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If you experience any discrimination from the community resources listed, please contact the Centre for Sexuality’s Director of Programs, Roseline Carter: rcarter@centreforsexuality.ca.
Community Resources
Centre for Sexuality
- One-to-one support for 2SLGBTQ+ youth needing support with coming out, family acceptance, social connection, transitioning or any other issues they may be facing. (No cost).
- Counselling for families needing more information and resources in supporting their 2SLGBTQ+ children. (No cost).
Phone: 403-283-3054
Email: intake@centreforsexuality.ca
Website: www.centreforsexuality.ca
Calgary Outlink: Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity
- Peer support groups and resources for the 2SLGBTQ+ community
Website: www.calgaryoutlink.ca
Skipping Stone Foundation
- Events, peer groups, resources for transgender individuals and connections to the 2SLGBTQ+ community
Website: www.skippingstone.ca
The Alex Youth Health Centre
- 2SLGBTQ+-friendly youth health services for ages 12-24 (including psychology) and drop-in centre.
Phone: 403-520-2260
Website: www.thealex.ca
Aura
Aura is a housing first program for youth ages 14 to 24 that works alongside LGBTQ2S+, gender nonbinary and gender nonconforming youth who are at risk of or are currently experiencing homelessness.
- Queermunity (The Alex): A youth-led group for youth aged 12-24 who identify as LGBTQ2S+ and their allies. More information and schedules are on the Alex’s Facebook page.
- InsideOut Youth Group (Calgary Outlink): A casual, supportive group for 2SLGBTQ+ identified or questioning youth ages 13-18 along with their friends, family and allies.
- Calgary Outlink offers various support groups for specific populations in the 2SLGBTQ+ community including men, women, older adults and racialized folks.
- End of the Rainbow Foundation offers various support groups for folks under the 2SLGBTQ+ umbrella.
- Skipping Stone offers various support groups for trans folks, queer folks and their families.
- Transformers offers peer support for trans guys, those questioning their gender, trans-masculine folks, allies and partners. Email transformerscalgary@gmail.com
- TransJourneys is a drop-in group that provides peer support, education, and resources for the transgender community in and around Calgary.
- Centre for Sexuality offers discussion and support groups for parents and caregivers of 2SLBGTQ+ children of various ages.
- Skipping Stone offers groups for parents, families and caregivers of trans and gender diverse children and teenagers.
- TransFamilies Calgary (End of the Rainbow Foundation) offers support groups for parents and adult family members of trans identified individuals.
- The GSA Network program from Centre for Sexuality provides consultation, training, event funding, school visits, networking and more to people involved in a GSA, or those who want to start one.
- Calgary Queer Church offers live-stream services one Sunday per month.
- Affirming Connections seeks to support and enhance the positive voices of people of faith, ministries, and organizations who work to eliminate religious discrimination and to provide spaces of belonging for people to explore their spirituality, without any fear of exclusion. They also provide a list of affirming institutions for multiple faith traditions.
Registered Psychologists
- Janelle Boisvert
- Joanna Card
- Carolyn Claire
- Sander Deeth
- Tami-Lee Duncan
- Kate Emery
- Jane Oxenbury
- Katrina Hewton
- Cory Hrushka
- Nicole Perry
- Cathy Pittman
- Mary-Jean Malyszka
- Ashleigh Yule
- Melodie Sanford
- Nina Sangra
- Robert Roughley
- Mallory Trepanier
- Jill Thompson
Registered Social Workers
- Distress Centre 24-hour Crisis Line: 403-266-HELP (4357)
- ConnecTEEN
Phone: 403-264-8336
Website: www.calgaryconnecteen.com
Trans Life Line
Phone: 1-877-330-6366
Literature
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Recommended Fiction and Nonfiction Resources for K-12 Schools – 2nd Edition
The Trevor Project
Amaze
Queer: The Ultimate LGBT Guide for Teens, Zest Books
Belge, Kathy (2011).
My New Gender Workbook
Bornstein, Kate, Routledge (2013).
A Queer and Pleasant Danger: The True Story of a Nice Jewish Boy who joins the Church of Scientology, and leaves twelve years later to become the lovely lady she is today
Bornstein, Kate, Beacon Press (2013).
Gender Failure
Coyote, Ivan E., Spoon, Rae, Arsenal Pulp Press (2014).
GLBTQ: The Survival Guide for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Teens
Hugel, Kelly, Free Spirit Publishing (2011).
Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out
Kuklin, Susan, Candlewick (2014).
Luna
Peters, Julie, A., Time Warner Book Group (2004).
Feeling Wrong in Your Own Body: understanding What It Means to Be Transgender
Seba, Jaime A., Mason Crest Publishers (2010).
Transgender 101: A Simple Guide to a Complex Issue
Teich, Nicholas, M., Columbia University Press (2012).
The Gender Quest Workbook: A Guide for Teens and Young Adults Exploring Gender Identity
Testa, Rylan, J., Coolhart, Deborah, Peta, Jayme, Instant Help Books, New Harbinger Publications, Inc. (2015).
Parrotfish
Wittlinger, Ellen, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (2007).
Welcome Schools
Available Online
Flamingo Rampant
Available Online
Affirming Gender: Caring for Gender-Atypical Children and Adolescents
Contemporary Pediatrics.com, Sherer, I., MD., Baum, J., MS., Ehrensaft, D., PHD., M Rosenthal, S., MD., 2015.
A Practitioner’s Resource Guide: Helping Families to Support Their LGBTQ Children
HHS Publication No. PEP14-LGBTKIDS. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2014.
Bending Gender, Ending Gender: Theoretical Foundations for Social Work Practice with the Transgender Community
Burdge, Barb J., 2007.
Family Acceptance in Adolescence and the Health of LGBT Young Adults
Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 2010.
Family Rejection as a Predictor of Negative Health Outcomes in White and Latino Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Young Adults
American Academy of Pediatrics, 2009.
Helping Families Support Their Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Children
Ryan, C., Family Acceptance Project – San Francisco State University, 2009.
Mental Health of Transgender Children Who Are Supported in Their Identities
Olson, K., R., Durwood, L., DeMeules, M., McLaughlin, K., A., Pediatrics, 2016.
Supporting & Caring for Transgender Children
Murchison, G., M.P.H., Human Rights Campaign and American Academy of Pediatrics, 2016.
Supportive Families, Healthy Children: Helping Families with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Children
San Francisco State University – Family Acceptance Project, 2009.
Impacts of Strong Parental Support for Trans Youth
Trans Pulse, 2012
Families in Transition: A Resource Guide for Families of Transgender Youth, 2nd Edition
Central Toronto Youth Services, 2020
Our Trans Children
PFLAG Transgender Network, Sixth Edition
Supporting and Caring for Transgender Children
Human Rights Campaign, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians, 2016
Supportive Families, Healthy Children: Helping Families with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Children
San Francisco State University – Family Acceptance Project, 2009
Welcoming our Trans Family and Friends: A Support Guide for Parents, Families and Friends of Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming People
PFLAG National
Challenging Silence, Challenging Censorship: Inclusive resources, Strategies and Policy Directives for Addressing Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Trans-Identified and Two-Spirited Realities in School and Public Libraries
Canadian Teachers’ Federation, 2007.
Every class in every school: The first national climate survey on homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia in Canadian schools
Final report. Taylor, C. & Peter, T., with McMinn, T.L., Elliott, T., Beldom, S., Ferry, A., Gross, Z., Paquin, S., & Schachter, K. Toronto, ON: Egale Canada Human Rights Trust, 2011.
Gay-Straight Alliances in Alberta Schools: A Guide for Teachers
Kristopher Wells, The Alberta Teacher’s Association, 2006.
Guidelines for Attending to Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sexual Orientation in our Schools
Calgary Board of Education, 2016.
Guidelines for Best Practice: Creating Learning Environments that Respect Diverse Sexual Orientations, Gender Identities and Gender Expressions
The Crown in Right of Alberta, as represented by the Minister of Education, 2016.
Lessons Learned: A Collection of Stories and Articles about Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Issues
Canadian Teachers’ Federation, 2005.
Seeing the Rainbow: Teachers Talk about Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender and Two-Spirited Realities
Canadian Teachers’ Federation, 2002.
Schools in Transition: A Guide for Supporting Transgender Students in K-12 Schools
Asaf Orr, Joel Baum, Gender Spectrum, 2015.
Supporting Transgender and Transsexual Students in K-12 Schools
Canadian Teachers’ Federation, 2012.
Films & Videos
Beautiful Boxer
(2003); Fiction; 118 min
Ma Vie en Rose
(English title: My Life in Pink) (1997); Fiction; Columbia TriStar Home Video; 88 min
Red Without Blue
(2007); Fiction; Cinema Libre; 77 min.
TransAmerica
(2005); Fiction; Genius Products; 104 min.
Girl Inside
(2007); Documentary; Women Make Movies; 70 min.
Growing Up Trans
(2015); Documentary; PBS; 84 min.
No Dumb Questions
(2001); Documentary; Epiphany Producations; 24 min.
She’s a Boy I Knew
(2007); Documentary; Media Education Foundation; 70 min.
Straightlaced: How Gender’s Got Us All Tied Up
(2009); Documentary; New Day Films; 67 min
Trans, The Movie
(2012); Documentary; Roseworks and Sex Smart Films; 93 min.
Three to Infinity: Beyond Two Genders
(2015); Documentary; Lonny Shavelson; 85 min.