GLBT Resources

Comingoutstories.com - as the name indicates - is a collection of coming out stories. It's searchable and sorted into six categories: gay men, lesbian women, bisexual men, bisexual women, transgender persons, and straight family and friends. Most stories are written by teens and young adults, but there are submissions from people of all ages.

Outpath  describes itself as being a place for queer or questioning youth. This site houses more than 1,000 coming out stories-primarily those of teens and young adults. The archive is searchable and can be filtered by gender, age, and submission date. You can also add your own story to the archive.

The Human Rights Campaign Coming Out Project is a Human Rights Campaign Foundation (hrc.org) program designed to help GLBT people come out and live openly. Check out their bisexual, trans, persons of color, and straight allies sections.

Trans 101 is an FAQ about all issues pertaining to transgender issues and transitioning. It's relevant for individuals questioning their own gender identity, and for family and friends confused by a loved one's transition.

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays is a helpful resource whether you're the one coming out or if a loved one has just come out to you. Learn about their programs, find a local chapter or just find a friendly, supportive ear.

Straight Spouse Network is an international organization that provides information and support for heterosexuals whose spouses have come out of the closet as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. Get information and learn how to manage the change in your family. You can also find an online or local support group.

The National Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Centers is an umbrella group for LGBT centers. Although it's mostly a business-to-business site for the centers themselves, they have a great directory of member centers. This is an easy way to find the closest center to you.

The Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center is local to Los Angeles, but their range of services and resources is so comprehensive that the site is worth checking out.

The International Lesbian and Gay Association is a helpful site if you live outside of the United States or plan to travel abroad. They're an activist organization, and their site provides info about the social and legal situations for LGBT people all over the world.

Planetout.com is an online community center. The site features articles and columns on news, entertainment, lifestyle, family, and money, as well as personals and more. It's a one-stop shopping site for all things GLBT.

Gay.com is part of the same consortium of sites as Planetout. A lot of the news and features are the same, but it's a little more focused on sex and the gay male.

Ourchart is a lesbian social networking site affiliated with the Showtime lesbian series The L Word. The site is hyped endlessly on the show, and marries information about the show with social networking.

Empty Closets is a forum that functions as an online support and general discussion group. You can read the message boards without registering but you have to register to post any messages.

Gayteens.org is a global, teen-specific support and information site. This site strongly encourages safe online behavior for teens and requires registration to access much of the site.

Temenos.net is an online transgender community with a vast array of information such as drag kings or tips for air travel. Temenos also hosts other LGB community sites. Check out the links page.

The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association is a great resource both for medical professionals and researchers, and for people looking for GLBT medical professionals. It includes tips on how to manage your health and has a searchable provider database.

The Body is a compendium of HIV and AIDS information. It includes an exhaustive list of local and national HIV and AIDS hotlines and resources.

Trans-Health is a health and wellness site devoted specifically to transgender individuals. Its features run the gamut from the medical side of transitioning to fitness and nutrition.

Gay Parenting is a print magazine for GLBT parents. The Web site has sample articles and, more importantly, a comprehensive list of regional support organizations.

The American Psychological Association has a thorough article concerning policy and legal issues surrounding gay parenting. You'll also find an overview of state adoption laws.

The Human Rights Campaign occasionally takes some criticism for not having "gay" in their name. However, they're the largest and arguably best organized GLBT rights group, easily recognizable by their signature yellow equal sign on a blue background. Their mission is to work for equal rights for GLBT people. They monitor and "grade" politicians on both sides of the aisle and sponsor numerous community initiatives, including a National Coming Out Day program, and a Gay Marriage Project. Their Web site contains a state-by-state list of local steering committees and volunteer committees.

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is theoretically grassroots, but does not have as ubiquitous a presence as The Human Rights Campaign. They do, however, engage in a fair amount of local activism. They sponsor regional conferences and invest in training activists. Check out their local resources.

Lambda Legal is the oldest LGBT nonprofit law center in the United States. The main way to get involved with them is to donate money and/or become a member. They also send out online calls to action: send letters and faxes to show your support for a particular issue.

Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders is New England's local GLBT nonprofit law center. This group is best known as the architect of the Massachusetts same-sex marriage case.

The Service Members Legal Defense Network is dedicated to repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and to allowing GLBT soldiers to serve openly. There are online volunteer opportunities, and they're looking for volunteers at their DC office.

The National Center for Lesbian Rights is a lesbian-focused nonprofit law center. The ways to get involved via their Web site are limited to donating money. But it's a great place to stay abreast of legal issues pertinent to lesbians.

The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network fights bullying and anti-gay harassment in schools. They sponsor various campaigns such as No Name Calling Week. Check out the site for information and to find local chapters.

The Gender Public Advocacy Coalition is dedicated to fighting gender-stereotyping and gender, sex, and sexual orientation discrimination. They have a Gender Youth Network that provides opportunities for grassroots activism in local communities.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation is a media watch group that promotes fair and accurate portrayals of GLBT people. There are ways to get involved via their Web site; for example, report instances of accurate and inaccurate GLBT representation in the media. And they also regularly look for volunteers to help produce their Media Awards Events.

Soulforce is a nonviolent civil disobedience group whose mission is to fight political and religious oppression. Their most high-profile ongoing action is an "Equality Ride" to Christian colleges modeled on the Freedom Rides during the Civil Rights Movement.

The Log Cabin Republicans consider themselves loyal Republicans who believe in equality for all Americans. Although some consider "Gay Republican" a contradiction in terms, they believe that anti-gay discrimination runs counter to true Republican ideals.

The National Stonewall Democrats is a grassroots network connecting local GLBT democratic clubs. They focus on both local and national politics.

The International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association is a travel trade association with many GLBT travel listings and links. It has a thorough search engine. Because it's member driven, however, it does not feature independent reviews.

Alyson Adventures runs GLBT adventure travel excursions to traditional and exotic locations-Antarctica, anyone? Some trips are specifically for singles, but others are more open. And your straight friends are allowed to come along.

Olivia is a lesbian travel company best known for its lesbian cruises. Featuring entertainers such as the Indigo Girls, Melissa Etheridge, and Kate Clinton, Olivia Cruises are probably the best-known lesbian-specific travel option.

RSVP Vacations is a primarily gay male cruise and resort company. They feature a range of cruises, and you can check out tour videos on their site.

PurpleRoofs.com is a directory of GLBT-owned and -friendly vacation rentals. The directory is searchable and comprehensive and the property detail pages provide summaries of the properties as well as links to the owners' sites. Many offer discounts if you mention PurpleRoofs.

'Camp'Camp.com is a summer camp in Maine for GLBT adults. It's a rustic, all-inclusive vacation on the grounds of a real summer camp. Remember when summer was the best time ever? It still is.

Outsports is a primarily gay male site for sports fans and athletes. It has news and a directory of local sports groups.

The Gay and Lesbian International Sport Organization is the organizer of the Outgames-one of two international amateur sports competitions.

International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics is dedicated to promoting GLBT swimming, diving, water polo, and synchronized swimming. All of these events are hot tickets at both the Gay Games and the Outgames.

The Federation of Gay Games is the other-older-international gay sports competition body. The Gay Games take place every four years.

The International Gay Rodeo Association can tell you everything you ever wanted to know about gay rodeo-the history, the schedule...and there's even a Hall of Fame!

The International Gay Bowling Association can direct bowling enthusiasts to a local league or tournament.

The International Association of Gay Square Dance Clubs can help you find a local square dance club or event. There's even a list of callers.

GLBT-Knit is for you if you're not so much into sports. Knitting is a very popular GLBT hobby, and this e-mail list can connect you with other enthusiasts.