LGBTQ+

LGBTQ+ Resource Hub

Advocacy history, comprehensive resources, and ways to support the LGBTQ+ community, brought together in one place for NASW-NY members and the social work community.

History Resources Stay Informed and Donate Common Questions

Background

Addressing the Historical Roots of Oppression

Adapted from Dismantling Oppression, Changing the Narrative by Matthew S. Mackey, examining the historical and systemic forces that have shaped the LGBTQ+ experience in New York State. From the 1700s through 1980, sodomy laws targeted LGBTQ+ people with punishments as severe as death and property seizure. Though overturned, the consequences of these laws persist through stigma and documented convictions.

42%of LGBTQ youth seriously considered suicide in the past year

40%of transgender youth have attempted suicide, vs. 5% of cisgender peers

75%of LGBTQ youth faced discrimination based on identity

1 in 3LGBTQ youth live in an affirming household

Full legal timeline: sodomy laws in New York State

1787-1796: Punishable by death, forfeiture of property

1801: Life imprisonment with hard labor

1828: Lowered to a maximum of 10 years in prison

1881: Raised to a maximum of 5-20 years in prison

1886: Amended to include any "voluntary submission to carnal knowledge," regardless of gender

1892: Limited to oral and anal sex regardless of gender; retained a 20-year maximum, no minimum

1950-1965: Reduced to a misdemeanor, then to 3 months, not including married couples

1980: Declared unconstitutional by the NY Court of Appeals

2003: Struck down federally by the Supreme Court in Lawrence v. Texas; New York passed the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act the same year

2019: New York passed the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act

2021 Trevor Project National Survey: full statistics

Suicide and mental health: 42% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth. 72% reported symptoms of generalized anxiety, and 62% reported symptoms of major depressive disorder, in the past two weeks.
Discrimination: 75% of LGBTQ youth experienced discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity at least once. Half of LGBTQ youth of color reported racial discrimination in the past year, including 67% of Black LGBTQ youth and 60% of Asian/Pacific Islander LGBTQ youth.
Conversion therapy: 13% of LGBTQ youth reported being subjected to conversion therapy, 83% of them before age 18. Those subjected to it attempted suicide at more than twice the rate of those who were not.
Affirming spaces: Only 1 in 3 LGBTQ youth found their home to be LGBTQ-affirming. Youth with access to affirming spaces reported lower rates of attempting suicide.
COVID-19: 70% of LGBTQ youth said their mental health was poor most or all of the time during COVID-19. Nearly 40% who had a job lost it during the pandemic.
Food insecurity: 30% of LGBTQ youth experienced food insecurity in the past month, including half of all Native/Indigenous LGBTQ youth.
Supporting transgender and nonbinary youth: Youth who had their pronouns respected by everyone they lived with attempted suicide at half the rate of those who did not. Being able to change their name or gender marker on legal documents was also associated with lower rates of attempting suicide.

Cited from The Trevor Project (2021), 2021 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health. For additional information, contact Research@TheTrevorProject.org.

Comprehensive LGBTQ+ Resources

Organized by who they serve. Expand any category below.

New York State Resources by Region

Long Island

LGBT Network: Hauppauge Center — Hauppauge — 631.665.2300
LGBT Network: The Hamptons LGBT Center — Sag Harbor — 631.899.4950

Hudson Valley and the Catskills

Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center — Kingston — 845.331.5300
The LOFT: LGBT Community Services Center — White Plains — 914.948.2932
Rockland County Pride Center — Nyack — 845.353.6300

Finger Lakes

Cortland LGBT Resource Center — Cortland — 607.756.8970
The OUT Alliance — Rochester — 585.244.8640

Greater Niagara

Pride Center of Western New York — Buffalo — 716.852.7743

New York City

Brooklyn Community Pride Center — Brooklyn — 347.889.7719
LGBT Center NYC — Manhattan — 212.620.7310
Pride Center of Staten Island — Staten Island — 718.808.1360
Destination Tomorrow: Bronx LGBTQ Center — Bronx — 646.723.3325
Queens LGBT Center (Q Center) — Long Island City — 718.514.2155

Health

Health Disparities in the LGBTQ+ Community: causes, impact, and how to get help.
Twainbow Project: the intersection of LGBTQI+ identity and autism.
Support for Gender Confirmation: financial resources for gender-affirming surgery.
LGBTQ+ Financial Support Guide: grants and scholarships.
AAPI LGBTQ+ Support: substance abuse and mental illness support.
Black LGBTQ+ Support: addiction and mental health resources.
QTBIPOC Support: culturally competent addiction and mental health care.
Gender-Affirming Care Resources.
Digital Mental Health Resources for LGBTQ+ people and allies.

LGBTQIAP Resource Guide

A clear overview of the LGBTQIAP acronym, the history of discrimination faced by this community, and practical ways social workers can support LGBTQIAP clients.

LGBTQIAP Support in Social Work Resource Guide

Youth Resources

AIDS Community Resources (Syracuse): programs and support groups for LGBTQ youth. Hotline: 888-475-2437.
APICHA (Manhattan): Asian and Pacific Islander youth resources. 212-620-7287.
The Audre Lorde Project: community organizing for LGBTQ+ people of color in NYC. Brooklyn: 718-596-0342. Manhattan: 212-463-0342.
Lawyers for Children: legal services for LGBTQ youth in foster care. 212-966-6420.
LGBT National Help Center: youth talk line, online chat, peer support.
CenterLink: nationwide directory of LGBTQ centers.
NYS LGBT Health and Human Services Network Directory.
NYC Comptroller's LGBTQ Guide of Services.
Point Foundation: scholarships, mentorship, and leadership development.
Family resources for parents of LGBTQ+ students.

Student Resources

LGBTQ+ Scholarships: opportunities for students facing financial barriers.
Gender-Inclusive Language Guide.
Scholarships and Advocacy Organizations for LGBTQIA+ students.
Mental Health Support for LGBTQ+ college students.

Military and Veteran Communities

OutServe-SLDN: legal and policy support for LGBTQ+ service members and veterans.
Respect for Marriage Coalition: 80+ organizations supporting marriage equality.
Freedom to Marry: campaign for nationwide marriage equality.
Veterans Health Administration: transgender-inclusive care policies.
Selective Service and Transgender People: rights and responsibilities.
Know Your Rights: Military Records: discharge upgrades and legal support.

Resources for the Aging LGBTQ+ Population

LGBT Aging Resources Clearinghouse (ASA).
Lesbian and Gay Aging Issues Network (LGAIN).
National LGBTQ Task Force: elder policy reform.
Old Lesbians Organizing for Change (OLOC).
Family Caregiver Alliance LGBT Caring Community.
National Resource Center on LGBT Aging.
GRIOT Circle: LGBTQ+ elders of color.
LGBT Aging Project.
Caring and Aging with Pride: NIH-funded research.
Forge/Transgender Aging Network.

Legal Resources

National LGBT Bar Association.
APLA Health: HIV advocacy and wellness.
ACLU LGBTQ+ Project.
Equality California.
GLAD: litigation and advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights.
LGBTQ Victory Fund: supports LGBTQ+ candidates.
ILGA World: global LGBTQ+ advocacy federation.
LGBT Bar Association of New York (LeGaL).
Transgender Law Center.
Trans Law Help: directory of trans-positive lawyers.
Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund.
The Williams Institute: research on SOGI law and policy.
Youth legal support: Sylvia Rivera Law Project, NYCLU, Crisis Text Line (text HOME to 741741).

Political Resources

Stonewall Democrats: official Democratic Party caucus for LGBT issues.
Log Cabin Republicans: LGBTQ+ inclusion and civil rights within the GOP.
National LGBTQ Task Force: research, policy analysis, and advocacy.

Get Involved

Stay Informed and Support

Organizations you can follow, support, or turn to for crisis help.

The Trevor Project

Crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth under 25.

Visit thetrevorproject.org

Human Rights Campaign

National advocacy through education, research, and policy reform.

Visit hrc.org

Point Foundation

Scholarships, mentorship, and leadership development for LGBTQ+ students.

Visit pointfoundation.org

Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice

Funds grassroots LGBTQI movements worldwide.

Visit astraeafoundation.org

Family Equality Council

Advances equality for LGBTQ families through policy and community.

Visit familyequality.org

The Ali Forney Center

Protects LGBTQ+ youth from homelessness.

Visit aliforneycenter.org

National Center for Transgender Equality

Advances policy to improve the lives of transgender people.

Visit transequality.org

SAGE

Services and advocacy for LGBTQ+ elders.

Visit sageusa.org

GLSEN

Empowers students and educators to build inclusive K-12 schools.

Visit glsen.org

Lambda Legal

Impact litigation and policy work for LGBTQ+ rights and people living with HIV.

Visit lambdalegal.org

Movement Advancement Project

Policy reports and infographics tracking LGBTQ+ rights and healthcare access.

Visit lgbtmap.org

Know a resource that should be listed here, or interested in leading this as a facilitated Special Interest Group with regular meetings? Contact NASW-NY.

Quick Answers

Common Questions

What LGBTQ+ resources does NASW-NY offer?

NASW-NY's LGBTQ+ Resource Hub brings together historical background on anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination in New York State, a directory of resources across nine categories including health, legal, youth, student, aging, and military and veteran support, and a list of national organizations to follow or donate to.

Is the NASW-NY LGBTQ+ Resource Hub open to non-members?

Yes. The history, resource directory, and stay-informed sections are open to the public, not only NASW-NY members.

Where can LGBTQ+ youth in New York get crisis support?

The Trevor Project provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth under 25. Crisis Text Line is available by texting HOME to 741741. Regional LGBTQ+ community centers across New York State, listed in the resource directory above, also offer local support.

What is the history of anti-LGBTQ+ laws in New York State?

New York's sodomy laws date to the 1780s and were used to criminalize LGBTQ+ people with penalties as severe as death or life imprisonment. The New York Court of Appeals declared these laws unconstitutional in 1980. New York passed the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act in 2003 and the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act in 2019. The full legal timeline is in the History section above.

How do I find an LGBTQ+ community center near me in New York?

The resource directory's New York State Resources by Region section lists LGBTQ+ community centers across Long Island, the Hudson Valley and Catskills, the Finger Lakes, Greater Niagara, and New York City, with phone numbers for each.

How can I get involved in facilitating an NASW-NY LGBTQ+ Special Interest Group?

Any NASW-NY member may propose or lead a Special Interest Group. Contact NASW-NY at info.naswny@socialworkers.org to learn how to formalize this into a facilitated group with regular meetings.