This list includes LGBT-related resources that are available within Illinois or in the surrounding region. If you have a suggestion for a topic or a resource to be added, or find a broken link, please contact the LGBT Resource Center.
Resources are listed alphabetically by the following topic headings. Click on a heading to jump to that section of the page. You may also simply scroll down the page to see all of the topics.
Gay and Sober AA Meetings: A closed group for gay AA members, meeting at The Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Call the church office at (630) 232-2350 to contact group leaders.
PFLAG Northern Illinois: Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons, their families and friends through: support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights. PFLAG provides opportunity for dialogue about sexual orientation and gender identity, and acts to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity.
Center on Halsted: The Center on Halsted Mental Health Services staff has been meeting the psychosocial needs of Chicago’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community for more than 25 years. Mental health services are provided on a sliding scale basis. Insurance may be accepted. Counseling may be free of charge to individuals living with HIV or experiencing relationship violence.
Howard Brown Health Center: Howard Brown is the Midwest’s premier lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) health care organization, and leads the region in addressing the comprehensive health care needs of people in the LGBT community. Howard Brown provides mental health services specifically tailored for the LGBT community.
State of Illinois: Offensive, discriminatory, or harassing behavior based upon an individual’s sexual orientation is prohibited by the Illinois Human Rights Act.
Rainbow Families of Illinois: A non-profit, community-based organization that includes lesbian and gay parents and their children and those considering parenthood: "We are committed to protecting the right of LGBT people to raise children with love and integrity in a culture of justice, respect and belonging. In promoting the well-being of all of our families, we sponsor social, educational and advocacy programs for adults and kids of all ages."
Illinois' Hate Crimes Law includes sexual orientation. If you think you have been a victim of a hate crime based on sexual orientation, you can report the incident to a law enforcement agency.
Howard Brown Health Center: Howard Brown is the Midwest’s premier lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) health care organization, and leads the region in addressing the comprehensive health care needs of people in the LGBT community. The mission of Howard Brown is to promote the well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons through the provision of health care and wellness programs, including clinical, educational, social service and research activities.
LGBT Info Line: (773) 929-HELP, 8 am to 10 pm every day. A service of the Center on Halsted in Chicago, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Info Line is available most days of the year.
LGBT Crisis Hotline: (773) 871-CARE, 24-Hours every day. A service of the Center on Halsted in Chicago. Staff and volunteers with over 45 hours of training provide callers with crisis intervention, emotional support, education, and referrals concerning hate crimes, domestic violence, police misconduct, sexual assault, and discrimination. Crisis Hotline counselors maintain the client's privacy and adhere to a strict confidentiality policy. Counselors will not leave messages on answering machines or with someone other than the caller.
State of Illinois AIDS/HIV & STD Hotline: (800) AID-AIDS; 1-800-782-0423 (TTY), 8 am to 10 pm every day. The free and anonymous AIDS/HIV & STD Hotline provides callers with the most up-to-date, medically-accurate information on AIDS/HIV and sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs), emotional support, and state-wide referrals for healthcare and social services related to AIDS/HIV and STDs. The AIDS/HIV & STD Hotline, funded by the State of Illinois Department of Public Health, is run entirely by trained professionals who have undergone a comprehensive AIDS/HIV and STD instructional program. Spanish-speaking resource counselors are available during most day and evening shifts.
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender National Hotline: (888) THE-GLNH, Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., Central Time, Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Central Time. Provides telephone and email peer-counseling, as well as factual information and local resources for cities and towns across the United States.
GLBT National Youth Talkline: (800) 246-PRIDE, Monday through Friday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., Central Time. Provides telephone and email peer-counseling, as well as factual information and local resources for cities and towns across the United States. Telephone volunteers in their teens and early twenties speak with teens and young adults up to age 25 about coming-out issues, relationship concerns, parent issues, school problems, HIV/AIDS anxiety and safer-sex information, and lots more!
The Trevor Helpline: (866) 4-U-TREVOR, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Trevor Project operates the nations only 24/7 suicide & crisis prevention helpline for gay and questioning youth.
Equality Illinois: Equality Illinois' mission is to secure, protect and defend the basic civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in the state of Illinois.
ACLU of Illinois LGBT & AIDS Project: The ACLU LGBT & AIDS Project works to fight all forms of discrimination against lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender persons, and individuals affected by AIDS. Our efforts include litigation in state and federal courts on behalf of individuals and classes of clients, direct and grassroots outreach to legislators in the Illinois General Assembly and in Congress, and organizing campaigns to move public opinion to support equality for all persons in Illinois and across the nation.
Center on Halsted: Chicago's LGBT Community Center, including an entertainment venue, an organic grocery store, a café, a technology center, a gymnasium, a theater and a number of other unique gathering spaces. The Center on Halsted also houses a number of organizations serving Chicago's LGBT community. Current services include support groups for youth and seniors; psychotherapy services; an info line for LGBT individuals and a hotline for HIV and STD concerns; prevention, treatment, and advocacy related to domestic violence; and a range of life-enrichment programs.
Chicago Area Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce: A not-for-profit corporation established to promote the development and growth of successful business enterprises by persons who self identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual or transgender persons.
Quad Citians Affirming Diversity: QCAD brings gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and straight people together to build an inclusive community through support, education and advocacy.
Sauk Valley Helping Individuals Network for Equality (SHINE): An organization working to promote positive visibility of the LGBT community of Lee, Ogle, and Whiteside Counties in Illinois. Contact saukvalleyshine@yahoo.com
Prairie Flame Newspaper: The Prairie Flame is a regional newspaper that covers events of interest to the LGBT community in north-central and downstate Illinois, including DeKalb. The Flame is distributed free each month. Contact the LGBT Resource Center for a list of sites in DeKalb where you can pick up your copy of the Flame at the beginning of every month!
Windy City Media Group: Windy City Media Group in Chicago publishes the Windy City Times, Queer Cast (podcasts), and Identity Magazine, focusing on Black and Latino LGBT communities.
Chicago Free Press: "CFP exists to serve the city´s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community; to fight for its social and political progress; and to challenge prejudice and injustice against the community."
The Stonewall Association of Illinois: An umbrella organization composed of men and women of all ages whose mission is to encourage a sense of community which promotes unity, self acceptance, support, the sharing of ideas and interests, and the building of a supportive network of friends though social activities. The Stonewall Self-Help Support Group is free to all gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender adults. It is the only support group of its kind in the western suburbs of Chicago. The support group meets every Tuesday from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. at the DuPage Unitarian Church, 4 S. 535 Old Naperville Road, Naperville, Illinois. You must be at least 18 years old and out of high school in order to participate. Stonewall also offers a social group, discussion group, young adult group, and coming out of marriage group.
Chicago Gender Society: Providing education, support, social opportunities and out-reach to the Transgender and Transsexual Community. The goal of CGS is to provide educational activities for its members, the transgendered community and its supporters and the general public. It seeks to promote a positive self-image for transgendered individuals in the business community, in the media, and general public.
Chi-Chapter Tri Ess: Chi-Chapter is the Chicagoland chapter of Tri-Ess, an international support and social organization for heterosexual crossdressers, their spouses, partners, children and friends. Holds meetings and social gatherings which allow members to crossdress in the company of others, organizes educational and self-development programs, and sponsors a support group for spouses and signicant others of cross dressers.
FORGE (For Ourselves: Reworking Gender Expression): A national education, advocacy and support umbrella organization supporting FTM+s(1) (female-to-male transsexuals and transgenderists, and others who were assigned female at birth but who have some level of masculine identification) and SOFFAs (Significant Others, Family, Friends and Allies). Services include a social support group, meeting monthly in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for trans-masculine individuals and SOFFAs.
Illinois Gender Advocates: Advocates for gender variant people, including but not limited to transgendered people, by means of educating the general public and acting as an advocate for the rights of the gender variant in public and private forums. Two areas of focus: Legal and legislative advocacy, and advocacy for the rights of transgender and gender variant youth.
Illinois Safe Schools Alliance: Dedicated to promoting the safety, support and healthy development for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, in Illinois schools and communities, through advocacy, education, youth organizing and research.
Questioning Youth Centers (QYC): QYC is a meeting place, discussion group, and drop-in center for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth. QYC operates drop-in centers for youth ages 14 to 18 in the greater suburban area outside of Chicago. Activities include discussion groups, guest speakers, games, pizza and video nights, and more. For more information, contact QYC at 630-415-2053.
