If you are ever in need, please use one of these national resources for the trans community. Most resources are not just for the transgender community and can help any LGBTQ+ person in need. If we don't have your location listed, you can ask the national organizations to help you search for locations close to your home.

National Suicide Hotlines

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 Provides free, confidential, 24/7 support for people in distress

National Suicide Prevention Chat: Available to the U.S and U.S territories for free, online support

Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free 24/7 support

The Trevor Project: Provides free calling, texting, and counseling to LGBT+ community members at 1-866-488-7386 or Text START to 678-678

BeFrienders Worldwide: This gives access to suicide prevention lines and chats all over the world, just select your country and it will direct you toward the correct correspondence

Find a local Helpline: Which gives access to suicide prevention lines and chats all over the world

THRIVE: LGBT+ chat line that gives support 24/7/365, just text THRIVE to +1.313.662.8209 from anywhere

Trans Lifeline: Available in the US- at 1-877-565-8860 and in Canada- at 1-877-330-6366 both are 24/7, confidential, and free

LGBT National Help Center: This provides all of the following amazing resources!

Toll-Free National Hotline
1-888-843-4564
Monday – Friday 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. ET
Saturday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET

Youth Talkline
1-800-246-7743
Monday – Friday 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. ET
Saturday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET
For teens and young adults up to age 25

Online Peer-Support Chat
Monday – Friday 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. ET
Saturday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET
One-on-one confidential peer support; not for casual chatting.
Chat here

Trans Teens Online Talk Group
Weekly moderated group for trans teens ages 12 – 19
Wednesday from 7-9 p.m. ET
Join the group here

The Gay & Lesbian Switchboard of New York
1-212-989-0999
Monday – Friday 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. ET
Saturday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET

NYC hotline providing peer support and information on local resources

Advocacy Organizations for the Transgender Community

National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) - provides information, support, and advocates for transgender people

Trans People of Color Coalition (TPOCC)- Helps to advance equality for trans people of color

Trans Women of Color Collective (TWOCC)- Advocacy group for transgender women of color

Black Trans Advocacy- Aims to improve the Black Transgender experience, and also provides free support in the US at (855) 624-7715 Tuesday-Thursday from 10-2 CST

Trans Latina Coalition- Advocacy group for the Latin Transgender community

Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC)- Advocacy group located in Massachusetts

Transgender American Veterans Association- Advocacy for Transgender Vets

The Task Force's Transgender Civil Rights Project- Advocacy and education about trans issues

PFLAG's Transgender Ally campaign- Advocacy and allyship campaign

HRC's transgender resources- Resources and advocacy for trans rights

Family and Trans Youth Support

Gender Spectrum- Provides advocacy and support for families, transgender youth, and educators

Gender Diversity- Provides advocacy and support for families, transgender youth, and educators

Trans Families- Provides advocacy and support for families, transgender youth, and educators

Trans Youth Equity Foundation- Provides support for families and trans youth

PFLAG Our Trans Loved Ones- Support for families with people who have trans members

COLAGE Kids of Trans Community- Support for children with transgender parents

Legal Services

Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF)- Legal Defense for those who identify within the transgender spectrum

Transgender Law Center (TLC)- National legal services and advocacy for transgender people

Sylvia Rivera Law Project (SRLP)- Legal services for trans people

Trans Doe Task Force- Legal services for trans people

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)- Provides legal services for trans individuals

GLAD Trans Rights- Gives legal help and provides information about your rights

National Center for Lesbian Rights - Transgender Law- Has legal outlets for the transgender community as well as a surplus of legal information

NCTE- A collective of over 80 organizations compiled to help navigate the name and gender change process

NCTE Directory- Compilation of the US and national resources for legal help for the trans community

American Bar Association- Has a list of resources for education and help regarding transgender legal issues in the US

Transgender Youth and Equality- Provides legal support to transgender youth as well as education about rights

Housing Resources

Trans Equality- Information regarding gender equality and your housing rights

CenterLink- Helps find an LGBT community center

AKT- A UK resource center that provides housing to LGBT+ community members under the age of 26

Stonewall Housing- Provides LGBT+ members housing and support throughout the UK and London

Bill Wilson Center- Provides support and housing for all members of the LBGT+ community as well as families

Los Angeles Host Home- Resources for finding host homes for LGBT+ Youth throughout California

Time Out Youth- Helps Provide homes for transgender youth who have been kicked out of their home

National Coalition for the Homeless- Provides resources to help find local homeless shelters/housing/host homes

National Homeless Law Center- Provides policy advocacy, public education, litigation, and advocacy training and support to prevent and end homelessness and to protect the rights of people experiencing homelessness

Support Groups for the Trans Community - Kansas City

• Trans+Social: Weekly social support group held at UMKC exclusively for trans+ individuals who are college students or young adult community members. Email transumkc@gmail.com for the current time and location.
• Trans+Allies: Facilitated discussion group open to everyone. Held once per month during the academic year (Sept-Dec, Feb-May) at UMKC. Email transumkc@gmail.com for the current time, location, and topics.
• EQUAL Trans Support Group: Held at the LIKEME Lighthouse (3909 Main St.), 5-8 p.m. on 3rd Thursdays. Open to everyone. Contact joy.brungardt@gmail.com for more information.
• SOFFA (Significant Others, Family, Friends, and Allies) of Transgender Persons: 6:30-8:30 p.m. on 1st and 3rd Wednesdays at various Johnson County libraries. Contact soffakc@yahoo.com for the current location.
• PFLAG: Held monthly at 3 p.m. on the 4th Sunday at the LIKEME Lighthouse and the 2nd Sunday at Village Presbyterian (6641 Mission Rd.) For parents, family, friends, and LGBT+ individuals.

Note: Check out http://likemelighthouse.org/calendar/ for social events for LGBT+ individuals.

Counseling Options for the Trans Community - Kansas City

If you are a student, college counseling centers often offer a number of free sessions per year. As with all counseling centers, it is recommended that you request a counselor who is knowledgeable about trans issues.

• Community Counseling and Assessment Services at UMKC: Offers income-based counseling with counseling practicum students; sessions as low as $5. 816-235-2725
• Counseling Services: Brookside 51 Building, Room 201 816-235-1635 cthc@umkc.edu
• T. Michael Henderson, MS, LPC, LCPC: 7280 NW 87th Terr., Suite 210, Kansas City, Mo.; 816-841-7772
• Teresa Rose, Ph.D.: 4200 Somerset Dr., Suite 239, Prairie Village, Kan.; 816-363-9500
• Richard Abloff, Ph.D.: 6306 Walnut St., Kansas City, Mo.; 816-444-7890
• Daniel C. Claiborn, Ph.D.: 8826 Santa Fe Dr., Suite 170; Overland Park, Kan.; 913-438-2100
• Donna J Davis, PLPC: 816-442-3481, equalitycounseling2014@gmail.com
• Megan Monroe, LSCSW: 816-435-2829; MMonroeMSW@kc.rr.com; MeganMonroeMSW.com
• Transgender Institute: Caroline Gibbs and Patti Concannon. Therapy geared toward MTF and FTM individuals wishing to transition, as well as children and teens; 8080 Ward Parkway, Suite 400, Kansas City, Mo.; 816-305-0943
• Trevor Lifeline: An LGBT+ 24/7 counseling/crisis line: 866-488-7386

Health Care for the Trans Community - Kansas City

• KC CARE Health Clinic: Offers a range of free health care services. 3515 Broadway, Kansas City, Mo.; 816-753-5144 http://www.kccareclinic.org/ (Also offers counseling)
• Truman Medical Center: Free and reduced-cost medical care, including specialists; 2301 Holmes St., Kansas City, Mo.; 816-404-1000; http://www.trumed.org/ (Also offers counseling at 300 W. 19th Terr.: 816-404-5700) Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm
• Transgender Surgery Services In Kansas: This is a compiled list of hospitals and doctors throughout Kansas that do gender-affirming surgeries.
• KU Medical Center: These are the names of trans-friendly providers that work for the Kansas University Medical Center: Practitioners: Meredith Gray, MD OB-GYN; Taryn Acosta Lentz, Ph.D. – Merriam, KS; Margaret Tuttle, Physician’s Assistant – Kansas City, KS; Kathryn Thiessen, Adult Health Nurse Practitioner – Wichita
• Sharon Lee, M.D.: 340 Southwest Blvd. Kansas City, Kan.; 913-722-3100; informed consent hormone therapy without a referral from a counselor.
• Mary Jacobs, A.P.R.N.: 1001 N. Minneapolis Wichita, Kan.; 316-293-1840; informed consent hormone therapy.
• Cynthia Glass, M.D.: 373 W. 101st Terr., Kansas City, Mo.; 816-942-8200. Provides hormone therapy. Requests a referral.
• Gender Pathway Services at Children’s Mercy Hospital: pediatric endocrinologist Jill Jacobson, M.D. This clinic provides counseling and health care for transgender children; 816-478-5254 or 816-960-8803

Legal Aid for the Trans Community - Kansas City

• Madeline Johnson, gender attorney. 4051 Broadway, Suite 4, Kansas City, Mo.; 816-607-1836; MJohnson@ELMLAWKC.com. Handles discrimination claims, name changes, gender marker changes, and birth certificate amendments.
• OutLaws: UMKC Program that connects LGBT+ students with law students to help with the legalization of name changes and more. 500 E 52nd St. UMKC School of Law Kansas City, MO 64110 United State of America Contact Email E: Jcwbfv@mail.umkc.edu
• ID Change: Hub for name and gender marker change in Kansas

Editor’s Note: The University of Missouri Kansas City established a Trans+Social Group in February 2014 to provide a safe space for individuals who identify as transgender to meet, connect and discuss topics related to gender identity and expression. Two UMKC School of Education students in the counseling psychology doctoral program, Alex Ross and Michelle Farrell, helped create this program. The group is open to UMKC students of all ages and young adults in the Kansas City area who identify as transgender, transsexual, genderqueer, genderfluid, gender non-conforming, non-binary, bigender, agender, third gender, questioning, and/or somewhere beyond the binary gender system. Ross posted this resource guide on the Facebook page called LGBT in KC, and we are reprinting it with her permission.

last updated June 17, 2022