Southern Equality Organization Firing Back Against Anti-LGBT Legislation With New Online Resources

Online ‘LGBT Rights Toolkit’ Now Includes ‘Trans in the South’ Resource Booklet

In response to an often dangerous and demoralizing political climate in the South, the Campaign for Southern Equality is firing back with expanded outreach and more accessible resources for LGBT people across the region. With the current onslaught of anti-LGBT legislation, litigation, and rhetoric, the Campaign is focusing on assisting activists and community leaders across the South, especially those who are trans and gender non-conforming in the fight to be themselves and lead authentic lives. 

Reverend Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, CSE’s executive director, explains:

“More than 1/3 of LGBT Americans live in the South and face elevated risks of poverty as well as health disparities. We also face a hostile political climate with laws like HB2 on the books. So many LGBT Southerners have immediate needs for medical, legal or other basic services. But there’s a problem: in most communities across the South, there are limited or no local providers who are LGBT friendly. People often go without basic services or go to great lengths – like traveling hours – to access them.”

In order to serve the estimated 500,000 trans people living in the South, CSE is working to influence change at the structural level by offering direct support and educational opportunities to service providers to better equip them as more and more facilities begin to offer LGBT-friendly services. CSE is also offering “Pop Up Name Change Clinics” at Pride celebrations throughout the South.

“This is a structural problem and it requires structural solutions. But we must also act immediately to address these needs. That’s where CSE’s LGBT Rights Toolkit comes in, providing information, resources and services directly to people so they can lead healthy, thriving lives,” Beach-Ferrara continues.

As part of their online toolkit, CSE has released a new resource booklet called Trans in the South, which has detailed information on medical and mental health resources, suggestions for funding for transitions, legal connections, and other useful tips. Each provider listed in the guide book was vetted and carefully researched to ensure those in need of assistance can access it without fear or harassment. The CSE guide also curates information from other regional guides, ensuring the widest possible area is covered.

“Accessing friendly therapists, medical providers, and legal assistance can be really difficult as a trans person in the South, especially if you don’t know where to start, or who to reach out to,” says Ivy Gibson-Hill, who compiled the guide which covers Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The guide is available for download here and will be updated annually.

Additionally, CSE provides financial resources for grassroots efforts via the Southern Equality Fund, which is currently offering $250 mini-grants for #QueerTheVote voter registration and encouragement programs and initiatives that help those who have been affected by North Carolina’s HB2. 

Check out the LGBT Rights Toolkit online here or download the Trans in the South booklet.

 

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