The Trevor Helpline

The Trevor Helpline is a round-the-clock national toll-free suicide hotline for LGBT youth and youth who are questioning their sexual orientation. It's open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Teens with nowhere to turn can call 800-850-8078, where they can talk to trained counselors, find local resources and take important steps on their way to becoming healthy adults. All calls are free and confidential. The Trevor Help Line is geared toward helping those in crisis, or anyone wanting information on how to help someone in crisis.

The Hetrick-Martin Institute

Homeless shelters and services for LGBT youth have been established in major metropolitan areas. These critical resources bridge the gap between the dangers of living on the street and the harassment LGBT youth often encounter when seeking services from mainstream shelters. The Hetrick-Martin Institute is a non-profit, multi-service, education and advocacy organization dedicated to providing services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. The Institutes Project First Step includes street outreach teams that search for homeless and street involved youth wherever they congregate throughout New York Citys five boroughs. The street outreach teams distribute food, safer-sex kits, personal hygiene items, and referrals to housing, health-care, and a broad range of youth services offered by the Hetrick-Martin Institute.

GLSEN

In an effort to combat this climate of intolerance, LGBT students and their straight allies have formed Gay-Straight Alliances in schools throughout the nation. These clubs are sometimes the only ways in which LGBT students can meet and socialize with each other in a safe, drug and alcohol free setting. In addition, the visible support of straight students can help to de-stigmatize LGBT youth in the eyes of their classmates. The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network is a national organization dedicated to stopping homophobia in the schools. Among other activities, GLSEN offers resources and support for Gay-Straight Alliances as well as a Web site through which members of Gay-Straight Alliances all over the country can share experiences and information.

Massachusetts Board of Education

The Massachusetts Board of Education adopted a series of steps to improve the safety of schools and school-based support services for LGBT students. These include encouraging schools to include sexual orientation within anti-discrimination policies, encouraging them to offer training to school personnel in violence prevention and suicide prevention, particularly as these relate to LGBT students. The Board also recommended that school systems extend existing student guidance services and partnerships with community agencies to provide counseling services to LGBT students and their families.

PFLAG

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays is a national, non-profit membership organization that provides resources and support for LGBT individuals and their families. Many of their efforts are geared towards helping parents understand their childs sexual orientation and work through their own often long held misconceptions about sexuality. Even parents who have come to accept their childs sexual orientation often still wrestle with issues such as informing other family members, religious considerations and fears for their childs safety. PFLAG chapters throughout the United States are a way for families and friends of LGBT individuals to connect with each other and discuss these types of issues in a supportive environment.

LGBT Community Centers

Lesbian and Gay Community Centers provide local level support, activities and meeting space for the LGBT community. Especially in rural areas, community centers are a lifeline for those who live amid intolerance and isolation. Many Lesbian and Gay Community Centers offer programs specifically designed for LGBT youth including drop-in support groups, social activities, crisis counseling and leadership training. There are currently more than 100 Lesbian and Gay Community Centers operating within 38 states.