Youth Resources

Below are resources geared towards LGBTQ+ youth, 24 and under.

Washington 2-1-1
Dial 2-1-1 from anywhere in Washington State and you will reach a highly-trained information and referral specialist who will assess your needs and provide a list of referrals to available resources in your community. 2-1-1 is a free confidential community service and your one-stop connection to the local services you need, from utility assistance, food, housing, health, child care, after school programs, elder care, crisis intervention and much more.
TTY for the deaf and hard of hearing and interpreter services are also available in 140+ languages.

Community/Peer Groups

TC LGBTQ+ Community Google Calendar
See what’s happening in the Tri with this calendar full of local queer events!

PFLAG Youth Nights (for youth 13-18)
Our Youth Nights provide a variety of fun activities and educational topics in a safe environment for local LGBTQIA2+ teens and their allies.

Q Chat Space
Q Chat Space’s goal is to help LGBTQ+ and questioning teens (13 to 19 years old) find community and connect with peers in a supportive environment that encourages them to feel pride in their identities & increases their mental well-being, all of which is too often missing from their lives! 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.

Housing

My Friends’ Place
At My Friends’ Place we provide 13-17-year-old homeless teenagers with a bed, meals, clothing, showers, laundry facilities, hygiene products, support services and individualized case management services. We also offer drop-in services to all youth in need in our community. Homelessness does exist in our community and knows no boundaries. My Friends’ place is a program of Safe Harbor Support Center. Contact Number: 509-438-0079

The National Runaway Safeline
You can connect with a trusted, compassionate person who will listen and help you create a plan to address your concerns. Contact Number: 1-800-786-2929 (online chat available)

On Our Own: A Survival Guide for Independent LGBTQ Youth
This guide is designed to help youth who are LGBTQ and aren’t able to rely on their parents or guardians for financial support. It aims to answer some of the first questions a young person might have. Being on one’s own is hard for everybody and especially daunting for young people who are LGBTQ — this guide is here to help.

School

Communities in Schools Benton Franklin
CIS is dedicated to empowering students to stay in school and on a path to a brighter future. Working directly inside schools, we connect kids to caring adults and community resources designed to help them succeed. In partnership with local communities, we do whatever it takes to ensure that all kids—regardless of the challenges they may face—have what they need to realize their potential. Contact Number: 509-967-6038

TC Futures
TC Futures is a collaborative venture between Educational Service District 123 and the Benton Franklin Workforce Development Council. At TC Futures we are dedicated to providing exceptional support for youth and young adults ages 16-24 who have opted-out of high school. We offer GED completion, career counseling, employment opportunities, on-the-job training, internships, apprenticeships, and other employment related services. We inspire and empower through a collaborative experience, with the hope that all will grow, find purpose, and become their best self. Contact Number: 509-537-1710

WSU Tri-Cities
Rainbow Alliance Club Faculty Advisor: Marco Cerqueira, 509-372-7610, marco.cerqueira@wsu.edu
Club meets on Wednesdays 12:30-1:30pm in the MOSAIC Center (Floyd building, room 140)

Columbia Basin College
SQUAD Club Faculty Advisor: Molly Mooney, 509-542-5547, mmooney@columbiabasin.edu
Club meets on Wednesdays 2-3pm in the Social Science & World Languages Building, room 117

Stop Bullying
Bullying can affect you in many ways. You may lose sleep or feel sick. You may want to skip school. You may even think about suicide. If you are felling hopeless or helpless or know someone that is, please call the Lifeline. Contact Number: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Scholarships for LGBTQ+ students
To simplify the scholarship hunt, here is comprehensive list of top scholarships for LGBTQ students.

Campus Pride Index
Since 2007, the Campus Pride Index has been the premier LGBTQ national benchmarking tool for colleges and universities to create safer, more inclusive campus communities. It allows those interested in higher education to search a database of LGBTQ-friendly campuses that have come out to improve the academic experience and quality of campus life.

Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) Washington
Championing LGBTQ issues in K-12 education since 1990, GLSEN works to ensure that LGBTQ students are able to learn and grow in a school environment free from bullying and harassment. Together we can transform our nation’s schools into the safe and affirming environment all youth deserve.

Gay Straight Alliance Network
GSA Network is a next-generation LGBTQ racial and gender justice organization that empowers and trains queer, trans and allied youth leaders to advocate, organize, and mobilize an intersectional movement for safer schools and healthier communities. Contact Number: 415-552-4229

Family Support

PFLAG BF Events
We provide peer-to-peer support services within your community for families, allies and people who are LGBTQIA2+.

COLAGE (Children of Lesbian and Gays Everywhere)
COLAGE unites people with LGBTQ+ parents and caregivers into a network of peers and supports them as they nurture and empower each other to be skilled, self-confident, and just leaders in our collective communities. Contact Email: info@colage.org

TransFamilies
Trans Families is a nonprofit organization that has been supporting transgender people and their families since 2008. Today, we run parent support groups (including a group for Spanish-speaking families) and youth support groups. Our weekly support group meetings are all online, available for families everywhere. We are also the force behind the annual conference Gender Odyssey. We want to bring the power of connection to everyone.

Family Acceptance Project
Through research, intervention, education and policy initiatives, FAP strives to prevent health and mental health risks, including suicide, homelessness, drug use, and HIV in LGBTQ youth — in the context of their families, cultures and faith communities. They aim to strengthen families and build healthy futures for LGBTQ and gender diverse children and youth.

Gender Spectrum
Gender Spectrum works to create gender sensitive and inclusive environments for all children and teens by providing education, training and support. They hold online groups and events, and have other resources for gender expansive youth and families.

Stand with Trans
Stand with Trans has been dedicated to developing programs, educational events and support groups to serve transgender youth. Our mission is to provide the tools needed by transgender youth so they will be empowered, supported and validated as they transition to their authentic life.

Health

WA Mental Health Referral Service
A free program that connects families with mental health providers in their communities who accept new patients, work with insurance, and fit treatment needs. The Referral Service is accessible to children and teens 17 and under living in Washington State. Teens between the ages of 13 and 17 can also call the Referral Service to find providers for themselves.
Contact Number: 833-303-5437

Choose You, You Can, & Focus On You
These 3 Washington State programs are available to educate teens about the risks and consequences of nicotine, marijuana, and alcohol use, respectively. They cover the facts, suggest alternative coping mechanisms, and provide resources to find support.

National HIV/AIDS Hotline 
Learn about HIV/AIDS, prevention and care, as well as find access to HIV services for people most at risk for or living with HIV.
U.S. – 1-800-342-2437
En Español – 1-800-344-7432
TDD – 1-800-243-7889

Washington HIV/AIDS Hotline
The Early Intervention Program (EIP) is Washington State’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). EIP provides services to help eligible persons with HIV get the medications and assistance with insurance premium payments they need to improve and maintain their health.
Toll Free – 1-877-376-9316

Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho (PPGWNI) has been helping people make responsible decisions about their sexual health for over 50 years. Dedicated to delivering the highest quality reproductive health care services since 1967, PPGWNI is also committed to providing responsible, age-appropriate sexuality education. Contact Email: communications@ppgwni.org

FOLX Health: Library
Your ultimate go-to resource to answer the questions you have about LGBTQ+ healthcare from FOLX clinicians, our team, and the wider community.

Intro to LGBTQ+**

A Quick Guide to Sexual Orientation, Sex, & Gender Identity
A comic that illustrates concepts such as sexual orientation, sex, and gender identity. A great starting point to help you begin understanding and interacting with the LGBTQ+ community.

The Trevor Project: Understanding Sexual Orientation
A fantastic hub of articles that provide a fundamental understanding of various orientations, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and asexual.

The Trevor Project: Understanding Gender Identity
Want to learn more about how humans express themselves through their gender? This is a great place to discover what it means to be transgender and/or nonbinary.

Trans & Gender Non-Conforming (GNC) Basics
A curated database of resources by and for transgender and gender non-conforming people. We use research and lived experiences to provide the most up-to-date and accurate information about a myriad of topics related to queer folx and their loved-ones.

A Collection of LGBTQ+ Videos
A catch-all collection of LGBTQ+ educational and/or inclusive videos.

20 Queer YA Books for Your TBR
From contemporary romance, to high fantasy, and a variety of genres in between, here’s a great list of queer YA books.

**For even more educational resources on LGBTQ+ issues, history, and advocacy, visit our Learning Center!

Know Your Rights

PFLAG BF’s Rights & Advocacy Page
Learn more about the law and what actions you can take if your rights have been violated. Discover how to become an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community at large.

Guides for Identity Document Changes
Here are several informational guides that can help you navigate making changes to your legal documents.

Crisis Intervention/Hotlines

National Suicide Prevention
Call or Text: 988 (online chat available)
En Español: 1-800-344-7432
TTY: dial 711 then 988.
People can also call 988 and press 3 to be connected to LGBTQI+ services.

The Trevor Project (for Youth 13-24)
1-866-488-7386 (online chat available)
Text “START” to 678678. Standard text messaging rates apply. Available 24/7/365.

LGBT National Youth Talkline (for anyone under 25)
1-​800-246-7743

Washington Teen Link
Talk with another teen by phone from 6-10 pm and chat, or text from 6-9:30 pm every night. You can also call to connect with our substance use specialist from 2-10 pm Mon-Fri (Call the same number and press 2). 
Call or Text – 1-866-833-6546 (online chat available)

Crisis Text Line
Text CONNECT to 741741. Standard text messaging rates apply. Available 24/7/365.

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Tri-Cities
Local 24/7 Crisis Line: (509) 792-1747

Trans Lifeline
U.S. – 1-877-565-8860
Canada – 1-877-330-6366

Domestic Violence Services of Benton & Franklin Counties
Local 24/7 Crisis Line: 509-582-9841
Toll-Free 24 Hour Hotline: 1-800-648-1277

U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline
Services in Spanish and English. Referral services in over 170 languages.
U.S. – 1-800-799-7233
TTY – 1-800-787-3224
Text START to 88788. Standard text messaging rates apply. Available 24/7/365.

Rape Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN)
U.S. – 1-800-656-4673 (online chat available)
TTY – 1-800-810-7440

The National Runaway Safeline
You can connect with a trusted, compassionate person who will listen and help you create a plan to address your concerns. Contact Number: 1-800-786-2929 (online chat available)

Stop Bullying
Bullying can affect you in many ways. You may lose sleep or feel sick. You may want to skip school. You may even think about suicide. If you are felling hopeless or helpless or know someone that is, please call the Lifeline. Contact Number: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

HearMeWA
The HearMeWA is a statewide program for receiving and responding to tips regarding risks or potential risks to the safety and well-being of youth. Our goal is to provide a safe place for youth to report safety and well-being concerns to help prevent tragedies and violence.
Youth up to age 25 can contact HearMeWA to report any safety or well-being concerns they may have. There are several ways to access the program:
Submit a report using the tip form
Call – 1-888-537-1634
Text “HearMeWA” to 738477

Youth Suicide Prevention
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Washington youth between the ages of 15 to 19. This site provides resources for youth suicide prevention, including Tools for Action, What are the Warning Signs, Youth Resources, and Youth Suicide FAQs.

To Write Love On Her Arms
To Write Love on Her Arms is a nonprofit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and invest directly into treatment and recovery.