RESOURCES FOR LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDERED (LGBT) PARENTS AND PROSPECTIVE PARENTS

Adoption/Foster Care

The Adoption Clubhouse
www.adoptionclubhouse.org

A website for adopted children aged 8-12. It features a speak out section with kids writing about their experiences; a staffed message board where kids can talk to each other; suggestions on how to handle tough school assignments, like the “family tree”; a library with book and movie reviews; and more.

Adoptive Families Magazine
www.adoptivefamilies.com

Adoptive Families, the award-winning national adoption magazine, is the leading adoption information source for families before, during, and after adoption.

A Thousand Moms
www.athousandmoms.org

A Thousand Moms comprises a network of diverse people across the spectrum of New Yorkers, representing many skills, abilities, and talents. Its mission is to organize, educate, and mobilize in order to meet the emotional, developmental, and social needs of youth in our child welfare systems who may be lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered or questioning their sexual identity so they may reach their full potential. Its goals include: recruiting foster/adoptive parents in local communities; training foster/adoptive/birth families at county and private agencies; raising awareness of the needs of LGBT/Q youth in communities through meetings with local civic, business, and religious organizations and leaders; and ensuring that LGBT/Q youth in foster/adoptive care receive the emotional, physical, and social support they need. A Thousand Moms is a project of the National Association of Former Foster Children, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Creating a Family
www.creatingafamily.com

Adoption/Infertility Consulting Services, Host of Creating a Family: Talk about Infertility and Adoption, Author of www.creatingafamily.com, an online information resource

New York State Citizens’ Coalition for Children, Inc. www.nysccc.org

NYSCCC is an advocacy organization comprised of adoptive and foster parent groups throughout the state, agencies, and concerned citizens who believe in the right of EVERY child to a permanent, loving family. Services include information, referrals, and support and guidance for prospective adoptive and foster parents.

Advocacy

Immigration Equality, Inc.
www.immigrationequality.org

Seeks equal application of U.S immigration law toward LGBT couples, resource/support network for bi-national relationships; advocates for persons facing HIV/AIDS discrimination and those seeking asylum based on sexual orientation.

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF)
www.thetaskforce.org

Founded in 1973, NGLTF was the first LGBT civil rights and advocacy organization and remains the movement’s leading voice for freedom, justice and equality.

Empire State Pride Agenda
www.prideagenda.org

Statewide non-partisan lesbian and gay political advocacy organization. Works to end discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation by lobbying elected officials, electing supportive candidates, mobilizing constituent pressure at the local level, and educating the public.

Family Equality Council
www.familypride.org

Through advocacy, support and educational activities, advances the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender parents and their families. Promotes positive public policy for families of LGBT people. Provides written guide to starting local LGBT parenting groups.

Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) www.glad.org

New England’s leading legal rights organization is dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, HIV status, gender identity and expression. GLAD uses impact litigation and education to achieve its goals.

Human Rights Campaign (HRC)
www.hrc.org

HRC is the largest national lesbian and gay political organization with members throughout the country. It effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates the public to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community. HRC FamilyNet (www.hrc.org/familynet) is an extensive interactive online resource center dedicated to all LGBT families. Find practical information, community support and expert advice about topics including having children to growing old; dealing with children’s health issues and your own; managing your finances and using the law to protect your most important relationships, and other issues.

Also visit www.welcomingschools.org for a comprehensive guide for administrators, educators, parents and guardians who want to strengthen their schools’ approach to family diversity, gender stereotyping and bullying. Welcoming Schools is specifically designed for use in K-5 learning environments and is inclusive of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender families and individuals in the broader context of diversity.

New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence
www.nyscadv.org

The NYSCADV is a non-profit membership organization whose mission is to eradicate domestic violence and to ensure the provision of effective and appropriate services to victims of domestic violence through community outreach, education, training, technical assistance and policy development. NYSCADV also provides a 24-hour, toll-free, statewide Domestic & Sexual Violence Hotline.

New York State Citizens’ Coalition for Children Inc. www.nysccc.org

NationalCenter for Lesbian Rights (NCLR)
www.nclrights.org

Founded in 1977, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) is this country’s only lesbian, feminist, multicultural, national legal resource and advocacy organization with a primary focus on advancing the legal rights of lesbians and their families. Through precedent setting litigation, public policy advocacy, free legal advice and counseling, and community education NCLR helps create a world in which all lesbians can live fully, free from discrimination. NCLR’s family law, youth, immigration, and elder law projects benefit lesbians and gay men, and bisexual and transgendered individuals throughout the United States.

ACLU Lesbian and Gay Rights Project www.aclu.org/lgbt/index.html

The LGBT Project fights discrimination and moves public opinion on LGBT rights through the courts, legislatures and public education.

Legal

American Civil Liberties Union
www.aclu-de.org

Information and legal services.

Lambda Legal
www.lambdalegal.org

Lambda pursues litigation in all parts of the country in every area of the law that affects lesbians, gay men, and people with HIV/AIDS, through impact litigation, education, and public policy work.

Lesbian and Gay Law Association of Greater New York (LeGal)
www.le-gal.org

Walk in legal clinics and referral service to private practice attorneys. Sponsor of annual LGBT Law Conference and summer internship program. Publisher of Lesbian/Gay Law Notes.

Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund
www.transgenderlegal.org

Health

American Fertility Association
www.theafa.org

The American Fertility Association serves people affected by infertility and reproductive health issues by providing advocacy, education and support. Special section at their website on GLBT family building.

American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM)
www.asrm.org

The ASRM provides information on infertility, adoption, third party pregnancy, artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization. We provide lists of physicians, assisted reproduction programs and cryobanks. In addition, the ASRM covers other issues in the reproductive life cycle, such as sexual dysfunction, endometriosis, menopause and reproductive disorders.

Association of Labor Assistants and Childbirth Educators (ALACE)
www.alace.org

ALACE is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting women’s choices in childbirth. ALACE provides training for childbirth professionals, and referrals for parents who are seeking childbirth classes or a Labor Assistant or Birth Doula.

Fenway Community Health
www.fenwayhealth.org

LGBT Family and Parenting Services organizes education, support, and advocacy activities for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered prospective parents, parents, and children. These include The Alternative Insemination Program, Considering Parenting group, Childbirth Class for Lesbians, Parenting Group, and more.

Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA)
www.glma.org

GLMA represents the interests of thousands of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender physicians, medical students, and other health care professionals as well as millions of LGBT patients throughout North America. The largest organization of its kind, GLMA was founded in 1981 as the American Association of Physicians for Human Rights. Provides health care referrals.

American Psychological Association, Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Concerns
www.apa.org/pi/lgbc

The Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Concerns Office works to eliminate the stigma of mental illness long associated with same-sex sexual orientation and to reduce prejudice, discrimination, and violence against lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. Major functions of the office include support to APA’s Committee of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Issues and with other APA groups that have an interest in lesbian, gay, and bisexual concerns; policy analysis, development, and advocacy for APA policy; technical assistance, information, and referral to APA members, policymakers, the media, and the public; and development of publications and other information on lesbian, gay and bisexual concerns in psychology.

Parenting

Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere [COLAGE]
www.colage.org

A support and advocacy group run by and for daughters and sons of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender parents. They have newsletters, local groups, email lists, national conferences, pen pals, an extensive website, and more.

Families Joined by Love
www.familiesjoinedbylove.com

A comprehensive bookstore, resource center, and discussion community for LGBT families and the important people in their lives. We have created this sophisticated new resource for LGBT families in response to a growing need within the LGBT community for information and literature on topics related to parenting, adoption, legal and financial issues, and other areas of interest for current and prospective LGBT parents.

Families Like Ours, Inc.
www.familieslikeours.org

Families Like Ours is a nonprofit support service for alternative families through adoption. We are not an adoption office, nor a legal firm but a support center and community for those who have already adopted and those who are seeking adoption. In an effort to provide community support, everything is live on the net 24 hours a day at our website. There you will find live chat with other parents and professionals, message boards, adoption information, state and legal resources, family stories, and other helpful resources. This service is community driven, meaning it changes and forms to fit the needs of parents. The one stop place for all your links and resources for adoptive gay and lesbian parents.

Gay Parent Magazine
www.gayparentmag.com

Periodical for parents as well as parents-to-be, featuring articles and advertisements on creating and nurturing your family. Special issues include gay-friendly schools, camps for kids, and an issue that focuses on conception, pregnancy, childbirth and infancy. A list of regional LGBT parent support groups is also featured.

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG)
www.pflag.org

Promotes the health and well being of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons, their families and friends through support, education, and advocacy. There are PFLAG chapters throughout the country that offer support groups and social activities to parents, families and friends: call or check the website for a local group. There are numerous chapters throughout New York State.

Rainbow Rumpus
www.rainbowrumpus.org

The magazine for kids with LGBT parents.

Schools

Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
www.glsen.org

GLSEN strives for the equality and safety of all members of every school community, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Provides educational resources and supports school-based gay/straight alliances.

Human Rights Campaign (HRC)
www.hrc.org

Family Building

Lesbian Infertility List (LIL)

LIL is an electronic mailing list for self identified lesbians, our partners, and our loved ones who are experiencing infertility. This list has been created to provide a safe place for the exchange of feelings and information surrounding infertility. To subscribe, send an email message to majordomo@groups.queernet.org with a blank subject line and put the following in the body of the message: subscribe LIL.