In December last year, a trans ally posted a brilliant technique they used to remove family transphobia over the holiday season.
“My younger brother is trans. My parents have been horrendous about deadnaming and misgendering him. At Thanksgiving, I used an airhorn to correct them. I fixed a 2-3 year long problem in two seconds. 10/10 would recommend this training method.”
It’s instances like this where you realise that for some people, Christmas and other holidays are not the time of family and love and gratefulness.
To help you in these moments, we’ve compiled a list of charities and hotlines that you can turn to if you’re an LGBTQIA+ person struggling with family over Christmas.
United Kingdom
Stonewall
If you need advice, or simply a friendly voice to talk to, the LGBTQIA+ charity Stonewall operate an information service to help with any issues affecting LGBTQIA+ people or their families.
LGBT Foundation
The LGBT Foundation supports the needs of the diverse range of people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans. Their helpline is open on weekdays 9am to 9pm, offering help and advice on a range of LGBTQIA+ topics that might be affecting you.
Galop
Galop is the UK’s LGBTQIA+ anti-abuse charity. They offer a range of support services and helplines for any LGBTQIA+ person going through domestic abuse, including a survivors forum to share experiences and support other people.
Mind Out
MindOut is a charity that supports LGBTQIA+ people struggling with their mental health. Their online support service is open most evenings from 5:30-7:30pm UK time, and on Sundays from 2-4pm UK time. Trained support workers and mental health advocates will provide you with emotional support, information and signpost you in the right direction.
Ireland
LGBT Ireland
If you are LGBTQIA+, living in Ireland and need support, LGBT Ireland offers a national LGBTQIA+ helpline, a transgender family support helpline, online chat support and monthly peer support groups.
US and Canada
The attic youth centre
Philadelphia's only independent LGBTQ youth centre has a bursting calendar of in-events for young American’s to partake in. From guitar lessons to study groups to support groups –any young LGBTQIA+ person who lives in or near Philadelphia can get involved.
Trans Lifeline
Trans Lifeline – ran by trans people – is a grassroots hotline which offers direct support to trans people in a crisis. You can reach them between 2:00-5:00pm pacific time, and 10:00pm-1:00am pacific time.
LGBT National Help Center
If you’re an LGBTQIA+ person in America and looking for peer-support, community connections and resource information, the LGBT National Help Center can help. Their National Hotline and Youth Talkline provide telephone, online private one-to-one chat and email peer-support, as well as factual information and local resources for cities and towns across the United States.
Australia
QLife
Any LGBTQIA+ person based in Australia can access the QLife services, which include both telephone and online chat support, delivered by trained LGBTQIA+ community members across the country. If you need help or advice, you’ll be able to chat with someone from 3:00pm-midnight Australia time each day.
France
SOS Homophobia
French charity SOS Homophobia offers a crisis line and online chat support for any LGBTQIA+ person in France seeking help. Although their services aren’t available on public holidays, you can reach their crisis line and web-chat during set hours.
International
The Trevor Project
While based in America, The Trevor Project spans the world, with many support services available to all. If you live in America you get full access to their crisis counsellors – over chat, call and text 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. ‘TrevorSpace’ – a safe, international, online community for LGBTQIA+ young people – has over 400,000 members across the globe.
If you believe you are in immediate danger or the victim of a hate crime, please call your country's emergency service number.
