jihad
- Judaism-specific
- Other Religious Resources
- Ending and Reporting Conversion Therapy: The goal of this practice is to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, and is particularly harmful to youth and has often led to suicide.
- HRC – Religion and Faith
- PFLAG – Faith in Our Families
- Transfaith: a national non-profit that is led by transgender people. We are a multi-tradition, multi-racial, multi-gender organization working to support transgender spiritual/cultural workers and their leadership in community.
- Religious Institute – LGBTQ Equality
- For the Bible Tells Me So: follows the story of a family who lost a gay child to suicide and offers healing, clarity and understanding to anyone caught in the crosshairs of scripture and sexual identity.
- Fish Out of Water: is a 2009 documentary film by director Ky Dickens. The film showcases the seven Bible verses that are most often used to condemn homosexuality and same-sex marriage. Dickens spoke with ministers on both sides of the debate surrounding homosexuality and the Bible for the film.
- Debi Jackson reading "That's Good Enough": “Conservative Baptist Republican” mother defending her transgender daughter and debunking almost every common anti-trans myth.
Resources
- LGBTQ Common Terminology Glossary
- Equitas Health LGBTQ+ Affirming Provider Guide
- Ohio LGBTQ Family Law Guide
Further Reading
- What Happens to Some L.G.B.T.Q. Teens When Their Parents Reject Them
- Experiences and Well-Being of Sexual and Gender Diverse Youth in Foster Care in New York City
Health Resources
- Equitas Health LGBTQ+ Affirming Provider Guide
- Patient Empowerment Materials: Know how to support yourself when looking for care
- Sexual Health
- HIV/STI Support and Resources (Please note: HIV prevention materials & information may not be appropriate for all ages.)
- HIV Supportive Services at Equitas Health
- HIV/STI Testing & Prevention at Equitas Health
- HIV Testing at Mozaic
- PrEP Education and Referrals at Mozaic
- If you are still on the fence about getting tested, look at what other community members have written about taking charge of their health. PROMISE is a series of stories created by Mozaic where members of the community can share their hardships and triumphs. You can read PROMISE stories here.
- Ohio HIV Law Pocket Guide
Legal Support
- Equality Ohio Legal Clinic
- Name and Gender Change Legal Clinic
- Ohio Name and Gender Change Documents (adult & minors)
- Lambda Legal
- Ohio Health Modernization Movement: HIV Criminalization Educational Resources