Local and Regional Resources and Hotlines

Centre Safe
814-234-5050 (24-hour hotline)

Mount Nittany Medical Center
911 or 814-234-6110

Centre County CAN Help Hotline
1-800-643-5432 (24-hour hotline)

Centre LGBT+
Centre LGBT+ brings the community together through LGBTQA education and activities in the Centre region.

The LGBT Center of Central PA
The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) Center of Central PA is a volunteer-led effort to create a regionally representative community center that is both a location and a unifying point for central Pennsylvania's large, diverse, and multi-county LGBT population.

TransCentralPA
TransCentralPA is committed to providing advocacy and caring support for transgender individuals, their significant others, families, friends and allies. TransCentralPA also provides gender education and information to businesses, organizations, educational institutions and governmental agencies.

LGBTQ Community Centers
The Attic Youth Center (Philadelphia)
The Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center (Allentown)
The Gay and Lesbian Community Center (Pittsburgh)
The LGBT Center of Central Pennsylvania (Harrisburg)
The LGBT Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania (TBA!)
The LGBT Center of Greater Reading (Reading)
The LGBT Qmunity Center of Montgomery County (Norristown)
TriVersity – Upper Delaware GLBT Center (Milford)
The Center on Strawberry (Washington)
The William Way Community Center (Philadelphia)

Regional LGBTQ Organizations
The Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh)
The LGBT Equality Alliance of Chester County (Phoenixville)
The Northwestern PA Pride Alliance (Erie)
The Rainbow Alliance (Northeast Pennsylvania)
The Spectrum Alliance (Williamsport)
Pocono Action Lambda Society (East Stroudsburg)
Centre LGBTQA Support Network (Centre County)

Advocacy Organizations
Equality Forum (National/International Forum, Philadelphia)
Equality Pennsylvania (Harrisburg, Philadelphia)
The Pennsylvania Youth Congress (Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Philadelphia)
HRC Pennsylvania

Publications
The Philadelphia Gay News (Philadelphia)
Edge Philadelphia (Philadelphia)
The Erie Gay News (Erie)
The Rainbow Review (Reading and Harrisburg)

LGBTQ Health Care Providers
The Mazzoni Center (Philadelphia)
Alder Health Care (Harrisburg, Lancaster)
PERSAD (Pittsburgh)

Pride Festivals
Erie Pride (Erie)
Lancaster Pride (Lancaster)
NEPA Pride (Wilkes-Barre)
New Hope Pride (New Hope)
Philadelphia Black Pride (Philadelphia)
Philadelphia Pride (Philadelphia Pride Presents)
Pittsburgh Pride (Pittsburgh)
Pittsburgh Black Pride (Pittsburgh)
Pride Festival of Central PA (Harrisburg)
Pride of the Greater Lehigh Valley (Allentown)
Reading Pride (Reading)
York EqualityFest (York)

LGBTQ Chambers of Commerce
Central PA Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (Central PA)
The Independence Business Alliance – Greater Philadelphia’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce (Philadelphia)
The LGBT Business Council (Lehigh Valley)

Local/Regional Social-Educational Organizations
LBT Women of Erie (Erie)
Erie Brothers and Sisters (Erie)
TransFamily of NWPA (Erie)
TransCentral PA (Central PA)
Keystone Alliance/Gaylife Newsletter (Johnstown)
THRIVE of Southwest PA (Pittsburgh)
COLOURS (Philadelphia)
Sister Space (Philadelphia)
Women in Transition – WIT (Philadelphia)

Professional Organizations
Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia – GALLOP (Philadelphia)

Service Organizations
Silent Witness Peacekeepers Alliance (Central PA)

HIV/AIDS Resources
Keystone Health (Chambersburg)
The Northwest PA Rural AIDS Alliance (Clarion, Erie)
AIDS Community Alliance (Harrisburg)
AIDS Resource Alliance (Williamsport)
ACT UP – Philadelphia (Philadelphia)
AIDS Fund (Philadelphia)
AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia)
The Attic Youth Center (Philadelphia)
GALAEI – The Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative (Philadelphia)
Philadelphia FIGHT (Philadelphia)
AIDS Coalition of Southwestern Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh)
Allies for Health and Wellbeing (Pittsburgh)
Shepard Wellness Community (Pittsburgh)
The Northeastern Regional HIV Planning Coalition (Wilkes-Barre)

LGBTQ Arts Organizations
Renaissance City Choirs (Pittsburgh)
Dreams of Hope (Pittsburgh)
Central Pennsylvania’s Womyn’s Chorus (Harrisburg)
Harrisburg Gay Men’s Chorus (Harrisburg)
Philadelphia Voices of Pride (Philadelphia)
Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus (Philadelphia)

LGBTQ Sports Organizations
Steel City Softball League (Pittsburgh)
Pittsburgh Frontrunners (Pittsburgh)
Stonewall Sports Pittsburg (Pittsburgh)
City of Brotherly Love Softball League (Philadelphia)
FINS Aquatic Club (Philadelphia)
Philadelphia Frontrunners (Philadelphia)
Gryphon’s Rugby (Philadelphia)
Philadelphia Liberty Tennis Association (Philadelphia)
Philadelphia Falcons Soccer (Philadelphia)
Philadelphia Women’s Rugby (Philadelphia)
PhilaVentures (Philadelphia)

National Organizations with Local Chapters
Out and Equal Philadelphia –
Parents, Friends and Family of Gays and Lesbians – PFLAG
Allentown/Eastern PA – Bucks County – Butler County – Central Pennsylvania – Greensburg – Indiana – Media – Philadelphia – Pittsburgh – West Chester/Chester County – York
Inactive: Clarion – Erie/Erie & Crawford Counties – Lancaster – Lock Haven – Monroe County – Northeastern Pennsylvania – Pottsville
Planned Parenthood
Bucks County – Central Pennsylvania – Northeast and Mid-Penn – Southeastern Pennsylvania – Western Pennsylvania –

LGBTQ Faith Communities and Organizations
The YES! Coalition (Philadelphia)

Violence and Domestic Abuse Support
Women Organized Against Rape – WOAR (Philadelphia)

 

Accredited Schools Online

Affordable Colleges Online LGBTQ College Student Guide

Asexuality Visibility and Education Network (AVEN)
A major resource for information about asexuality and a means of connecting with others as part of the asexual community.

Gay & Lesbian Medical Association
A site and organization that focuses on ensuring equal medical care for LGBTQ individuals and their families.

Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
The main site for GLSEN, an organization “want[s] every student, in every school, to be valued and treated with respect, regardless of their sexual orientation” and works in and with schools across the country to ensure education equality.

OutServ - SLDN
Association of actively serving LGBT military personnel.

Bisexual Resource Center
Founded by a group of bisexual activists, this organization and website serves to provide information and awareness about bisexuality.

Campus Pride
Campus Pride serves LGBT and ally student leaders and campus organizations in the areas of leadership development, support programs and services to create safer, more inclusive LGBT-friendly colleges and universities.

Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere (COLAGE)
The main site for COLAGE, an organization that seeks to create a network for children of LGBTQ parents in order for them to find support and likeminded people.

Financial and Social Resources for Homeless LGBTQ+ Youth

LGBTQ+ youths are 120% more likely to become homeless than their cisgender or heterosexual peers, often because they have been forced to leave home or run away due to abuse and family conflict.

While homelessness is terrifying and traumatic, it doesn’t have to be permanent. Many organizations throughout the country can provide support if you have nowhere to live or are worried about becoming homeless.

In this guide, you’ll find state and national helplines, shelters and other organizations that can help, along with tips for how to avoid homelessness. If you are among the LGBTQ+ homeless youth in America, these resources can help you find support and a safe home.

Financing & Support for Gender Confirming Surgery

Between 1.4 million and 1.65 million adults in the U.S. identify as transgender, according to the Williams Institute at UCLA's School of Law. For many transgender and gender non-conforming individuals, medical transition is a significant and empowering part of their journey. Transition may include hormonal treatment and/or surgery known as gender confirmation surgery or gender affirmation surgery.

Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)
The website of a very prominent LGBTQ activist and awareness group, GLAAD, that aims to give LGBTQ issues more presence in the media and also aims to provide forums through which LGBTQ-identified people can share their stories.

Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals
An organization comprised of LGBTQ individuals working in technical and scientific fields who work to promote equal employment and education opportunities for LGBTQ-identified people.

Human Rights Campaign
Recently popularized during the national discussions surrounding marriage equality, the HRC is a major LGBTQ activist group and this site acts as another forum through which the organization can educate the public about LGBTQ issues and rights.

Intersex Society of North America
A site dedicated to educating the public about intersex conditions and appropriate treatment options, with some information directly coming from intersex individuals or families of intersex individuals.

Lambda Legal
A site for those who identify as LGBTQ seeking legal counsel, legal assistance, or information about civil rights as an LGBTQ-identified person.

Matthew's Place
A site dedicated to sharing the stories of LGBTQ youth; also provides an extensive amount of LGBTQ resources, including health information, religious information, and a library of LGBTQ-inclusive/friendly media.

National Center for Lesbian Rights
A site for the NCLR, an organization that works to improve the civil liberties of LGBTQ-identified people (with a specific focus on lesbian issues) through political activism, litigation, and public education.

National Center for Transgender Equality
A site that provides information, resources, and current news about transgender issues and transgender advocacy work.

National Coalition for LGBT Health
A site for information about the National Coalition for LGBT Health, which aims to improve the health and well-being of LGBTQ individuals through advocacy work that focuses on medical research and education.

National LGBTQ Taskforce
A site and organization that works to build the strength of LGBTQ communities throughout the United States through training citizens and activists’ about LGBTQ issues and helping to support and promote pro-LGBTQ legislation.

Online Colleges Guide - Choosing an LGBTQ Friendly College

Out & Equal Workplace Advocates
The main site for “the world’s largest nonprofit organization specifically dedicated to creating safe and equitable workplaces for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.”

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)
The main site for America’s largest family/ally organization that provides resources for both LGBTQ-identified people and allies in regards to support, education, and advocacy work.

Quit Day - LGBT Tabacco Support

The Trevor Project
The main site for The Trevor Project, which works to provide crisis intervention and suicide prevention resources to LGBTQ youth across the country; the site provides information about the organization and access to immediate assistance for those who need it.

National AIDS Hotline
(800) 342-2537 (AIDS)

U.S. Department of Justice
The mission of the U.S. Department of Justice is to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law; to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans. The Civil Rights Division is committed to the full enforcement of our nation’s civil rights laws to combat discrimination in all its forms – including discrimination against LGBT individuals. The Division defends the rights of LGBT Americans by ensuring nondiscrimination in employment, education, housing, lending, and credit, and by prosecuting hate crimes to the fullest extent of the law. This document discusses some of the highlights of this work.

Health and Human Services (HHS)
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the U.S. government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves. HHS is responsible for almost a quarter of all federal outlays and administers more grant dollars than all other federal agencies combined. HHS works to improve the health and well-being of all Americans, including those who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT). This includes ensuring that LGBT Americans, families, and communities receive equal access to health services; providing enhanced resources for LGBT health issues; developing better information regarding LGBT health needs; and working to close the LGBT health disparities gap that currently exists.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Resources on the LGBT population include national survey reports, agency and federal initiatives, and related behavioral health resources. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of Minority Health (OMH) is one of the eight Offices of Minority Health within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It was established as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). CMS OMH works to eliminate health disparities and improve the health of all minority populations, including racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, members of the LGBT community, and rural populations. CMS OMH collaborates with local and other federal partners to offer a comprehensive source of information on improving minority health and eliminating health disparities.

Social Security Administration
Encourage college students age 18 and older and faculty to register for My Social Security and view your annual Social Security Statement to make sure you have received credit for the work you’ve done. Check your Statement at least once a year. Information about Social Security benefits for legally married same-sex couples is available online at http://www.ssa.gov/people/same-sexcouples/.

International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA)
ILGA is proud to be a global voice of LGBTI networks, communities and movements tirelessly committed to shaping a world where everyone can live safely, equally and free.