Pride of Rural Virginia is a grant-funded initiative to address LGBTQIA+ health & healthcare priorities in rural areas across Virginia. Our goal is to promote healthcare settings which provide safe and affirming environments and offer training and resources to providers who need more guidance on welcoming the LGBTQIA+ community.
How Was Your Last Healthcare Experience?
The PRVider Portal is an anonymous, safe space to share your personal experiences with healthcare providers. The more information we receive from the community, the better we can create and disseminate the tools needed to address current and future health needs for LGBTQIA+ persons in rural Virginia.
News & Media
- The Rural Monitor (RHIhub) – Programs and Training Strive to Improve Care for Rural LGBTQ+ Patients
- VRHA Statement – Parental Rights Guidelines Update for Transgender Students
- Pride of Rural Virginia “Kick-off” Presentation Slides
- Special Address from Admiral Rachel L. Levine, MD
- Rural Health Voice podcast interview with “Not Alone, Never Was” zine artist KT Taylor
Resources
FOR YOUTH:
National
- Q Chat Space
- Queer Kid Stuff
- Advocates for Youth – Partners with young people and their adult allies to champion youth rights to bodily autonomy and build power to transform policies, programs and systems to secure sexual health and equity for all youth.
- Trans Student Educational Resources – Youth-led organization dedicated to transforming the educational environment for trans and gender non-conforming students through advocacy and empowerment.
- College Guide & Resources For LGBTQ+ Students – comprehensive and resource-packed guide to answer all your LGBTQ-related questions about attending college.
- Point Foundation – largest LGBTQ scholarship-granting nonprofit. Empowers promising LGBTQ students to achieve their full academic and leadership potential.
- Planned Parenthood – Ask Roo
- Gender Spectrum
- True Colors United
- Trevor Project Chat and Text Lines
- TrevorLifeline for young people: (866) 488-7386
- TrevorText for young people: Text “START” to 678678
State
- AMPLIFY
Youth-led group for LGBTQ+ and allied youth ages 11-22. Works to empower gender and sexually marginalized youth to implement leadership and advocacy skills in their communities to make them inclusive and welcoming for all. - Virginia Home for Boys and Girls
Nonprofit organization that has been serving youth in crisis since 1846. Provides transitional living services, specialized education, and therapeutic resources to youth with emotional and behavioral health concerns. - Youth MOVE Virginia Support Groups – free, activity-based, and led by trained young adults with lived experience. Youth support groups serve to provide a safe space for youth to have discussions, activities, and initiative about their mental health.
- Side by Side Virtual Support Groups – Any LGBTQ+ youth that meets identity & age requirements for a particular group is welcomed to join as long as they live in Virginia.
- The Pride Liberation Project – the only student-led organization advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights in Virginia. Works to create empowering schools and communities for all LGBTQIA+ students.
- MENTOR Virginia – MENTOR Virginia partners with youth mentoring programs across the state to build quality mentoring relationships that empower, elevate, and encourage young people.
- Little SMYAL – group designed for LGBTQ youth ages 6-12 to find a safe space to hang out and meet new people, access resources, and gain support. Virtual Play Dates & SMYALtopia Zoom meetings, which feature a digital world where youth can move around, explore, and interact with others.
- SMYAL Youth – virtual and in-person programs for ages 13-24 which provide supportive and affirming spaces where queer and trans youth can build community, find support, and be themselves.
COLLEGE:
- Wytheville Community College HEALS
Provides peer support to students with mental health concerns and substance use disorders. Contact Michelle Bryant (276) 223-4837 mbryant@wcc.vccs.edu - LGBTQ Center at the University of Virginia
- LGBTQ+ Resource Center at Virginia Tech
- James Madison University SOGIE
- George Mason University LGBTQ+ Resource Center
MENTAL HEALTH:
FOR PROVIDERS
- Stellar Diversity Training LGBTQIA+ Resources
- World Professional Association for Transgender Health Standards of Care (SOC)
- Best practices in LGBT care: A guide for primary care physicians – Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine
- LGBTQ+ inclusive policy/practices for your organization – HRC Foundation
- LGBTQ Health Resources for Providers – One Colorado
- Nursing Care for LGBTQ+ Patients: Tips and Resources – NurseJournal
- National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center
- Professionals Working with LGBTQIA+ Youth – Virginia League for Planned Parenthood
- Providing Culturally Competent Mental Health Care to LGBTQIA+ Youth & Young Adults – UMass Chan Medical School
- Impact of Stigma and Discrimination Against LGBT People in Virginia – UCLA Williams Institute
FOR EVERYONE:
Southwest Virginia
- LGBTQIA+ Resource Guide for the New River Valley
- “Protecting Your Family” LGBTQ+ Youth Support Brochure
- Southwest Virginia LGBTQ+ History Project
- Ladies & Gents of the Blue Ridge – Transgender Alliance
- Valley Voice Gender Alignment/Voice Communication Training
Northwest Virginia
- Shenandoah LGBTQ Center:
- AIDS Response Effort, Inc. (ARE) – physician visits, lab work, dental care, mental health, substance use services, wellness, support group, transportation, nutrition services, education, financial counseling, and housing assistance.
Central Virginia
- Nationz Foundation – provides education on HIV prevention, inspires the community to take responsibility for their health and wellness, and works towards a more inclusive Central Virginia for LGBTQIA+ individuals.
Eastern Virginia
National
- InReach – tech platform matching TLGBQ+ people facing persecution or discrimination with safe, verified resources.
- Trans in the South: A Directory of Trans-Affirming Health & Legal Service Providers
- LGBTQ+ Healthcare Directory
- CenterLink LGBT Community Center Directory
- Lambda Legal Help Desk
- Snapshot: LGBTQ Equality By State
- Movement Advancement Project
- Books About the Rural Queer Experience
- LGBTQ Psychotherapists of Color (QTOC)
Hotlines
- LGBT National Senior Hotline: (888) 234-7243
- Trans Lifeline: (877) 565-8860
Partners
Special thanks to the Virginia Department of Health, State Office of Rural Health for their assistance with this project.
This project is funded through a federal grant and is being offered at no charge to participants.
Want To Get Involved?
for more information on joining the Pride of Rural Virginia initiative, please contact:
Meghan Stump
meghan@vhra.org