Pride Month: Resources for Facilitators & Allies

As a facilitator of Circle programs, there are many times when you will be asked for support and resources on a myriad of topics from the participants in your groups or their family members and friends. You may also find yourself in a position where others see you as a leader and rely on you for support and guidance beyond your role as a facilitator—as a caring individual, parent, coworker, friend, or community member. You don’t need to be an expert or have all of the answers when someone is seeking your support or guidance, but you can ask open questions, be a supportive listener, and provide resources from folks who are the experts.  

During Pride Month, we’re putting some incredible resources right here at your fingertips so you can readily support LGBTQ+ youth, family members, and allies on a variety of topics that may come up when facilitating Circles. 

The Transgender Family Handbook: 144 specific suggestions, from trans young people and their loved ones, that parents may find helpful. This article was originally featured in The Cut from New York Magazine and is full of links to resources, articles, and support services, including a piece by Theresa Thorn (Daughter of OCF Co-Founder and Board President, Beth Hossfeld, LMFT) titled, When She Says She’s a Girl, Trust Her.

One Circle Foundation offers the free S.O.G.I.E Handbook (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression) in both Spanish and English. This is a guide to expand your understanding and knowledge of concepts, terminology, definitions, and actionable affirming practices and approaches to create safety for all youth along the SOGIE spectra.

One Circle Foundation offers a PRIDE activity guide to effectively facilitate a circle program that provides a safe and supportive environment for all youth with expansive gender identities and sexual orientations and their allies. 

The Trevor Project has an interactive online Resource Center which includes a Coming Out Handbook, a Guide on How To Support Bisexual Youth, a Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Young People, and many more guides and resources for LGBTQ+ youth and allies.

OCF offers a Mitigating Gender and Racial Bias: Intersectionality and Allyship activity guide which can be accessed online or purchased as a physical copy. This guide walks you through facilitating this circle program for teens or with your adult peers through discussion and experiential activities to promote awareness and equity, and ultimately to improve health and well-being for LGBTQ+ identities and people of color.

Attend a Mitigating Gender and Racial Bias: Intersectionality and Allyship Training to learn the foundational principles for inclusive, expansive, and culturally responsive programming. The training provides knowledge and skill-building for adults to promote healthy youth development, empathy, and allyship for youth of color and LGBTQ+ identities. 

PFLAG ​is the nation's largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them. They have a robust online resource center that includes information on how to find community with others at local in-person chapters and online. 

GSA Network is building capacity at the intersection of LGBTQ+ youth organizing and racial and gender justice in schools, and developing the next generation of LGBTQ+ leaders. Learn how to implement a GSA in your community.