Feel Good Friday - Gay For Good

Wrapping up our LGBTQ+ Pride Month series with the story of a group that puts the good in Gay for Good. 

Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Long Beach, California, the mission of Gay for Good (G4G) is to mobilize “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) and ally volunteers to promote diversity, foster inclusion and strengthen ties to the broader community.”

G4G’s values are in service of that mission. They include building community, creating visibility for LGBTQ+ people, promoting diversity, equity and inclusion, advancing sustainability and reducing their environmental impact, all while having fun! 

There are 21 chapters around the country from Arkansas to Dallas-Fort Worth and Washington D.C. These local chapters identify and connect with nonprofits that support the environment, animal welfare, and people in need in their communities. G4G then assists the selected organizations by mobilizing volunteers who donate their time, and by helping to amplify the missions of these organizations within their vast network of LGBTQ+ volunteers and allies.

The volunteer opportunities are wide ranging. The Phoenix chapter is creating posters and signs for Make-A-Wish Arizona, the Denver chapter is helping Project Angel Heart Kitchen to scoop, wrap, and seal breakfast meals, and the San Francisco chapter is running a beverage booth at SF Pride. You can visit this events page to see volunteer opportunities around the country. Or find your local chapter on main site.

Since they began, Gay For Good has organized 2,845 service projects for 962 nonprofits, and volunteers have donated time valued at $3.7 million.

In the spirit of diversity and inclusion, all are welcome to join a project. If this sounds like a fun way to spend your time, you can sign up for the mailing list to be notified of volunteer opportunities. Other ways to support G4G include making a donation, shopping for merch, rounding up your purchases at Walmart, or linking your Ralph’s card so a percentage from your purchase is donated to G4G. You can also amplify their work on social media by following Gay For Good on Instagram and LinkedIn. Happy Pride! 

Feel Good Friday - Oakland LGBTQ Community Center

Today’s LGBTQ+ Pride Month organization is local, well to me at least. Time to learn about the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center.

Founded in 2017 by two African American gay men, and headquartered in Oakland, California, the mission of the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center (the Center) is to enhance and sustain “the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals, our families and allies, by providing educational, social, and health related activities, programs and services.”

The Center is the first multi-ethnic, intergenerational, multi-service center for the LGBTQ community in Oakland. It’s also the first all-inclusive LGBTQ community center led and founded by African Americans in the state of California. 

In addition to blazing trails, the Center lives up to it’s multi-service description. In this 5-minute video staff from the Center talk about the work they do and the impact it has on both them and the community. One of the main services offered is support groups. Whether you’re young, old, trans, Latinx, Black, or in recovery, there’s a support group for you. Check this calendar to see the schedule for group meetings and other activities.

The Center also runs a wellness clinic where people can address their physical health and schedule an appointment for sexual health testing. They have a small food pantry and a lending library where you can borrow both fiction and non-fiction books that center the LBGTQ community and history. Biography of Grace Jones anyone?

Other programs offered by the Center including mental health resources and emergency housing and rental assistance have been suspended due to funding cuts. However, you can still visit this community resources page to find a list of other organizations that can provide assistance.

If you’d like to help the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center achieve their vision “to become Oakland and Alameda County's premier network of programs and services for the LGBTQ community” there are many ways you can do so. Those of us who live in the Bay Area can volunteer our time. No matter where you live you can make a much needed donation to the Center and amplify their work on social media. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Happy Pride!

Feel Good Friday - The Venture Out Project

Not only is June LGBTQ+ Pride Month, it’s also summer and a perfect time to get out and explore nature. What a great day to learn about today’s organization, The Venture Out Project.

Founded in 2014 by Perry Cohen, and headquartered in Florence, Massachusetts, the mission of The Venture Out Project (TVOP) is “to provide a safe and fun space for queer, trans, and LGBTQ+ people to experience the outdoors.” They do this by leading backpacking and wilderness trips for the queer and transgender community, and by conducting transgender inclusion workshops for educators, adventure professionals, and summer camps.

You can sign up for overnight adventures like campouts, rafting or forest bathing or if you’d like to test the waters before bringing your tent, there are plenty of volunteer-led day hikes across the country and skill building workshops in New England. This 15-minute documentary produced by REI gives a great overview of the trips and how impactful it can be for people to show up as their full selves in community with others. Participants get to enjoy nature and forge lifelong bonds while making unforgettable memories.

In addition to leading these outdoor adventures, TVOP “offers educational programs and services to those looking to make their existing programming more inclusive and affirming of trans and gender diverse people.”  

Since they began, The Venture Out Project has become a nationally recognized nonprofit supporting LGBTQ+ community building and challenge-based personal development outdoors. TVOP volunteers have led over 50 adventures for more than 500 LGBTQ+ participants from across the globe.  

If you’re interested in getting outdoors, take a look at the trip descriptions and sign up for one that fits your schedule and your interests. If you’re Wilderness First Aid certified, consider becoming a volunteer and leading a trip. Or, if you prefer to support TVOP from the comfort of home, there ways you can do that too. Shop for merch, make a donation and amplify their work on social media by following The Venture Out Project on Facebook and Instagram.

Feel Good Friday - Stonewall Community Foundation

June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month and what better way to celebrate than to highlight work being done by the Stonewall Community Foundation.

Founded in 1990 and headquartered in New York City, the Stonewall Community Foundation “strengthens the LGBTQ community and Movement by making strategic, values-driven investments in dynamic organizations, projects, and leaders.”

The organization is named after the uprising at the Stonewall Inn in 1969 that gave birth to the gay rights movement in the U.S. The founders were inspired by the growth of LGBTQ nonprofits during the AIDS crisis in the 1980s and wanted to create a foundation “where loss could inspire legacy and the power of individual giving could be amplified”.

As a public foundation, Stonewall raises money and funds over 200 nonprofits every year in over 30 issue areas that advance queer liberation, including racial, social, and economic justice.  Examples of funds that receive grant money include: the LGBTQ+ Youth Fund, which makes grants to programs and organizations supporting LGBTQ+ youth in New York City; the Emergency Response fund which supports organizations serving individuals impacted by natural disasters, and acts of violence; and the Swish Ally Fund which grants funds to organizations doing the work on the frontlines of the LGBTQ+ movement for equality, liberation, and justice.

In the 35 years the foundation has been running, they’ve awarded $27 million in grants to over 700 nonprofits in 132 cities. They also support 650 individuals each year with micro grants and scholarships. You can go to this page to read stories about organizations that have received grants. Whether they’re providing safe harbor for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers, anti-violence education, or a space for queer theater, these groups have been able to make a bigger impact thanks to funding from the Stonewall Community Foundation.

The 2025 Vision Awards, which honor extraordinary individuals who use their voice to make the world a better place for LGBTQ+ people, are happening on June 18th in New York City. If you live in the New York metropolitan area, attending will be a fun way to support the Stonewall Community Foundation. For those of us farther away, we can show our support by making a donation and spreading the word on social media. Follow the Stonewall Community Foundation on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Feel Good Friday - SF LGBT Center

It’s Pride weekend in San Francisco, which culminates in a giant parade on Sunday. What a great time to learn about an organization that supports the LGBTQ+ community year round, the SF LGBT Center.

Opened in 2002 and located in San Francisco, California, the mission of the SF LGBT Center (the Center) is “to connect our diverse community to opportunities, resources and each other to achieve our vision of a stronger, healthier, and more equitable world for LGBT people and our allies.”

 

The four priorities of the Center are: “to foster greater opportunities for people to thrive, organize for our future, celebrate our history and culture and build resources to create a legacy for future generations.” They do this through their programming and resources.

Programs cover areas such as arts and culture, community building, and services focused on employment, finances, small businesses and youth. Specific examples include art gallery exhibitions, first-time homebuyer workshops, a New Entrepreneur Training Program and a drop-in program and mental health services for LGBTQ youth. This calendar shows upcoming events.

In addition to the programs and resources located at the Center, this link on the website has information about 181 other Bay Area organizations which you can filter by education, employment, health, housing, immigration, legal, social, trans and youth. If you have questions, the Center has answers.

In 2023, the Center saw over 100,000 visitors and provided direct services to almost 6,000 people. That’s 1,500 people attending programs and events, 1,000 hours of gender-affirming mental health support to LGBTQ youth, 1000 people accessing financial literacy resources and over 500 job seekers receiving employment support. You can read more details about the Center’s impact in the 2023 Year in Review.

Much of the way the Center achieves these results is with the help of over 1,000 volunteers who provide administrative and event support as well as staff the welcome desk and provide drop-in mentoring. 

If you’re looking for a way to help the Center build a stronger, healthier, and more equitable world for LGBTQ+ people and their allies, volunteering is a great way to do it. Other ways to support the Center include making a donation and amplifying their work on social media. Follow the SF LGBT Center on Facebook or Instagram and subscribe to their YouTube channel. Happy Pride!

Feel Good Friday - Family Equality Council

Pride month is in full swing and it’s a great time to learn about organizations supporting the LGBTQ+ community. The focus of today’s Feel Good Friday is Family Equality Council.

Founded in 1979 as the Gay Fathers Coalition and headquartered in New York City, the organization officially changed its name to Family Equality Council in 2007. The mission of Family Equality is “to ensure that everyone has the freedom to find, form, and sustain their families by advancing equality for the LGBTQ+ community.”

In order to achieve the goals of their mission, Family Equality has several strategic priorities that inform their work such as advancing racial and social justice, shaping the LGBTQ+ family narrative through storytelling, and building resilient communities. They advocate for policy changes at both state and federal levels, develop programmatic initiatives to protect LGBTQ+ families and youth from discrimination in schools, and help families share their own stories. These stories are given to decision-makers and the media so they have the tools they need to treat families with dignity and respect. You can view some examples in the story library, including this one from Niecy Nash.

Family Equality also provides LGBTQ+ diversity and inclusion training for employers and professionals involved in family-building such as healthcare providers, family law practitioners and social workers. With an estimated 3.9 million LGBTQ+ millennials planning to build their families in the next few years, it’s important that providers are equipped to support these families.

People looking for connection and resources can find both on the Family Equality website. For those interested in starting a family there is information on all the ways to do so, as well as a provider directory. There are also virtual peer support spaces and in-person events to help families build community. 

If you’d like to help Family Equality protect love, family and freedom, there are many ways to do so. Share your story, shop for merch, donate your money and amplify their work on social medial. Follow Family Equality Council on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn and subscribe to their YouTube channel.

Feel Good Friday - Transgender Law Center

As Pride Month comes to a close this year, we’re wrapping it up with a spotlight on Transgender Law Center.

Founded in 2002 and headquartered in California, Transgender Law Center (TLC) is “the largest national trans-led organization advocating for self-determination for all people.” The work they do “changes law, policy, and attitudes so that all people can live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination regardless of their gender identity or expression.” Watch this 5-minute overview video, We Win Together, to hear from participants, or keep reading to learn more.

Guided by the Trans Agenda for Liberation, the legal work done by TLC focuses on several areas. The Impact Litigation team uses lawsuits and advocacy to fight the criminalization of trans lives, the Legal Services Project shares legal information and resources to equip trans people to assert their rights, and Border Butterflies provide legal and humanitarian support to LGBTQ+ asylum seekers at the U.S. southern border

Additional programs include: Black Trans Circles, healing justice spaces for Black trans women in the South and Midwest; Positively Trans, a group that addresses inequities, stigma and discrimination of those living with HIV; the Gender Justice Leadership Project, a youth leadership and storytelling program; and the Disability Project, a program that magnifies the leadership, collective power and visibility of trans and queer disabled communities.

In addition to all the programming, TLC runs a Legal Information Helpdesk, which provides basic information “across many areas, including employment, health care, housing, civil rights, immigration, prisoners’ rights, and identity document changes.” The website also has resources grouped by issue area such as health, housing or employment.

The most recent annual report shows the impact this work is having. In 2021, TLC responded to more than 1200 Helpdesk requests, provided over 98,000 website visitors with legal resources, litigated 9 impact cases, filed 19 amicus briefs and trained 495 transgender actives and allies.

If you’d like to help TLC increase their impact this year, there are many ways to do so. Attorneys can volunteer as part of the Attorney Solidarity Network to provide legal advice or representation to trans people in their area. The rest of us can make a donation and spread the word on social media. Follow Transgender Law Center on Facebook, on Twitter @TransLawCenter and on Instagram @translawcenter.

Feel Good Friday - Strong Family Alliance

With Father’s Day fast approaching and Pride Month ongoing, it’s time to highlight an organization that provides support to both fathers and mothers of LGBTQ+ children, Strong Family Alliance.

Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, Strong Family Alliance (SFA) is a non-profit organization focused on supporting parents of children in the LGBTQ+ community. Their mission is “to save lives and preserve families by helping children come out and parents become informed supporters and allies.”

The reason to create an organization focused on parents stems from these statistics: LGBTQ+ children who are rejected by their families are 8 times more likely to report suicide attempts, 6 times more likely to report higher levels of depression, 3 times more likely to use illegal drugs, and 3 times more likely to be homeless. 

The people behind Strong Family Alliance consider themselves first responders because they target parents who haven’t decided whether or not to accept their child in the initial days after their child comes out. SFA provides parents with non-political, research-based information as a way to help build understanding and strong relationships between parents and their LGBTQ+ children.

There are two downloadable guides on the website. One is focused on LGBQ youth, the other addresses issues specific to transgender youth. Both guides have three sections. Basic information includes vocabulary, myths that stigmatize LGBTQ+ people, risks for your child and the journey for parents. Ways to support your child includes actions that can help (keep talking and listening to your child), actions that can hurt (telling your child it’s just a phase) and tips to build your child’s self esteem. Challenges ahead provides information on managing emotions, telling others and becoming an ally.

The website also has a page of resources, including information for children on coming out to your parents, and stories from parents describing their experiences. Parents with a story to share can do that here: share your parent story.

If the story of Strong Family Alliance has inspired you to support them, you can do so by making a donation and amplifying their message on social media. Follow Strong Family Alliance on Facebook, on Twitter @sfamilyalliance and on Instagram @sfamilyalliance. 

Feel Good Friday - Kaleidoscope Trust

In today’s Pride-themed Feel Good Friday, we take a trip across the pond to highlight the UK-based charity, Kaleidoscope Trust.

Founded in 2011 and based in London, the vision of Kaleidoscope Trust is “a world where LGBTI+ people everywhere are free to be themselves and one in which no LGBTI+ person is left behind in the fight for freedom, safety and equality.”

The inspiration to create Kaleidoscope Trust is explained on the website. “Much of the persecution, discrimination and violence faced by LGBT+ people across the Commonwealth originates from the United Kingdom's colonial exploits. Alongside British cultural attitudes and mores, Britain exported homophobic laws that penalised those who lived and loved outside of established British societal norms.” With 35 of the 56 Commonwealth member states still criminalizing same-sex intimacy, Kaleidoscope Trust is working to uphold the human rights of LGBT+ people around the world.

Their work is divided into several areas: advocacy to spread awareness of LGBT+ rights across the Commonwealth and around the globe; funding and capacity building for organizations defending human rights; strengthening movements by connecting organizations with similar goals to each other and by connecting grassroots organizers with politicians and decision makers; and research that helps shape their advocacy and program design.

You can explore the Kaleidoscope Trust website to read more about specific research topics such as "Mental Health in LGBT+ Communities Across the Commonwealth”, “The Economic Cost of LGBT+ Exclusion” or “An Intersectional Approach to Policy making". While Kaleidoscope Trust doesn’t provide direct support to individuals, they do share a list of recommended organizations that can provide assistance. 

If you’d like to support Kaleidoscope Trust during Pride month, or any other time of year, you can do so by volunteering, making a donation and amplifying their message on social media. Follow Kaleidoscope Trust on Facebook, on Twitter @Kaleidoscope_T and on Instagram @kaleidoscope_t. #FreeSafeEqual

Feel Good Friday - Pride at Work

Pride Month has begun and we’re kicking it off by highlighting an organization that represents LGBTQ+ union members and their allies, Pride at Work.

Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Washington D.C., Pride at Work is a nonprofit organization that “organizes mutual support between the organized Labor Movement and the LGBTQ Community to further social and economic justice.” Or as someone nicely summarized in this 5-minute introductory video, “it is the LGBTQ arm of the Labor Movement, it is the labor arm of the LGBTQ movement.”

With “nearly half (48.8%) of transgender employees reporting experiencing discrimination (being fired or not hired) based on their LGBTQ+ status” and companies using religious exemptions to circumvent civil rights laws, Pride at Work believes that “the strongest protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer working people is an inclusive union contract.” 

Examples of the issues they work to get addressed in union contracts and policies include workplace discrimination, religious exemptions, transgender working people, and bathroom access. In the resources section of their website, they provide model contract language that can be used when bargaining for a new contract. 

The resource section also has materials to educate union members and leaders so they can discuss LGBTQ+ issues effectively. There is an explanation of gender pronouns and recommendations on how to be more inclusive, for example addressing people in a meeting as “labor siblings” instead of “Sisters and Brothers”. There is also an LGBTQ+ 101 guide that provides basic definitions of terms and clarifies the difference between gender, gender identity and biological sex. Useful for anyone who wants a better understanding whether or not they are a union member.

If you’d like to get involved with Pride at Work, you can do so on a local level. With over 20 chapters across the country, there’s a good chance you’ll find one near you. To support them on a national level, you can shop for merch, make a donation and help raise awareness on social media. Like the Pride at Work Facebook page and follow them on Twitter @PrideatWork #1upride 

Feel Good Friday - GLSEN

It’s the final Feel Good Friday of Pride month, perfect time to highlight the work of GLSEN. 

Founded by a group of teachers in 1990, GSLEN (pronounced glisten) is a national education organization, “working to create a safe and inclusive K-12 school environment for LGBTQ+ youth.” Their mission is “to ensure that every member of every school community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.” 

GLSEN coordinates a network of 43 chapters in 30 states across the nation and focuses on four major ways schools can cultivate a safe and supportive environment for all of their students: 

• Developing supportive educators – providing training and resources for educators so that students can have a visibly supportive educator in the classroom who can advocate on LGBTQ students’ behalf, implement LGBTQ content in the lessons, and address bullying and harassment issues. Join the educator network or use some of the many resources for educators.
• Passing and implementing comprehensive policies – advocating for policies that support LGBTQ students such as non-discrimination, facilities accessibility and affirming trans and gender non-conforming students’ participation in athletics. Join the advocacy network here.
• Advocating for an inclusive and affirming curriculum – the team at GLSEN authors developmentally appropriate resources for educators to use throughout their school community. Download this Inclusive Curriculum Guide.
• Supporting student Gender and Sexuality Alliances (GSAs) – GLSEN provides resources for student leaders to organize GSAs in their schools to help create community and push for change. Find GSA resources at this link.

In the 32 years since they began, GLSEN’s national network is now more than 1.5 million strong, with students, families, educators, and education advocates working to create safe schools. More than 500,000 GLSEN resources are downloaded by students and educators each year!

 

If you’d like to support the work of GLSEN you can make a donation, shop for merch and help spread the word on social media. Like the GLSEN Facebook page and follow them on Twitter @GLSEN and Instagram @glsen