In the past few years, the LGBTQ+ community — especially transgender Americans — have faced a surge in policies aimed at restricting their rights, freedom to participate fully in public life, and ability to receive appropriate healthcare.
All of this has taken a significant toll on the emotional and mental well-being of the LGBTQ+ community. Constant exposure to negative messaging, discrimination, and the fear of losing legal protections can increase rates of anxiety, depression, and trauma-related stress.
There are nonprofit organizations around the country, though, that are mobilizing to push back on proposed policy changes and provide mental health services to the LGBTQ+ community. Here are some of the most effective ones.
Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is committed to ensuring every LGBTQ+ person can live openly, with equal rights and support.
“We’re helping people to stay engaged, stay educated, and speak out,” says Tari Hanneman, the senior director of research and education at the Human Rights Campaign. “At HRC, our top priority is making sure our community is informed. Knowledge is power. And it’s often our first line of defense.”
HRC offers tools to help people find inclusive workplaces, healthcare facilities, and information on local LGBTQ+ businesses and organizations. For people who want to get involved in group action, the website provides links for local events, volunteering, and ways to contact state representatives.
It Gets Better
The nonprofit organization It Gets Better provides education, stories, and referrals to mental health professionals for young people facing challenges related to coming out.
Since 2022 the organization has awarded more than $1.6 million to LGBTQ+ youth-led projects and initiatives in schools and communities, including Pride Proms, youth summits, and closets stocked with gender-affirming clothing. “We are immersed in the queer youth experience,” says Brian Wenke, the executive director of It Gets Better.
The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is a mental health organization founded in 1998 to provide crisis intervention for LGBTQ+ youth under age 25. Since then, the project has funded research, driven advocacy, and been a major force for suicide prevention.
Their crisis counselors are trained to answer calls, chats, and texts from LGBTQ+ young people who are struggling with their identity, coming out, or feelings of depression and suicidal ideation. The Trevor Project’s counselors are reachable 365 days a year, 24/7, by calling 866-488-7386, chatting on their site, or texting START to 678678.
The organization also hosts TrevorSpace, an online social community and support groups for LGBTQ+ people ages 13 to 24.
GLAAD
Founded 40 years ago, GLAAD is a nonprofit focused on LGBTQ+ advocacy and culture change. The organization works to increase media accountability and community engagement to ensure LGBTQ+ stories are heard.
GLAAD has also taken measures to keep community members safe by educating LGBTQ+ people about digital safety, including how to protect themselves online and avoid doxing or harassment by anti-LGBTQ+ activists.
American Civil Liberties Union
The mission of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people by the Constitution and the laws of the United States. That includes protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ people to live openly, without discrimination and with the same rights as straight people.
The ACLU also provides legal help, Know Your Rights guides, and support for lawsuits challenging anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
As a response to the rise of anti-LGBTQ+ bills signed into law, the group has reintroduced the Equality Act, legislation that would ensure comprehensive nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people everywhere.
The ACLU provides legal assistance through its local branches.
Advocates for Trans Equality
Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) fights for the legal and political rights of transgender people in America. The group was founded in 2024 as a merger of two national trans civil rights groups, the National Center for Transgender Equality and Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund.
In addition to lobbying on a national level, A4TE’s Trans Legal Survival Guide contains information that helps the trans community navigate changing regulations and advocate for themselves and their communities.
National Center for LGBTQ Rights
The National Center for LGBTQ Rights (NCLR) works toward full equality for LGBTQ+ people and their families through education, legislation, litigation, and policy.
The NCLR offers legal help on asylum or immigration, custody disputes, divorce or separation, transgender rights, and other issues affecting people in the LGBTQ+ community. They have also litigated important cases on behalf of the community, including discrimination in healthcare and educational settings, workplace harassment, and LGBTQ+ bias in sports.
SAGE: Services & Advocacy for LGBTQ+ Elders
“We refuse to be invisible” is the motto of SAGE. The organization offers support and resources on many issues that are important to the aging LGBTQ+ community, such as HIV and aging, housing, long-term care, and sexual wellness.
SAGEYou: Your Online Community connects people through virtual meetups and community-led workshops and offers resources such as health tips and legal support.
How to Take Care of Your Mental Health During Times of Uncertainty
“The LGBTQ+ community has always banded together in times of struggle,” says Hanneman. “Community has always been our strength.”
Remember, she says, LGBTQ+ people have each other and will keep showing up for one another no matter what. To that end, “We encourage people to seek out local LGBTQ+ centers, support groups, and affirming healthcare providers, many of which are listed through the HRC Foundation and our partners.”
Welke offers these additional tips for staying emotionally and mentally healthy.
- If you need a therapist or counselor, take the time to find someone who understands you and makes you feel comfortable and safe.
- Be aware of how much time you’re spending on social media. There is such a thing as too much. If you can’t turn it off, be proactive in how you train your platform of choice to give you the content you want.
- Educate yourself and ask questions. The stress of this moment is being exacerbated by rampant misinformation and innate biases that have the capacity to influence our perspectives, both good and bad. Always seek clarity and truth.
- Do not deny yourself the ability to experience joy.
- If you need some additional emotional support or simply someone to talk to, you can call a Warmline (a peer-run phone line staffed by volunteers).
- If you or someone you know is in crisis, immediately reach out to The Trevor Project’s trained counselors or call 988.
Read the full article here
