Resources

Jump to resources for Adults | Youth | Parents | School Staff | Employers and Providers | Community | Faith

Did You Know?

Healthcare workers in Ohio can legally deny services to patients, including those who are LGBTQ+, based on moral objections. Ohioans on Medicaid are excluded from receiving transgender care. Ohio is one of 25 states listed as “High Priority to Achieve Basic Equality” for LGBTQ+ people on the 2020 HRC State Equality Index – a comprehensive state-by-state report that provides a review of statewide laws and policies that affect LGBTQ+ people and their families.

About This Page

Listed below are local and national resources with programs serving SOGI adults and their families, friends and allies. Links are provided which target specific needs and conveniently take you directly to the optimal place on the affiliate’s website. Each section also includes suggestions for books and articles related to these topics. This list is by no means exhaustive. If you’ve had a positive experience with a website or provider, please email us with information and reasons you would recommend them.

Transgender – adult

LGBTQ Adults

Counseling – Adult and Youth

Healthcare – Adult

Addiction Resources

Housing

  • Fair Housing Resource Center   440-392-0147 or 866-411-3472
    Offers several housing programs that benefit residents of Lake, Geauga and Ashtabula County.
  • Dorian Gray Youth Foundation provides funding and resources to housing insecure LGBTQ+ youth (ages 12 – 24) in Northeast Ohio.

Wigs, Styling and Makeup

  • Safe In My Chair list of welcoming salons / stylists in the US, Canada and UK

Hair Removal

Books and Articles

  • Cleveland Clinic – The Transgender Brain
  • Trans Bodies, Trans Selves, by Laura Erickson-Schroth, copyright 2014, non-fiction
    Edited by psychiatrist Laura Erickson-Schroth, a resource that covers health and wellness for transgender and gender non-conforming people. It was a 27th Lambda Literary Awards finalist in the Transgender Non-Fiction category and won a 2015 Achievement Award from GLMA: Healthcare Professionals for LGBT Equality.

Spouse, Family, and Ally Resources

  • PFLAG With over 400 chapters nationwide, PFLAG has provided support to the SOGI community since 1973. It is the first and largest organization of its kind. The PFLAG Cleveland chapter was established in 1985 and has been instrumental in changing hearts and minds in the Greater Cleveland community. They offer a monthly peer support group, and an array of annual membership options, all of which entitle you to receive a national and local PFLAG newsletter, and access to their many resources. 
  • Transgender Partners – Resources for Significant Others, Friends, Family and Allies of Transgender People
  • Tri-C Safe Zone Ally Manual
  • LGBTQ Family Acceptance – Family Acceptance Project

YOUTH

Other Resources

Books and Articles

  • Beyond Magenta, Transgender Teens Speak Out – Author and photographer Susan Kuklin met and interviewed six transgender or gender-neutral young adults and represented them thoughtfully and respectfully before, during, and after their personal acknowledgment of gender preference. It illustrates how family dynamics, living situations, and gender influence the transition these teens make in recognition of their true selves.
  • GLBTQ – The Survival Guide for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Teens – Kelly Huegel Madrone describes the challenges faced by GLBTQ teens, offers practical advice, real-life experiences, and accessible resources and support groups. First published in 2003, this latest provides a contemporary look at society and its growing acceptance of people who are GLBTQ.

PARENTS

Parental Resources

Healthcare – Transgender Youth

Books and Articles

  • I Am Jazz, the story of a transgender child based on the real-life experience of Jazz Jennings, who has become a spokesperson for transkids everywhere. This is an essential tool for parents and teachers to share with children whether those kids identify as trans or not. Jessica Herthel, Jazz Jennings 2014
  • Becoming Nicole, The Transformation of an American Family, by Amy Ellis Nutt (Pulitzer Prize winner) – ©2015. A couple adopts identical twin boys. At 2 years of age, one twin insists he is a female. The story follows the family’s challenges personally and in the community.  Interspersed through the book are several chapters that explain the biology (chromosomes, endocrinology) of gender anomalies.
  • Gender; A Graphic Guide, by Meg-John Barker and Jules Scheele – copyright 2019
    Travel through shifting understandings of gender across time and space – from ideas about masculinity and femininity, to non-binary and trans genders. Consider the intersecting experiences of gender; culture, experiences, and biology.

SCHOOL STAFF RESOURCES

Other Staff Resources

EMPLOYERS & PROVIDERS

Did You Know?

4.3% of Ohio adults (about 389,000) are on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. 30% (age 25+) are raising children. 5% of the Ohio workforce (about 298,000) is LGBTQ+. In Ohio, it is legal to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people in employment, housing, and public accommodations. The Ohio Fairness Act, which would make such discrimination illegal, has been introduced every legislative session since 2011 but has never passed. Thirty-two Ohio cities and one Ohio county have local antidiscrimination ordinances governing sexual orientation and gender identity.

Individuals, businesses, and service providers are encouraged to contact us about training and other collaborative opportunities. Geauga SOGI partners with regional and national LGBTQ+ organizations who have completed research and well-developed curriculums.

Employer and Agency Resources

Legislative

COMMUNITY EDUCATION RESOURCES

RELIGION AND FAITH RESOURCES

Did You Know?

Many Ohio faith-based organizations from diverse religious traditions openly accept and affirm LGBTQ+ individuals and are actively working for nondiscrimination protections.

Religion

Local Affirming Congregations

Books and Articles