According to 2017 Gallup data, around 4.5% of Americans are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. This means that around 2,400 people in the Patchogue-Medford district and around 67,000 people in Suffolk County are LGBT (using recent population estimates).
Read on for some lifesaving information and local resources supporting LGBTQ+ people and their loved ones.
Common Terms:
Asexual: Often called “ace” for short, asexual refers to a complete or partial lack of sexual attraction or lack of interest in sexual activity with others. Asexuality exists on a spectrum, and asexual people may experience no, little or conditional sexual attraction.
Sex Assigned at Birth: The sex, male, female or intersex, that a doctor or midwife uses to describe a child at birth based on their external anatomy.
Bisexual: A person emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to more than one gender, though not necessarily simultaneously, in the same way or to the same degree. Sometimes used interchangeably with pansexual.
Cisgender: A term that describes a person whose gender identity aligns with the sex assigned to them at birth.
Cis-Heteronormative: This term refers to the assumption that heterosexuality and being cisgender are the norm, which plays out in interpersonal interactions and society, and furthers the marginalization of queer and gender diverse people.
Dyadic: Not Intersex.
Gay: A term that describes a person who is emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to members of the same gender. Men, women and non-binary people may use this term to describe themselves.
Gender Binary: A system in which gender is constructed into two strict categories of male or female. Gender identity is expected to align with the sex assigned at birth and gender expressions and roles fit traditional expectations.
Gender Dysphoria: Clinically significant distress caused when a person’s assigned birth gender is not the same as the one in which they identify.
Gender-Expansive: A person with a wider, more flexible range of gender identity and/or expression than typically associated with the binary gender system. Often used as an umbrella term when referring to young people still exploring the possibilities of their gender expression and/or gender identity.
Gender Expression: External appearance of one’s gender identity, usually expressed through behavior, clothing, haircut or voice, which may or may not conform to socially defined behaviors and characteristics typically associated with being either feminine or masculine.
Gender Identity: An internal, deeply felt sense of being female, male, a blend of both or neither. Refers to how individuals perceive themselves and what they call themselves. Can be the same as or different from their sex assigned at birth.
Gender Non-Conforming: A broad term referring to people who do not behave in a way that conforms to the traditional expectations of their gender, or whose gender expression does not fit neatly into a category.
Genderqueer: Genderqueer people typically reject notions of static categories of gender and embrace a fluidity of gender identity and often, though not always, sexual orientation. People who identify as “genderqueer” may see themselves as being both male and female, neither male nor female or as falling completely outside these categories.
Heteronormative: The outright or underlying assumption that all people are heterosexual.
Intersex: An umbrella term used to describe a wide range of natural bodily variations. In some cases, these traits are visible at birth, and in others, they are not apparent until puberty.
Lesbian: A woman who is emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to other women. Women and non-binary people may use this term to describe themselves.
LGBTQ+: An acronym for “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer” with a “+” sign to recognize the limitless sexual orientations and gender identities used by members of our community.
Non-Binary: An adjective describing a person who does not identify exclusively as a man or a woman. Non-binary people may identify as being both a man and a woman, somewhere in between, or as falling completely outside these categories. While many also identify as transgender, not all non-binary people do. Non-binary can also be used as an umbrella term encompassing identities such as agender, bigender, genderqueer or gender-fluid.
Pansexual: Describes someone who has the potential for emotional, romantic or sexual attraction to people of any gender though not necessarily simultaneously, in the same way or to the same degree. Sometimes used interchangeably with bisexual.
QTPOC: Queer and Trans People of Color.
Queer: A term people often use to express a spectrum of identities and orientations that are counter to the mainstream. Queer is often used as a catch-all to include many people, including those who do not identify as exclusively straight and/or folks who have non-binary or gender-expansive identities. This term was previously used as a slur, but has been reclaimed by many parts of the LGBTQ+ movement.
Same-Gender Loving: A term some prefer to use instead of lesbian, gay or bisexual to express attraction to and love of people of the same gender.
Sexual Orientation: An inherent or immutable enduring emotional, romantic or sexual attraction to other people. Note: an individual’s sexual orientation is independent of their gender identity.
SOGIE: Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression.
Transgender: An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or expression is different from cultural expectations based on the sex they were assigned at birth. Being transgender does not imply any specific sexual orientation. Therefore, transgender people may identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc.
Two Spirit: An umbrella term and identity within many first nations communities both historically and presently that describes people who live within a spectrum of genders, sexual identities, gender expressions and gender roles.
Source: Welcoming Schools – A Project of the Humans Rights Campaign Foundation, “Definitions to Help Understand Gender and Sexual Orientation”
Hotlines:
LGBT National Hotline: (888) 843-4564
Monday-Friday 4pm-12am, Saturday 12-5pm ET
LGBT National Help Center’s free all-ages confidential hotline can help with coming out issues, gender and sexuality identities, relationship concerns, bullying, workplace issues, HIV/AIDS, anxiety, safer sex information, suicide, and much more.
LGBT National Youth Talkline: (800) 246-7743
Monday-Friday 4pm-12am, Saturday 12-5pm ET
LGBT National Help Center’s free and confidential hotline for the LGBT+ and questioning community ages 25 and younger.
LGBT National Senior Hotline: (888) 234-7243
Monday-Friday 4pm-12am, Saturday 12-5pm ET
LGBT National Help Center’s free and confidential hotline for the LGBT+ and questioning community ages 50 and above.
Trans Lifeline: (877) 565-8860
Available 24/7
A free and confidential phone service run by trans people for trans and questioning peers. Callers are welcome who need someone trans to talk to, even if you’re not in crisis or if you’re not sure you’re trans.
Youth & Young Adults:
Pride for Youth
A Long Island Crisis Center service for LGBT+ young people through age 30 with a mission to enhance the health, wellness, and cultural competency of young people through education, support services, and youth development.
PFLAG Long Island
Part of a national organization of parents, families, friends, and allies united with the LGBT+ community to move equality forward.
Safe Schools Initiative
An LGBT Network base of services and programs to help students and staff develop a school culture that fosters support, understanding, and respect for LGBT youth, families, and educators.
GLSEN
A national network of educators, students, and local chapters working to ensure that every student has a safe, supportive, and LGBTQ-inclusive K-12 education.
It Gets Better
A nonprofit organization with a mission to uplift, empower, and connect LGBT+ youth around the globe.
The Trevor Project
A leading national organization providing crisis intervention services to LGBT+ young people under 25.
LGBT National Help Center Youth Chat Room
Weekly virtual chat rooms for LGBT+ young people under 19; youth have the option to watch the chats if they are not ready to join.
Adults:
LGBT Network
An association of non-profit organizations working to serve the LGBT+ community of Long Island and Queens throughout the lifespan. Each organization works to end homophobia and transphobia, to provide a home and safe space for the LGBT+ community, and to advocate for equality.
GLAAD
A dynamic media force tackling tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change.
Seniors:
SAGE
Advocacy & Services for GLBT Elders; a national advocacy and services organization looking out for LGBT elders.
SAGE LI
A bi-county non-profit dedicated to meeting the needs of the Long Island LGBT+ senior community.
National Resource Center on LGBT Aging
The country’s first and only technical assistance resource center aimed at improving the quality of services and supports offered to LGBT+ older adults.
Further Resources:
GLBT Near Me
The largest collection of LGBT+ resources online, topping 15,000 listings. Find the closest social and support resources, community centers, youth groups, and much more.
LGBT Network Business Directory
Provides an important platform for business owners to advertise their services to an LGBT and allied audience in Long Island and Queens, and helps members of the community find local businesses that are supportive of LGBT people. Additionally, employers seeking to recruit LGBT and allied workers have a quick, easy way to reach a more inclusive audience.
24/7 Crisis Resources:
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988
The National support hotline provides free and confidential support 24/7 for people in distress, as well as prevention and crisis resources for all. Also available via chat.
TrevorLifeline: (866) 488-7386
The Trevor Project’s crisis intervention and suicide prevention lifeline for LGBT+ young people under 25. Available via phone, text or chat.
Long Island Crisis Center Hotline: (516) 679-1111
Crisis intervention and suicide prevention counseling are available 24/7; counselors also provide information and referrals. Online and mobile chat counseling are also available 7 days a week from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM.
Response Crisis Center Hotline: (631) 751-7500
Crisis counselors provide intervention, support, guidance, and referrals to support groups, clinicians, mental health clinics, other hotlines, and a host of other community programs and services. Connect with a counselor via phone, email or chat.
For more resources or to schedule an appointment with an LGBTQ+-aware social worker, contact us at (631) 654-4700 x224 or email us.
Social workers can give referrals to mental health and substance abuse resources, help locate free legal services, help to intervene in a crisis, and more.