Young & LGBT: Support Groups Provide Community for LGBT Youth

The Carolinas are filled with scores of LGBT-focused support and family groups to provide a shoulder or welcoming arms for those in the community who seek the solace of safety.

For students, gay-straight alliances have been a key component to make an uncomfortable situation more palatable. Not only are they front and center for them while they are engaged in their academic endeavors, but they also provide a social outlet as well.

Gay-Straight Alliance Network contacts for both North and South Carolina are:

Time Out Youth GSA Network
Charlotte, N.C.
timeoutyouth.org.

South Carolina GSA Network
Columbia, S.C.
scgsanetwork.org.

These two organizations will also have other youth-related resources available for those who see other options. Visit their websites for contact information and to learn more about local GSAs and their locations.

Other organizations that help to support youth, both regionally and nationally are:

Campus Pride
National organization supporting secondary and post-secondary students.
campuspride.org.

Gay Straight Advocates for Education Greensboro
Organization dedicated to supporting LGBTQIA youth with an emphasis on creating safe educational environments for ALL youth.
gsafe.org.

GLSEN
Leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students.
glsen.org.

iNSIDEoUT & Upsidedown
A youth-led and youth-founded organization located in the Triangle. Supports two differenct age groups.
insideout180.org. insideout180.org/upsidedown.

OUTright Youth of Catawba Valley
Provides a safe environment for LGBT youth and their allies.
outrightyouthcv.org.

PRISM Charlotte
Provides a safe social space for LGBT young adults in the Charlotte area.
facebook.com/PrismCharlotte.

Safe Schools NC
A statewide group focused on training school professionals to work effectively with LGBT students.
safeschoolsnc.com.

Time Out Youth Center
The Queen City's resource and support center for youth education, empowerment and more.
timeoutyouth.org.

The Trevor Project
Leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBT young people.
thetrevorproject.org.

Youth OUTright
Youth advocacy and leadership organization located in Western North Carolina.
youthoutright.org.

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Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) groups are also an asset to helping the community to provide much-needed support and education for those who would otherwise lack the guidance and camaraderie so necessary when raising an LGBT child. They also serve as organizations that advocate for equal rights.

PFLAG chapters in North Carolina:

PFLAG Alamance
Elon, N.C.
pflagalamance.org.

PFLAG Charlotte
Charlotte, N.C.
pflagcharlotte.org.

PFLAG Concord/Kannapolis
Kannapolis, NC
[email protected].

PFLAG Flat Rock/Hendersonville
Flat Rock, N.C.
community.pflag.org/flatrockhendersonville.

PFLAG Gaston
Gastonia, N.C.
pflaggaston.org.

PFLAG Greensboro
Greensboro, N.C.
pflaggreensboro.org.

PFLAG Greenville
Greenville, N.C.
[email protected].

PFLAG High Point
High Point, N.C
facebook.com/pflag.highpoint.

PFLAG Lenoir
Lenoir, N.C.
[email protected].

PFLAG Raleigh-Durham/Triangle
Durham, N.C.
pflagtriangle.org.

PFLAG Rocky Mount
Rocky Mount, N.C.
[email protected].

PFLAG Salisbury/ Rowan
Salisbury, N.C.
facebook.com/salisburyrowan.pflag.

PFLAG Wilmington/Cape Fear
Wilmington, N.C.
pflagwilmingtonnc.org.

PFLAG Winston-Salem
Winston-Salem, N.C.
pflagws.org.

PFLAG chapters in South Carolina:

PFLAG Aiken
Aiken, S.C.
pflagaiken.org.

PFLAG Columbia
Columbia, S.C.
[email protected].

PFLAG Greenville
Greer, S.C.
pflagupstatesc.org.

PFLAG Spartanburg
Spartanburg, S.C.
pflagupstatesc.org.

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University LGBT centers and programs are:

Alliance
University of North Carolina at Asheville
facebook.com/groups/AllianceUNCA.

CPCC Spectrum Club
facebook.com/groups/CPCCSpectrum.

LGBT Legal Society
Charlotte School of Law
[email protected].

Duke LGBT Network
Duke University
duke.edu/dukelgbtnetwork.

Gay Straight Alliance
Davidson College
davidson.edu/student-life/multicultural-life/lgbtq-at-davidson.

Gender & LGBTQIA Center
Elon University
elon.edu/e-web/students/lgbtq/.

Gender Equity Center
Johnson & Wales University
jwu.edu/content.aspx?id=62480.

GLoBAL
Winthrop University
winthrop.edu/studentorgs/default.aspx?id=6197.

GLBT Center
North Carolina State University
ncsu.edu/glbt.

GLBTQA Resource Center
Guilford College
guilford.edu/academics/multicultural-ed/bayard-rustin-center/index.aspx.

Henderson Springs LGBT Center
Appalachian State University
lgbt.appstate.edu.

Individuals Recognizing Identities and Sexualities (IRIS)
Western Carolina University
orgsync.com/97391/chapter.

LGBT Center
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
lgbtq.unc.edu.

LGBT Resource Center
East Carolina University
ecu.edu/cs-cas/lgbt/.

LGBTQ Resource Center
North Carolina Central University
nccu.edu/lgbta.

LGBTQ Center
Wake Forest University
lgbtq.wfu.edu.

Multicultural Resource Center
UNC Charlotte
mrc.uncc.edu/sex-gender.

Pride
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
uncg.edu/student.groups/pride.

Pride JWU
Johnson and Wales University
facebook.com/pride.jwu.7.

Safe
Queens University
safequeensgsa.wordpress.com.

This list is not fully comprehensive and qnotes welcomes input so that the integrity of the list is sound. Email [email protected] to make changes or additions.