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In supporting the LGBTQ+ community, one of the most directly impactful things that anyone can do is create and disperse a resource list. Resource lists can be tailored to specific issues or target communities, or they can be more generic and wide-encompassing. LGBTQ+ people are an underserved community, and experience systemic violence and disparities in many health, social, and economic factors. Compared to their cisgender, heterosexual, endosex counterparts; LGBTQ+ people can experience higher rates of houselessness, physical and mental disability, unemployment/poverty, intimate partner violence, discrimination, and more.
It’s important to be inclusive when creating resource lists, and to anticipate overlaps in identities and needs. Students often sit at the crossroads of multiple marginalized identities, and so their services should reflect that. The following resource list can be used as a template in order to help you create a resource guide specific to your school district. While it’s helpful to start from a base, be sure to research and build out your resource list in order to cater to the specific needs of your location and the people you serve. In the following list of resources you will find services for a diverse array of needs, including resources for people experiencing houselessness such as local affirming shelters and places where people can find showers; resources for domestic violence; cultural centers and orgs that serve specific ethnic groups or work to end racial disparities; resources for immigrants and asylum seekers; resources for adoptive and foster families; resources for elders and more.
Three people look at a poster of an atom, one person standing behind a table and pointing, one person sitting in a chair at the table with a laptop, and the third person sitting on the table and facing the poster while pointing at it.
School districts may want to create separate resource lists for each demographic they serve (students, families, staff, and the community) or a more generic one. For more tips and tricks on reaching each demographic, refer to their specified sections throughout the toolkit. Overall, when in doubt, time and grace are the best resources you can give any person. Give both yourself and others space to fail and the room and support needed to get back up.
DISCLAIMER: The following list covers resources that the author has either worked directly with OR has heard positive things about OR come across through research. Being included in this list does NOT entail any sort of official endorsement by Castro Valley Unified School District. This guide does not constitute medical or professional advice.
Castro Valley Unified School District strives to curate a valuable collection, but cannot personally vouch for the current competency of each listed resource, or whether individual staff members have received training on specific LGBTQ+ topics. The goal is to present the public with options that offer relevant services, empowering individuals to make informed decisions that best suit their needs.
The descriptions are either copy + pasted from the website they link to, or loosely paraphrased or described. Please contact the author with any issues concerning the listed resources.
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