PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – For LGBTQ+ youth, certain spaces can be unwelcoming. Sometimes, coming out to family members can be scary or even dangerous.
To help children and teens in the LGBTQ+ community, several organizations in Southwest Washington and Northwest Oregon provide support and safe spaces for gatherings and events.
Many also offer educational opportunities for parents to help them better support their children.
From Salem to Vancouver, and several cities in between, here are nine local resources for LGBTQ youth.
Reach Out Oregon
Reach Out Oregon in Salem is an organization devoted to supporting families with children experiencing mental, emotional or behavioral health challenges. It also directs people to Oregon LGBTQ youth and family resources. It works with the Oregon Family Support Network in Salem to provide youth and families with assistance and educational information to support the emotional wellness of young people.
Rainbow Youth
For LGBTQIA+ youth in Marion and Polk counties, turn to Rainbow Youth. The organization’s mission is to create safe and welcoming spaces for LGBTQIA+ youth and their friends to find connection, support and mentorship. It hosts weekly gatherings and social activities where the organization promotes sexuality and gender acceptance. Rainbow Youth also offers parents suggestions on how they can get involved.
The Living Room
Located in Gladstone, The Living Room is known as a safe haven for LGBTQ youth ages 13-23 in Clackamas County. The organization offers youth-led programming and it provides programs and resources that encourage the personal growth, sense of belonging and leadership skills of LGBTQ+ youth and their allies. The drop-in space is a safe place for youth to hang out and build community. The Living Room frequently plans game nights, art projects, and hosts open mic nights and movies. Its free resource closet provides hygiene products, school supplies, gender-care items and more.
TransActive Gender Project
The TransActive Gender Project operates out of Lewis & Clark College in Southwest Portland. The project provides a holistic range of services to empower transgender and gender expansive children and their families. The group believes gender expansive and transgender children have the right to receive affirmation of their self-identity and that caregivers and families deserve support as they raise, nurture and love their children. The group offers professional development, facilitates support groups and conducts advocacy and policy development work.
Outside In
With a decades-long reputation for providing safe, supportive and inclusive healthcare, Outside In in Portland prides itself in its LGBTQIA+ resources. The clinic provides gender affirming hormones and surgical and other medical referrals. It also hosts the QueerZone, a gender-affirming community for people ages 16-24 who are eligible for the Multnomah County Homeless Youth Continuum. Outside In aso provides housing resources.
SMYRC
The Sexual & Gender Minority Youth Resource Center, also known as SMYRC, provides culturally specific support for LGBTQIA2S+ youth. The organization offers a safe, harassment-free space for queer and transgender youth ages 13-23. At the Southwest Portland location, youth can create art, play music and participate in open mic nights, drag shows and support groups. SMYRC also helps youth access counseling, school support and more.
Queer Youth Resource Center
While the Queer Youth Resource Center in Vancouver doesn’t have a physical building yet, it’s been partnering with existing community organizations to provide services. Currently, the nonprofit works to serve LGBTQ+ youth ages 12-24 and their allies in Vancouver and the greater Southwest Washington area. The nonprofit promotes recreational youth events, supports networking and outreach, and shares important LGBTQ+ resources. Family, friends and service providers are invited to get involved in the organization’s work.
Clark County Teen Talk
“Non-judgemental support for teens, by teens,” states the headline on Clark County Teen Talk’s website. The peer-to-peer support line offers a resource for youth to feel safe and talk about their problems. Teens can call the line to speak to other teens about what they’re going through and the obstacles they’re facing. The conversations are confidential unless someone is at risk of being hurt. The Clark County Teen Talk website features a list of helplines and local and state resources for youth.
Triple Point Vancouver
Triple Point is operated out of the Children’s Home Society of Washington in Vancouver. It’s the state’s oldest and largest nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of children. Triple Point is a program that provides a safe space and support groups for LGBTQ+ people ages 11 to 18.