The Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth has put together a list of resources to address social isolation. While the list is geared toward youth, many here certainly also apply to LGBTQ people of all ages.
And in the days and weeks to come, Boston Spirit will continue to share similar resources for our community, as well as our friends and neighbors.
The Commission is also asking for recommendations of other resources to share on their website (Got a resource to suggest? Send it to commission@ma-lgbtq.org … and please send it to us as well at editor@bostonspiritmagazine.com.)
Here’s the Commission’s current list for starters:
www.ma-lgbtq.org -This is the Commission’s interactive map of local resources throughout Massachusetts. Many local LGBTQ youth organizations – for example, BAGLY, Boston GLASS, Framingham GLASS, and Out MetroWest, to name a few – have already shared ways in which they will stay connected to clients virtually throughout this pandemic. Contacting these organizations directly using the information found in our resource map is the best way to stay up-to-date on virtual offerings they have during this time.
www.qchatspace.org – Find and give support, have fun, connect around shared interests and get good information. Chat with like-minded peers in live chats designed for you & by you, facilitated by folks who care. Q Chat Space provides online discussion groups for LGBTQ+ teens ages 13 to 19. It is not a forum. It is live and chat-based; there is no video or audio. Everyone is chatting during the same pre-scheduled time.
itgetsbetter.org – Connects young LGBTQ+ people with the global LGBTQ+ community by providing access to a vast collection of inspiring stories of hope and resilience. The It Gets Better Project builds community by creating a network of international partners that support LGBTQ+ youth in their home countries, engaging with young LGBTQ+ people both on and offline, and connecting them to local community service providers that can provide on-the-ground assistance.
866-488-7386 or www.thetrevorproject.org – 24/7 suicide prevention & support line for LGBTQ & GNC youth. The Trevor Project Lifeline offers phone calls with trained counselors, while Trevortext connects by text with a specialist. If you need someone just to chat with Trevor Chat is free and confidential. TrevorSpace is an online forum and social network for LGBTQ+ youth and their allies under 25.
www.glbtnearme.org – Find the largest collection of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender resources on the web. Find the closest social and support resources, the closest community centers, the closest youth groups, and much more! All you have to do is type in your zip code, the distance you are willing to travel, and choose from 26 categories of information including bisexual, transgender, crisis, recovery, youth, etc.
www.glbthotline.org – The LGBT National Help Center provides vital peer-support, community connections, and resource information to people with questions regarding sexual orientation or gender identity. Utilizing LGBT volunteers, they operate three national hotlines, LGBT National Hotline, LGBT National Youth Talkline, and LGBT National Senior Hotline. They also offer private volunteer one-to-one online chat, that helps both youth and adults with coming-out issues, safer-sex information, school bullying, family concerns, relationship problems and a lot more. They run weekly moderated chat rooms for LGBT youth and teens to find support and community.
www.translifeline.org – The Trans Lifeline offers direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis – for the trans community, by the trans community. Additionally, they have a living library that contains multiple tables, holding info ranging from Federal down to specific county information per state about name changes & gender marker changes on IDs.
www.creative-capital.org – This site offers a list of resources for artists during COVID-19.
Healthcare Access: The Massachusetts Health Connector has designated a temporary special enrollment period beginning on March 11, 2020, and ending on April 25, 2020, for currently uninsured Massachusetts residents. More information may be found here. If you work with clients/patients who are currently uninsured, please consider this opportunity to assist them to enroll in health insurance coverage for which they are eligible. The BRIDGE Program at CRI can assist in health insurance enrollment. They can be reached at (617) 502-1747 or www.crine.org/BRIDGE
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