Thanks… I’m Giving: The Ultimate Queer Nonprofit Rundown

by Julie River and Julianna OClair

It’s November, and whether or not you believe that the story of the first Thanksgiving is a sham (it is), it’s still an appropriate time to reflect on what you’re thankful for and give back to others who are struggling. At OFM, we’re thankful for all the important queer organizations in our community doing important work for queer people. For this November, we’re highlighting all the most important LGBTQ+-centric nonprofit organizations that are doing important work in Colorado. Whether you have the time or money to donate or volunteer with them, or if you are a person that needs the services they provide, there’s something for everyone on this list.

PFLAG: PFLAG is the nation’s largest (and one of the oldest, with a founding date of 1973) organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ people. The organization was founded by a mother and her gay son and now has multiple chapters nationwide, with eight in Colorado alone. In-person and virtual meetings are designed to provide peer-to-peer support for the queer community, and a host of virtual resources on PFLAG’s website offer support on coming out, finding community, and supporting trans and LGBTQ+ loved ones through allyship. The website also has up-to-date information on legislative issues that directly impact the queer community. 

Colorado Name Change Project: For transgender people, trying to get your name changed is a complicated, Kafkaesque maze of bureaucratic nonsense. Luckily, we have the Colorado Name Change Project to make things a little bit easier. Their website is filled with flow charts and step-by-step guides of how to get your name changed legally in the state of Colorado. They also hold workshops to explain the process, their website can auto-generate some of the necessary forms for you, and they even offer microgrants to help cover the costs of name changes. Trying to get through the process is a lot easier when you have their guidance, and I (Julie) say that from personal experience. I probably never would have gotten my name legally changed without them, and I’m very grateful for that.

One Colorado: One Colorado is an advocacy organization committed to advancing equality for LGBTQ+ Coloradoans, and providing free educational resources and training so others can do the same. The organization is known for fiercely lobbying local governments to expand pro-equality legislation, and it has worked—One Colorado has helped codify 18 pieces of pro-equality legislation over the last 12 years. This year, the organization partnered with state leaders and the Safe Access to Health Care Coalition to incorporate gender-affirming care into Colorado insurance policies and protect gender-affirming care providers in Colorado. One Colorado also has a Political Action Committee and Legislation Tracker. The organization follows legislation that impacts LGBTQ+ people and endorses candidates who are pro-equality, providing voters with much-needed clarity for an informed vote. Its website also has a list of approved representatives, from the State Board of Education to the Senate. 

Transgender Center of the Rockies: The Transgender Center of the Rockies, formerly the Gender Identity Center, is one of the oldest trans-related nonprofits in Colorado and, on a personal level, is the first place I (again, Julie) turned to when I was coming to terms with my own transgender identity. Started all the way back in 1978 during the stone ages of queer rights, they have been providing gender-affirming services ever since. Today the Center is part of Mile High Behavioral Health and offers gender counseling on a sliding scale, support groups, surgery letters, and a whole lot more. One of their most popular program’s is Marsha’s Closet, named after trans trailblazer Marsha P. Johnson, which offers gender-affirming clothing and supplies for free to the community. Shopping for gender-affirming clothing for the first time can be terrifying if you’re trying to do it in a regular department store, so having that safe space for your first time trying out the new you is extremely important.

Colorado Health Network: Healthcare services (including oral, medical, and behavioral), HIV support services, and prevention and education—The Colorado Health Network does it all. The nonprofit was founded in the 80s and is one of Colorado’s oldest and largest sources of services for people impacted by HIV. Better yet, the network is accessible, with six brick-and-mortar locations in all corners of Colorado: Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Grand Junction, Pueblo, and Greeley. The health network also hosts fun signature events like a Scotch Tasting Benefit, Red Ball, and Festival for Life: AIDS Walk and Run Colorado. 

Queer Asterisk: Queer Asterisk is one of the younger nonprofits on our list, but their positive impact on the community has been huge. They offer counseling services to help queer and transgender people struggling with dysphoria, trauma, anxiety, depression, addiction, grief, and loss. They also offer group therapy, peer counseling, and they do educational trainings for companies, schools, hospitals, etc. that want to learn how to become more inclusive towards the LGBTQ+ community. Their out-of-pocket rate is $150 for a 50-minute session with one of their counselors, but they also accept Medicaid and Medicare, and there’s also a sliding scale and full or partial scholarships to cover that.

Envision:You: According to surveys from The Trevor Project, the U.S. Census Bureau, and even Denver’s Center on Colfax, a disproportionate amount of LGBTQ+ individuals (including youth) suffer from mental health issues. Envision: You is a Colorado organization dedicated to improving the mental health of LGBTQ+ people and closing the gap in behavioral health outcomes for LGBTQ+ individuals. The organization addresses this problem at the source and focuses on educating mental health professionals and other adults on how to provide supportive and affirming LGBTQ+ care. Envision: You also hosts a community peer support program. Through its public policy work, Envision: You informs elected state officials about disparities in care for LGBTQ+ individuals and has advocated for bills like the School Mental Health Assessment Act. 

The Center on Colfax: The Center on Colfax is one of the most important queer nonprofits in Colorado. If you’ve ever attended Denver Pride, you’ve already had an experience with The Center on Colfax, as they’re the ones that organize Denver’s awesome Pridefest every June. In turn, the money from Pride allows them to fund great programs for the queer community. They offer free mental health counseling for LGBTQ+ adults, activities and counseling for LGBTQ+ youth, programs and activities for LGBTQ+ seniors, and they’re also working on the LGBTQ History Project to preserve the queer history of Colorado. That’s just skimming the surface of what The Center on Colfax offers, because there’s a whole lot more on their website.

Matthew Shepard Foundation: Judy and Dennis Shepard have been honoring their late son through this foundation for more than two decades. In 1998, their 21-year-old University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard was attacked and tied to a fence outside of Laramie, Wyoming, where he was left to die. Although he was found and taken to a hospital, Matthew passed away five days later. Since that immense tragedy, the Matthew Shepard Foundation has been advocating for LGBTQ+ community members nationwide. The foundation has a program titled “Changing Hearts and Minds,” with speaking engagements and tales of LGBTQ+ youth designed to amplify Matthew’s story and promote equality and acceptance. One of the foundation’s most notable accomplishments is the pioneering of the country’s first federal hate crime legislation, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd. Jr. Hate Crime Prevention Act, which passed in 2009. 

YouthSeen/Black Pride: Let’s face it, being queer in a homophobic society is tough enough, but being a queer person of color in a homophobic and racist society can be even harder. YouthSeen provides support and counseling for QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, People of Color) youth. They even have a summer camp for QTBIPOC young people called CampSeen. Plus, they’re the organization that started and runs Black Pride, Denver’s Pride festival for the BIPOC community, reminding us all that Pride is about resistance, and not just about dancing and getting day drunk.

Inside Out Youth Services: Contrary to popular belief, there are other cities in Colorado outside the Denver Metro Area. No, I assure you, it’s true. Inside Out Youth Services provides programs for LGBTQ+ people between the ages of 13-24 in Colorado Springs, focusing on their five themes, health, advocacy and community, gender identity and development, mentorship and leadership, creative expression, and recreation. They also offer mental health counseling, peer recovery coaches, and the Youth Advocacy Council (YAC) that teaches young people about social justice movements. There’s even a program for parents of transgender children.

COLGBTQCC: Colorado has a bit of a dark history when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights, and there’s no greater example of that than Amendment 2. If you think Florida’s new laws are hateful–and they are–they have nothing on Colorado in the early ‘90s, which was labeled the “hate state” after the passing of the controversial amendment. Amendment 2 was passed by voters in 1992 and outlawed any anti-discrimination laws protecting LGBTQ+ people. In response, a group of LGBTQ+ business owners created the Colorado Business Council, which later became the Colorado LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber is an association of queer and allied business owners that advocate for the business interests of LGBTQ+-run companies, even long after Amendment 2 was struck down by courts and Colorado became a much more queer-friendly state.

The Trevor Project: The Trevor Project is a national nonprofit whose mission is to end suicide among LGBTQ+ youth. Through the website, queer youth can access a counselor 24/7 via online chats, texts, or phone calls. The project also features TrevorSpace, an international network where young LGBTQ+ people can meet friends and find support. Besides providing counseling services and community resources, The Trevor Project also creates vital surveys that track mental health issues in LGBTQ+ youth and even honors notable queer figures with a Suicide Prevention Advocate of the Year Award. This year’s award went to trans TikToker and advocate, Dylan Mulvaney.

Queer Business Alliance: The Queer Business Alliance is a nonprofit that provides LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs with the resources needed for starting, growing, and maintaining businesses, and connects businesses that pledge to center the queer community in the world of business. The alliance was founded in 2018, but despite its young age is making a large impact. Interested individuals can pay a membership fee to become a Career Queer: QBA Member and access the queer peer mentorship program and workshops and events. Businesses can sign up for the Queer Ally program and become a micro-grant sponsor. 

Gill Foundation: Who says you can’t throw money at a problem? That’s actually the only way anything gets done in this world. Similar to the Chamber, the Gill Foundation was founded by tech entrepreneur, Tim Gill, in response to Amendment 2. The Gill Foundation funds the fight for LGBTQ+ equality and, to date, has invested $420 million in fighting for queer rights, which is both a lot of money and contains the number 420, so that’s awesome for two reasons. Their funding has been instrumental in such legal fights as the battle to take down Trump’s transgender military ban. In 2020, when the legendary queer landmark, The Stonewall Inn, faced the threat of closure due to the pandemic, the Gill Foundation pledged to match contributions up to $250,000 to keep the bar’s doors open. They also give to local charities and causes that help all Coloradans like food drives. Some have even called them the most important organization in the country for the advancement of LGBTQ+ rights. That’s a pretty bold claim to make, but it seems to be true.

Denver Element: Denver Element is a local organization that has provided HIV prevention services and behavior healthcare programs for 15 years. Denver Element has several programs designed to support LGBTQ+ individuals, including counseling resources, an HIV social group, and programs addressing risky substance use. The organization also offers healthcare services through Mile High Behavioral Healthcare, including general wellness care, gender-affirming care, PrEP, STI testing, and birth control. Denver Element’s website even has a Trans Day of Visibility virtual art gallery, with poems, photos, art, and videos by trans creators.