GR Resources for Transgender and Non-Binary People
Area Resources for the Transgender and Non-binary Community
Transgender Day of Visibility is dedicated to not just honoring the accomplishments of trans people, but also identify the issues that still need to be addressed and work that needs to be done. Grand Rapids and the surrounding area is home to a lively community of transgender and non-binary folks, but it can sometimes get lonely or isolating, especially during the ongoing pandemic. Below is a list of area resources for transgender and non-binary Grand Rapidians, because we see you.
Grand Rapids Trans Foundation: the GR Trans Foundation works to provide scholarships to transgender and non-binary college students in the area, alleviating the financial burden of upper education. They also provide workshops and mini grants for updating identification documents for transgender and non-binary folks in the Kent County.
Grand Rapids Pride Center: the GR Pride Center offers a variety of services for TGNC folks, with their website acknowledging that “a large piece of our community is represented by transgender and gender non-conforming individuals.” The center services include social support groups (Own Your Gender (OYG) and Trans Youth Group), health navigation assistance through their Proud to Be Healthy program and PTBH Coordinator Leslie Boker, various volunteer advisory committees including the Trans and Gender Non-Conforming (TGNC) Advisory Committee, events for Trans Day of Visibility in March and Trans Day of Remembrance in November, as well as partnering with the GRTF.
Equality MI: while based in Kalamazoo, Equality MI offers victim services from hate crimes and discriminations to domestic & dating violence and police misconduct to LGBTQ+ individuals all across the state. They also provide outreach and educational resources such as PDFs of cities’ non-discrimination ordinances, model employment policies, and city & state statistics.
Transgender Michigan: Rachel Crandall Crocker, LMSW, founded Transgender MI along with her wife Susan Crocker. Crandall Crocker runs the Transgender MI help line, which was the first of its kind in the US; other services include the TransPages and a calendar of trans events throughout the state.
Adolescent Medicine at Spectrum Health: Through their Adolescent Medicine Clinic at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, Spectrum Health offers transgender care services alongside behavioral health, comprehensive preventative care, and other support for young trans people.
Milton E. Ford LGBT Resource Center: the Resource Center, as it is often called on GVSU’s Allendale campus, offers an assortment of resources, trainings, and programs. Weekly programs for trans students include T2:Trans & Non-Binary Student Group, Colors of Pride:LGBTQIA+ Students of Color, and FQA:First Year Queer Alliance, along with others for other LGBTQ+ identities. The Resource Center also helps students navigate chosen name use on campus, Title IX protections, and bias & discrimination incidents.
GIFT: Gays in Faith Together (GIFT) is an organization based on Fulton St in Downtown GR that aims to connect religious LGBTQ+ Grand Rapidians with caring, affirming places of worship and other resources. Their website links to a directory of affirming churches, denominations, and faith traditions, which can be a vital resource for folks with religious trauma but still faith-oriented or are hesitant towards joining a congregation.
AYA Youth Collective: 3:11 Youth Housing and Grand Rapids HQ merged in August 2020, forming “As You Are” or AYA Youth Collective, which acts as a safe resource for youth aged 14-24 facing housing crisis, are unhoused, or in need of basic resources and support. Community partners include the Grand Rapids Red Project, Equality MI, Grand Rapids Pride Center, and Covenant House. Current operating hours are limited (M-F 12pm-5pm) and the drop-in center is by appointment only.
Covenant House: Located south of Downtown off of Franklin and Division, Covenant House is a faith-based, trauma-informed organization that aims to help unhoused, runaway and at-risk youth aged 18-24. Covenant House recognizes that LGBTQ+ youth are at greater risk for being unhoused and aim to be a welcoming, safe place for all youth who come through their doors.
R&R Space at Mel Trotter:Mel Trotter Ministries is currently working to expand their R&R Space, a designated safe shelter for transgender unhoused individuals. Part of their project called Immeasurably More, the R&R space is a rare separate living quarters that allows transgender individuals to be placed in an affirming shelter, rather than immediately sorting based on their sex assigned at birth.*
*if all 8 beds are full, individuals will be assigned to another space based on their sex assigned at birth, not their gender identity.