National Resources

Gender Support Plan: This document helps in creating shared understandings about the ways in which the student’s authentic gender will be accounted for and supported at school. School, staff, caregivers, and the student should work together to complete this document.

Glisten Calendar: A calendar of holidays and events created by Glisten (formerly known as GLSEN) relating to LGBTQ+ community, for use by schools and nonprofits to plan inclusive curriculum and educational programing.

Glisten National School Climate Survey: A report on the school experiences of LGBTQ+ youth in the United States, including the extent of the challenges that they face at school and the school-based resources that support LGBTQ students’ well-being.

TGNC Families Report: A national report created by the Transgender Strategy Center which details the needs of Trans & Gender Non-conforming Families in order to inform future policy, funding, resourcing, health care needs, and programmatic support. 

Advocates for Youth: An organization working with schools and youth-serving professionals around the United States to ensure LGBTQ+ youth are safe in schools, included in sex education lessons, and celebrated for who they are.

CenterLink, The Community Of LGBTQ Centers: An international nonprofit organization and member-based association of LGBTQ centers and other LGBTQ organizations serving their local and regional communities. They currently have over 375 member LGBTQ centers worldwide providing essential services, promoting growth, wellness, and connectivity in their communities.

Equality Federation: A nation-wide network of organizations fighting for the rights of LGBTQ+ peoples through advocacy and policy. Each chapter is state-based and caters to local issues.

GLAAD: The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation works through entertainment, news, and digital media to share stories from the LGBTQ+ community that accelerate acceptance.

GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBT Equality: The Gay & Lesbian Medical Association is the oldest and largest association of LGBTQ+ and allied health professionals, working to fill gaps in knowledge and improve the health outcomes of LGBTQ+ people, inform policy-makers seeking to promote LGBTQ+ health equity, and provide practice-changing continuing education for health professionals and resources to educate and empower LGBTQ+ patients. 

Human Rights Campaign (HRC): HRC’s campaigns are focused on mobilizing people to create a world strengthened by diversity, where our laws and society treat all people equally, including LGBTQ+ people and those who are multiply marginalized.

interACT: An organization that works to empower intersex youth and advance the rights of all people with innate variations in their physical sex characteristics through advocacy, public engagement and community connection.

International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association: A global association of more than 2,000 member organizations from 170 countries campaigning for the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and intersex people.

Lava Mae: A global community of people who are at all stages of bringing mobile showers and other care services to the street. The nonprofit itself is closed, but their website includes a list of “Affiliate Programs” who still offer showers.

LGBTQ+ Movement Advancement Project (MAP): An independent, nonprofit think tank. They work to create a thriving, inclusive, and equitable America where all people have a fair chance to pursue health and happiness, earn a living, take care of the ones they love, be safe in their communities, and participate in civic life.

National LGBTQ+ Task Force: A nonprofit dedicated to building queer power through policy, advocacy, faith, and leadership development. Best known for its annual Creating Change Conference, held in a different state each year and featuring hundreds of workshops and thousands of LGBTQ+ leaders from across the country.

National Prism Alliances: Prism is a coalition of corps members, Teach for America (TFA) alumni, non-TFA educators, civic and religious leaders, youth advocates, policymakers, and community members who collaborate to share strategies and resources to support LGBTQ+ students, educators, and youth of all identities. The network operates nationally and as a local initiative in over thirty Teach For America regions. Members meet quarterly for ongoing learning and professional development on LGBTQ+ leadership and student support.

OurPath: A peer-to-peer support network for people in heterosexual relationships who discover their partner is LGBT+. OurPath is an organization of and for straight men and women whose partners disclose or have been discovered to be LGBT+.

Out And Equal: Workplace Advocates: With nearly 30 years of experience partnering with leading global businesses to advance their dual goals of growth and building cultures of belonging, Out & Equal supports companies in optimizing their talent recruitment, retention, and leadership development strategies. They support businesses at all mile markers along their path to future competition and durability, from executive coaching to education and professional development opportunities to world-class business convenings.

Rainbow Railroad: Rainbow Railroad is a global not-for-profit organization that helps at-risk LGBTQI+ people get to safety worldwide. Based in the United States and Canada, they are an organization that helps LGBTQI+ people facing persecution based on their sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics.

SAGE Advocacy and Services for LGBTQ+ Elders: A national advocacy and services organization that’s been looking out for LGBTQ+ elders since 1978.

Strands For Trans: A global network of hair, beauty, and wellness industries and organizations that seek to create and inspire safe and positive experiences for all guests, especially guests from the trans community.

TransLatin@ Coalition: Started as a grassroots response to address the specific needs of TGI Latin@ immigrants who live in the United States, the agency has become a nationally recognized organization with representation in 10 different states across the U.S. They provide direct services to TGI individuals in Los Angeles. 

Family Acceptance Project: The Family Acceptance Project strives to increase family and community support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer-identified (LGBTQ) children and youth to decrease health and mental health risks and to promote well-being.

Family Equality: A national LGBTQ+ family rights organization that offers a wide variety of recurring and one-off support groups and webinars relating to fertility, pregnancy, parenthood, and more. Some of their reoccurring support groups include:

• Biweekly TTC/Fertility Peer Support Space

• Biweekly Trans, Non-binary, and Gender Non-Conforming Parents Meetup

Family Paths: Offers mental health services and a 24-hour parent support and resource hotline.

Gender Spectrum: Gender Spectrum’s mission is to create a gender-inclusive world for all children and youth. To accomplish this, they help families, organizations, and institutions increase their understanding of gender and consider the implications that evolving views have for each of us.

Pact: An Adoption Alliance: A queer-and-trans-affirming organization working to serve adopted children of color and their families. They host a wide variety of webinars, with poly-inclusive and BIPOC-centered support for those seeking to expand their families through adoption and foster care.

PFLAG: Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays is the nation's largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them. Local chapters can be found across the country.

Rainbow Families: A nonprofit focusing in LGBTQ+ family education, support, resources, and programming. Offers online support groups for parents during the perinatal period and conferences relating to LGBTQ+ topics.

TransFamily Support Services: A guide for transgender/non-binary youth and their families through the gender transitioning process to help make it the most positive experience possible. They provide family coaching, assistance with healthcare and insurance issues, help navigating the legal system, and support at schools. All services are provided at no fee. 

Gender Spectrum: Gender Spectrum’s mission is to create a gender-inclusive world for all children and youth. To accomplish this, they help families, organizations, and institutions increase their understanding of gender and consider the implications that evolving views have for each of us.

Teaching LGBTQ History: Instructional Resources For California Educators, Students, & Families: Offers free resources, lesson plans, and tools for teaching elementary, middle, and high school students about general LGBTQ+ topics and history. 

Welcoming Schools: HRC Foundation’s Welcoming Schools is the most comprehensive bias-based bullying prevention program in the nation to provide LGBTQ+ and gender inclusive professional development training, lesson plans, booklists and resources specifically designed for educators and youth-serving professionals.

ACLU: The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) today is the nation's largest public interest law firm, with a 50-state network of staffed, autonomous affiliate offices. The ACLU is non-profit and non-partisan. They litigate across the nation and all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. A number of national projects address specific civil liberties issues: AIDS, capital punishment, lesbian and gay rights, immigrants' rights, prisoners' rights, reproductive freedom, voting rights, women's rights and workplace rights.

ACLU’s Guide to Protecting The Rights Of Transgender Parents And Their Children for Parents and Lawyers: While the publication was made in 2013, many of the details can still be applied to current issues affecting transgender parents and their children.

Advocates for Trans Equality: This organization fights for the legal and political rights of transgender people in America. A4TE was founded in 2024 as the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) and Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF), two long-time champions for the trans community, merged together as one organization. 

Connecting Rainbows Lawyer Directory: A directory of lawyers specializing in LGBTQ+ family rights and law.

Immigrant Legal Resource Center: Trains attorneys, paralegals, and community-based advocates who work with immigrants around the country. They inform the media, elected officials, and the public to shape effective and just immigration policy and law.

Immigration Equality: Immigration Equality is the national leader in the field they pioneered: LGBTQ and HIV immigration rights. They work on both the personal and systemic levels to protect and uplift LGBTQ and HIV-positive immigrants and families.

Lambda Legal: Lambda Legal works at every level of government to stand up for the LGBTQ+ community and everyone living with HIV. Their team of experts use their deep knowledge of the law and government to protect and advance our community’s rights through federal, state, and local policymaking. As laws and other legal measures are proposed that would affect the lives of our community—whether that’s at work, in school, or in healthcare, for example—Lambda Legal’s policy experts carefully monitor what’s happening on the ground and take action when necessary. They advocate for new policies that enshrine greater protections for our communities and they fight for reforms to existing laws in order to protect more people. 

National Center for LGBTQ Rights: The National Center for LGBTQ Rights, previously known as the National Center for Lesbian Rights, is a non-profit, public interest law firm that litigates precedent-setting cases at the trial and appellate court levels, advocates for equitable public policies affecting the LGBTQ community, provides free legal assistance to LGBTQ people and their legal advocates, and conducts community education on LGBTQ issues.

Organization for Refuge, Asylum, and Migration: ORAM protects and empowers LGBTIQ asylum seekers and refugees globally, creating sustainable and systemic change.

Transgender Law Center: The largest national, trans-led organization working to set all people free. They champion the right of all transgender and gender-nonconforming people to make their own choices and live freely, safely, and authentically. Prioritizing BIPOC, disabled, and HIV+ communities, they advance community-driven strategies that harness trans knowledge, power, and joy to ensure that we all not only survive but thrive at all ages and phases of life.

Erin in the Morning: An internationally renowned journalist who reports on trans-related legislation and major news.

LGBTQ+ Legislative Debrief For Entering 2025: A document debriefing LGBTQ+ legislation and policy at the following levels; national, California, and Castro Valley Unified School District.

LGBTQ+ Legislative Tracker 2023: A spreadsheet tracking every pro- and anti-LGBTQ+ bill introduced by the state and federal governments of the United States in the year of 2023. 

LGBTQ+ Legislative Tracker 2024: A spreadsheet tracking every pro- and anti-LGBTQ+ bill introduced by the state and federal governments of the United States in the year of 2024. 

LGBTQ+ Legislative Tracker 2025: A spreadsheet tracking every pro- and anti-LGBTQ+ bill introduced by the state and federal governments of the United States in the year of 2025. 

LGBTQ+ Legislative Tracker 2026: A spreadsheet tracking every pro- and anti-LGBTQ+ bill introduced by the state and federal governments of the United States in the year of 2026. 

Trans Formations Project: A volunteer-driven initiative that maintains a database of all anti-trans legislation that has been introduced since 2021 in all 50 states and nationally. They also maintain a database of contact information for all representatives both at the national and state level, as well as their voting records on anti-trans legislation both in committee and on the floor. They use their database and their team of researchers to publish a weekly newsletter of all happenings in the trans advocacy space in the US as well as maintain a robust social media presence.

Family Paths: Offers mental health services and a 24-hour parent support and resource hotline.

National Queer & Trans Therapists of Color Network: A national network of queer and trans therapists of color seeking to increase access to healing justice resources for queer and trans people of color.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Pharmacy: A not-for-profit healthcare provider. Their clinically trained pharmacists strive to provide personalized and convenient one-stop services to enhance your quality of life.

The Gender Affirming Letter Access Project: A group of transgender, nonbinary, and allied mental health and medical providers based in the U.S. who have come together to:

• State their position on the requirement that transgender and nonbinary people and/or people seeking gender-affirming medical interventions acquire a letter of support from a mental health provider;

• Make public their commitment to making letters, when required by medical systems who adhere to the WPATH SOC, accessible and free.

The LGBT National Hotline: Provides telephone, online private one-to-one chat, and email peer-support, as well as information and local resources across the United States. Hours: Mon - Fri: 11 AM - 8 PM/pacific time, 2 PM - 11 PM/eastern time. Sat: 9 AM - 2 PM/pacific time, Noon - 5 PM/eastern time. 888-843-4564

The Trevor Project: The leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ people ages 13-24.

Trans Lifeline: A trans-led hotline offering peer support for our community. US: (877) 565-8860, Canada: (877) 330-6366.

Academy of Perinatal Harm Reduction: An educational and non-judgmental resource guide for parents who use substances and are interested in evidence-based information and support. Offers pamphlets on the known effects of various drugs during pregnancy.

All-Options Talkline: For those who are pregnant and unsure about what to do next, the All-Options talkline can be reached at 1-888-493-0092 from anywhere in the United States or Canada.

Directory of Trans-Affirming Care: A directory of trans-affirming care listing 40 providers across 28 states, provinces, and countries. Includes Physical Therapists, Gender Doulas, and Doulas, Midwives & Perinatal Care.

Growing Generations: A full-service queer-and-trans-affirming surrogacy and egg donation agency.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) & Fertility Fact Sheets/Fliers: Pocket guides on the effects of testosterone and estrogen on fertility. A free resource recommended to be shared during sexual education units in high school and at any LGBTQ+ resource or sexual health center.

Planned Parenthood: Working to protect and expand access to sexual and reproductive health care and education, and provide support to its member affiliates. Planned Parenthood affiliates are separately incorporated public charities that operate health centers across the U.S. as trusted sources of health care and education for people of all genders in communities across the country. 

Return to Zero: HOPE: A national nonprofit that offers LGBTQ+ affirming resources and support for pregnancy and infant loss.

SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change: Has served as a leading national voice for sex education since 1964. Through advocacy, policy and coalition building, SIECUS advances sex education as a vehicle for social change—where all people receive sex education, are affirmed in their identities, and have power to make decisions about their own health, pleasure, and wholeness.

The Miscarriage and Abortion Hotline: Offering resources and support relating to miscarriage and abortion. Hotline hours are from 8 AM EST (5 AM PST) - 1 AM EST (10 PM PST). Calling and texting is only available in the U.S. 1-833-246-2632

Trans Fertility Co.: Articles on academic research, videos on many aspects of trans fertility, and opportunities for fertility and family-building practitioners to deepen their commitment to the trans community. 

What to Expect When He’s Expecting: A Complete Guide to Transmasculine Reproduction: An up-to-date, evidence-based, non-judgmental information on transmasculine fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, lactation, and parenthood for those who may benefit from this knowledge; whether it be transmasculine individuals, health care providers, educators, or allies.

COLAGE (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere): A national organization empowering the children of queer and trans parents. COLAGE has three active affinity groups:

• People with Trans Parents

• Retro COLAGErs

• Adult COLAGErs

Imi:  Guides built for and with LGBTQ+ teens to help you explore your identity and support your mental health.