LGBTQ+

Your sexual orientation will be affirmed and will become the subject of our therapeutic process only if you want it to. Specific to LGBTQ+ concerns, I have clinical experience with topics such as coming out to family and friends, questioning one’s sexual identity, struggling with religious beliefs and one’s sexual orientation, and dealing with interpersonal and/or institutional discrimination. In addition, I conducted doctoral research on parenthood in same-sex couples and the protective factors which can maximize their children’s positive psychosocial outcomes in our (still) heteronormative and (often) stigmatizing society.

A Sampling of Resources

PFLAG—Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays…http://www.pflag.org
PFLAG—Bookstore offers a number of very helpful publications, either as paper copies available for purchase or as FREE downloads. How to get to both: https://www.pflag.org/shop
COLAGE—Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere…http://www.colage.org
Safe Schools Coalition—http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org
Straight Spouse Network—This national/international organization provides resources and support to straight spouses, post-disclosure couples, and families.  Its history is closely linked to what is today known as PFLAG (see above)…http://www.straightspouse.org
LGBT National Help Center—Includes peer support, crisis hotlines, and listing of local area resources. [Note: The link is correct; it starts with “glbt” rather than “lgbt.”]…http://www.glbtnationalhelpcenter.org/
Born This Way Foundation—Founded in 2012 by Stefani Germanotta, aka Lady Gaga, specifically for youth and young adults. Includes a wealth of resources and research…http://bornthisway.foundation/
DrugRehab.com—A web resource provided and funded by Advanced Recovery Systems. The website offers researched information on a number of substance abuse topics, as well as an excellently written series of guides (under the “Advocacy and Support” pull-down menu, choose Resources and then Guides, or go directly to https://www.drugrehab.com/guides/). According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), LGB individuals are more than twice as likely to suffer from a substance use disorder.
LGBTQ Therapist Resource—A local Georgia association of affirming mental health providers that seeks to improve LGBTQ+ access to safe, competent therapists…http://www.lgbtqtherapistresource.com

If you are in a crisis, if you need someone to talk to…

The Trevor Project—Crisis intervention and suicide prevention for ages 13-24 – 866-488-7386  http://www.thetrevorproject.org
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline—800-273-TALK (8255)  https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org
LGBT National Help Center—Group-specific hotlines and online talk groups Website: https://www.glbthotline.org
National Hotline—All ages: 888-843-4564
National Youth Talkline—Through age 25: 800-246-PRIDE (7743)
National Senior Hotline—888-234-7243 Crisis Text Line—Text HOME to 741741 https://www.crisistextline.org
Trans Lifeline—877-565-8860 https://www.translifeline.org

For Parenting LGBTQ+s

HealthyChildren.org—A parenting website backed by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
http://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/types-of-families/pages/Gay-and-Lesbian-Parents.aspx
PARENTS magazine—http://www.parents.com/parenting/dynamics/gay-parents/
Human Rights Campaign—http://www.hrc.org/explore/topic/parenting
Family Equality Council—Federal, state, and local advocacy for families with LGBTQ+ parents.  Website includes information on events and local parenting groups. http://www.familyequality.org

Book/magazine suggestions for kids/adults with LGBTQ+ parents:

COLAGE Resources & Publications—http://www.colage.org/resources/ Includes children’s picture books, youth and YA books, memoirs and autobiographies, anthologies, art, theater, comics, documentaries and videos, online articles, and academic articles (citation only).
Families Today—LGBT Families: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (Families Today). Author: H.W. Poole. Year: 2016.
Let’s Get This Straight—The Ultimate Handbook for Youth with LGBTQ Parents. Author: T. Fakhrid-Deen (in collaboration with COLAGE). Year: 2010.
Families Like Mine—Children of Gay Parents Tell It Like It Is. Author: A. Garner.  Year: 2005.
How It Feels to Have a Gay or Lesbian Parent—A Book by Kids for Kids of All Ages. Author: J. Snow. Year: 2004.
San Francisco Kids’ Public Library—https://sfpl.bibliocommons.com/list/share/378225037/515449548

Resources Specific to Transgender Individuals & Their Families

Gender Spectrum—http://www.genderspectrum.org/resources
Transgender Youth Equality Foundation—http://www.transyouthequality.org
TransYouth Family Allies—http://www.imatyfa.org
TransActive Gender Center—http://www.transactivegendercenter.org
PFLAG—Here are the quick links to two publications:  https://www.pflag.org/ourtranslovedones and https://www.pflag.org/publication/guidetobeingatransally
COLAGE—https://www.colage.org/resources/people-with-trans-parents/
Jennifer Finney Boylan—Professor, author, advocate, columnist.  www.jenniferboylan.net

Religion & LGBTQ+

North Point Community Church (NPCC) Parent Connect—This is a local Georgia resource that provides a safe environment for parents of LGBTQ+ children to experience community and personal growth.  http://northpoint.org/care/parentconnect
Believe Out Loud—An online network that addresses the intersection of Christian faith and LGBTQ+ advocacy.  Website includes an interactive map of over 5,000 welcoming churches found nationwide.  Access this resource at  http://www.believeoutloud.com/take-action/find-your-community.
Church Clarity—This is a crowd-sourced nationwide database of congregations that are scored based on how clearly they communicate actively enforced LGBTQ+ and women in leadership policies. If a church you are interested in isn’t listed, you can submit it for review.   https://www.churchclarity.org/
Straight Spouse Network —http://www.straightspouse.org/test-2-home/faq/questions-concerning-faith/
The Reformation Project—https://www.reformationproject.org This is a Bible-based, Christian grassroots organization that works to promote inclusion of LGBTQ+ people. It provides a list of resources, including books, videos, and keynote addresses.
The Gay Christian Network/Q Christian Fellowship—https://www.qchristian.org Originally founded in 2001 as The Gay Christian Network, this organization has been under new leadership since the summer of 2017. An online community safe space for social networking and support, it offers a database of local Bible study groups and welcoming congregations and churches.
Faithfully LGBT—http://www.faithfullylgbt.com This is a collection of stories from people living at the intersection of faith, gender, and sexuality.
TEACH Ministries—http://www.teach-ministries.org
Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays-vs.-Christians Debate. Author: Justin Lee. Year: 2013.
Us versus Us: The Untold Story of Religion and the LGBT Community. Author: Andrew Marin. Year: 2016.
Undivided: Coming Out, Becoming Whole, and Living Free from Shame. Author: Vicky Beeching. Year: 2018.
God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships. Author: Matthew Vine. Year: 2015.
Bible, Gender, Sexuality: Reframing Church’s Debate on Same-Sex Relationships. Author: James V. Brownson. Year: 2013.
Prayers for Bobby—A 2009 TV movie based on a true story (with Sigourney Weaver).
For the Bible Tells Me So—This 2007 documentary, which has won a number of awards, relates personal stories of religious parents whose adult children came out. Among the parents are the former House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt and his wife and the parents of Bishop V. Gene Robinson (Episcopal Church USA), the first openly gay priest to hold the title of bishop in a major Christian denomination. The documentary also includes commentary by such respected voices as Bishop Desmond Tutu, Harvard’s Peter Gomes, Orthodox Rabbi Steve Greenberg, and Rev. Jimmy Creech.
God and Gays: Bridging the Gap—An award-winning 2006 documentary that explores personal struggles of LGBTQ+ Christians who have been rejected by their religion.
The 2017 “Nashville Statement” and the Reaction
The Statement: https://cbmw.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/The-Nashville-Statement.pdf
Two Examples of Articles About the Statement and Subsequent Reaction
In Christianity Today, on August 29, 2017:   https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2017/august/complementarians-new-gender-identity-lgbt-cbmw-nashville.html
In Baptist News Global, on August 31, 2017: https://baptistnews.com/article/response-nashville-statement-says-gospel-not-just-heterosexuals/#.W2oEa_ZFy70

Scientific Research & LGBTQ+

Research is typically published in peer-reviewed journals that can only be accessed by subscribers.  Here are examples of sources that make LGBTQ+ research available to the general public (the last entry is for those who wish to participate in research studies on a wide variety of LGBTQ-related topics):
UCLA School of Law Williams Institute—http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration   https://www.samhsa.gov/behavioral-health-equity/lgbt
National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study—https://www.nllfs.org/
The Gottman Institute—http://www.gottman.com/about/research/same-sex-couples/
Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network—http://www.glsen.org/research
CMI Community Marketing & Insights—Founded in 1992. Specializes in LGBTQ+ research and communications. Conducts annual LGBTQ+ community surveys.   http://www.lgbtsurvey.com

Professional Organizations & LGBTQ+

American Psychological Association—APA’s Division 44 (Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues) has done a tremendous job of providing education, advocacy, and resources.  Here are direct links to some of the relevant sections on APA’s website:
Public Interest Directorate—http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/index.aspx
Psychology Topics—http://www.apa.org/topics/lgbt/index.aspx
Office of General Counsel Amicus Curiae Briefs—http://www.apa.org/about/offices/ogc/amicus/index-issues.aspx
[scroll down to the “Sexual Orientation (Discrimination)” section (the topics are listed alphabetically)].
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Facts for Families—Offers a number of “Facts for Families” guides.To access LGBTQ-specific guides, go to the link copied below and then choose “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender” from the drop-down menu (or scroll down the page):
https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/FFF-Guide-View-by-Topic.aspx
To access Guide No. 92 dated August 2013, which includes AACAP’s position on LGBTQ+ parenting (affirming and in line with the majority of other professional organizations):
https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Children-with-Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-and-Transgender-Parents-092.aspx
American Medical Association —https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/physician-resources-lgbtq-inclusive-practice