LGBTQ+ Community Resources in Greater New Orleans
- Category: LGBTQ+
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These organizations are championing the diverse needs of diverse people.
At LCMC Health, we believe that taking care of our patients means ensuring they’re healthy, secure, and supported, even when outside of our facilities.
Fortunately, the New Orleans area is home to a number of organizations dedicated to caring for queer people of all identities. From addressing houselessness and age-based discrimination to healing and advocating for people of color affected by the criminal justice system, these organizations are making our home–and our people–stronger and safer every day.
By connecting our LGBTQ+ patients to some of these resources in the community at large, we hope to be a part of the shift toward creating long-term equity and security for our most vulnerable populations. If you or a friend are in need of support, LCMC Health and these devoted organizations are here to extend a helping hand.
The New Orleans Advocates for LGBTQ+ Elders provide critical support to the aging queer population in New Orleans. LGBTQ+ elders often face poverty and isolation, and because many lived through the widespread stigmatization of queer people during the HIV/AIDS epidemic, some elders avoid medical treatment for fear of discrimination. However, these individuals have long been champions and trailblazers in securing respect and safety for LGBTQ+ people, and NOAGE ensures they aren’t left behind now. The organization hosts community building activities to combat feelings of loneliness and isolation, provides competency and training workshops for care providers, and leads fitness and exercise programs to improve the health of LGBTQ+ elders. NOAGE and LCMC Health are proudly partnered to increase the organization’s reach and impact and to ensure cultural competency in our medical facilities.
In addition to providing a space for LGBTQ+ meetings and events, the LGBT Community Center is committed to dismantling structures of homophobia, racism, transphobia, misogyny, and ableism that prevent queer people from living freely and authentically. The LGBT Community Center serves as an intermediary for holistic referrals to ensure that people of all identities and experiences know where and how to seek help, be it physical, mental, emotional or social. Its mission hinges on community team building, as no one individual can address systemic inequities alone. To further that purpose, volunteer opportunities are designed to convene and connect LGBTQ+ people and their allies, effectively creating a city-wide conversation in which all people are heard and represented in community action. LCMC Health is a proud supporter of the LGBT Community Center.
According to the US Trans Survey, 1 in 3 transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) individuals in Louisiana will experience homelessness at some point in their lives. House of Tulip’s mission is to change that reality for as many TGNC Louisianians as possible. By providing no-cost, no-barrier access to housing for TGNC people in New Orleans, House of Tulip does not just invest in the immediate safety of queer people; it creates pathways to long-term equity, generational wealth, and home ownership by ensuring the organization’s properties are retained by TGNC community leaders. House of Tulip also provides a gender-affirming community closet, vital hygienic goods, training for job interviews and, most importantly, a place for TGNC people to feel safe and build community. LCMC Health is proud to partner with House of Tulip and sponsor its important mission.
This important organization works at the intersection of racial and medical justice. Since 1995, Brotherhood’s mission has been to combat the spread of HIV and AIDS, while providing support and resources for African Americans living with HIV and AIDS. Brotherhood’s social outreach has included educational programming for the community in Orleans Parish, providing no-barrier testing and screening for HIV, counseling for those diagnosed with HIV and AIDS, as well as providing housing for low-income individuals with a specific focus on empowering and protecting Black men who have sex with men.
New Orleans Transgender Institute
While gender confirmation surgery is not a necessary part of every transgender person’s journey, for some, it is an affirming step that can help to establish confidence and overcome feelings of body dysphoria. Such procedures come with many questions, including cost of surgery, length of recovery, how to manage hormone therapies, aftercare procedures, and more. The New Orleans Transgender Institute is here to not only answer these questions, but to help those who decide to undergo gender-affirming surgery by forming a treatment plan, determining which procedures can be covered by insurance, and connecting with local qualified care providers. Consultations are one-on-one and completely confidential.
For more than a decade, BreakOUT! has been fighting the criminalization of some of the most at-risk people in the LGBTQ+ population: our youth. The group’s membership supports queer youth aged 13+ whose lives have been impacted by the criminal justice system, with a particular focus on those from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. BreakOUT! offers leadership development, healing, funds for name changes, and community building and organizing. Simultaneously, the group works to dismantle the social barriers that put queer people of color at disproportionate risk of being affected by the criminal justice system in the future. BreakOUT! is available to lead educational workshops for youth and young adults and cultural competency training sessions for service providers.
In a perfect world, there would be no difference between the legal rights of LGBTQ+ people and their cisgender heterosexual peers. However, queer people still encounter discrimination at school, in the workplace, in the adoption process, and even in healthcare, and depending on where they live, victims might not be expressly protected by the laws in their region. That’s where Lambda Legal steps in. The nonprofit advocates for LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV at local, state, and federal levels to combat instances of discrimination and to secure legal protections. Lambda’s website offers extensive education on each state’s anti-discrimination laws. People with legal matters related to sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status can contact a Lambda office for help. If Lambda takes your case, you’ll never be charged for representation or advocacy.
Did you find these resources helpful? Bookmark them for future reference, or share them with a friend who could benefit from this information.
Looking for more? Learn more about these inclusive organizations:
Belle Reve: A provider of affordable and compassionate living for seniors.
LGBTQ+ Task Force: A group formed by the Mayor within the Office of Human Rights and Equity to discuss, plan, and implement city improvements through services, programs, and policies. Meetings are open to the public.
The LGBTQ+ Fund: A fund created by the Greater New Orleans Foundation to support organizations and programs that work to increase the quality of life for queer people at all social and economic levels.
New Orleans Regional AIDS Planning Council: A public body designed to streamline and maintain a comprehensive care system for people living with HIV and AIDS.
