What are some strong Transitioning support organizations

November 14, 2024 11:43 AM

I'd like to provide support, advocacy, and defense to people who are transition or have transitioned. I am going to spend energy volunteering to provide any assistance as an ally to trans people and to the undocumented. I know of a great organization for the undocumented (Casa Cornelia here in San Diego) but not for trans people. I do have a lapsed law degree (but haven't practiced in 25 years) that I could leverage in some small way. Looking for National, California or San Diego organizations to contact.
posted by WatTylerJr to Society & Culture (7 answers total)

Best answer: The Transgender Law Center is an organisation that works nationally, based in Oakland.
posted by terretu at 11:50 AM on November 14 [3 favorites]

It's outside of your geographic area, but I've been volunteering for Trans Maryland for a few years now, and it's a fine organization that helps a lot of people.
posted by Faint of Butt at 12:25 PM on November 14

- TGIJP
- Sylvia Rivera Law Project
- not trans specific, but have a long history of working on trans issues: Lambda Legal, National Center for Lesbian Rights

I'd also recommend decoupling your ideas of transness from (presumably medical) transition. A lot of advocacy trans people need at the local level has little to do with transition itself and more to do with both transphobia and other structural inequalities they're experiencing--housing, jobs, accessing Medicaid (and, admittedly, using it for transition-related care), etc
posted by hoyland at 12:27 PM on November 14 [9 favorites]

If you know of any good organization that serves queer people in your area broadly, they will either have services for trans folks or know who in the area does.

And yes, if this isn’t a group you’re really familiar with yet it would be helpful *not* to go in specifically asking for / looking to help people with “transitioning.” That’s often not the bulk of the need or something every trans person does or something everyone understands to mean the same thing. Just go in asking what you can do to help your local trans community, and let them tell you.
posted by Stacey at 3:49 PM on November 14

Response by poster: Thank you all for the information. And I'm sorry if it read that I was trying to help with the actual transitioning, that's not what I meant, and of course that would be very inappropriate. What I meant was helping those that the coming regime will be targeting for abhorrent treatment, through support, advocacy and defense (legal and otherwise). That is all.
posted by WatTylerJr at 5:04 PM on November 14 [1 favorite]

Echo both Transgender Law Center and TGIJP. I give to both of them. Another California organization is the TransLatina Coalition which also provides services to many undocumented trans folks.
posted by gingerbeer at 7:09 PM on November 14

Crisis line calls increased tremendously nationwide in the week following the election. You may want to donate to the Trans Lifeline.
posted by Scout405 at 8:39 PM on November 14 [1 favorite]