LGBTQ Resources in The Greater Sacramento Area

-Updated August, 2022-

The greater Sacramento area has a thriving LGBTQ community and there are many resources available to both allies and those within the community. Because there are so many, I may miss some, and I’ve chosen to specifically focus on resources related to mental health. In addition to these resources, you can find lots of therapists on SacWellness who specialize in LGBTQ+  and Gender issues. If you know of anything you think I should add, please contact me. this list is an ongoing curation that will be updated over time. Check back in the future and please share ^_^.

Click one of the links below to jump to that section of the resource page.

• General/ misc.
• Community Centers
• Pride Organizations
• Crisis Resources
• Families/Allies
• Social/Support
• Legal/justice
• Top Surgery
• Youth

-General/Misc.-

Davis Phoenix Coalition

The mission of the Phoenix Coalition is to engage the community to eliminate intolerance for the purpose of preventing hate motivated violence and cultivate a broader civic culture that embraces and promotes a diverse community.

From Pride to Parties, Social Justice to Social Services, and Advocacy to Acceptance, we tackle everything we face in this world head-on. Of course, we like to celebrate, too, uniting our community in events that bring us closer and give us a break from our sometimes too-hectic world. Our lives aren’t just sunshine and roses, but we believe that together we can overcome any challenges that come our way.
Join us in our quest to make the world a better place, one courageous action at a time.

Lavender Library

The Lavender Library is an all-volunteer-run lending library, archive and community space with LGBTQ+ books, films and more.

The Lavender Library creates a queer & trans community with:

• LGBTQ+ literature & media

• a sober, all ages, inclusive space

• community events

• peer support groups

• & more

Nolose

Nolose is a volunteer-run organization dedicated to ending the oppression of fat people and creating vibrant fat queer culture.

Nolose was founded as the National Organization of Lesbians of Size Everywhere by Dot Nelson-Turnier, after the periodical Lesbian Connection published an image of a fat woman on its cover and many people among its readership reacted negatively. Dot funded Nolose herself for the first two years, before recruiting a board of directors and expanding the from a New York regional base to a national and international community.

Pink Pistols Sacramento

We are the Sacramento chapter of the Pink Pistols. The Pink Pistols is a diverse group of people of all sexualities and lifestyles who are dedicated to the legal, safe, and responsible use of firearms for self-defense of the sexual-minority community.

Self-defense is a basic HUMAN RIGHT. The more people who know that members of our community may be skilled and armed, the less likely they will be to single us out for attack.

Sacramento Rainbow Chamber of Commerce

The Sacramento Rainbow Chamber of Commerce is more than just a networking organization! We provide advocacy, facilitation, business development, education, matchmaking, access to procurement opportunities and supplier diversity channels, and community support.  With 1.4 million LGBT business owners in America, the Chamber does its part in the seven-county Greater Sacramento region to build a prosperous and inclusive business community and to support causes and public policies that foster business development and equal rights for all people, including but not exclusive to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender business owners, professionals and allies.

-Community Centers-

The Gender Health Center

The Gender Health Center is a not for profit agency in Sacramento that offers counseling, groups, resources, and lots of good community events. They also have an advocacy program that is available to help people in figuring out their own transitioning process. In general, this is the first place I point anybody to for resources and getting involved in the community.

Sacramento LGBT Community Center

The Sacramento LGBT Community Center is another good source of support, resources, and community events. They have groups for trans and non binary people and coordinate lots of community events.

The Sacramento LGBT Community center also offers their own respite centers: The Lambda Lounge for adults, and the Q Spot for youth.

Trans & Queer Youth Collective

Trans & Queer Youth Collective provides a safe space for youth who do not otherwise have an opportunity to receive services. From basic needs assessments and health-care resource linkage to providing gender-affirming mental health services and LGBTQ+ education, TQYC provides the opportunity to create a chosen family and build a community of support.

-Pride Organizations-

Davis Pride

YOLO COUNTY’S
LGBTQ+ CELEBRATION FOR THE
COMMUNITY BY THE COMMUNITY!!

In 2015, after a 10 year hiatus, the board of the Davis Phoenix Coalition revived the community celebration event formally known as the Lesbian and Gay Picnic Day.  Davis Pride is an all inclusive family friendly celebration for members and supporters of the LGBTQ+ community.

Placer Pride

The annual Pride Festival in Placer county is a celebration recognizing the impact LGBTQ+ individuals, advocates, allies, and diverse cultures have in our community, and to center the voices of those who remain vulnerable.

Solano Pride

Founded as the Advisory Committee for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth in 1998, Solano Pride quickly broadened its focus and changed its name.

Over the years Solano Pride has offered a variety of community building, recreational, and informational activities, including an information and referral line, a speakers bureau, and weekly groups for women, men, and youth.

-Families/Allies-

PFLAG Sacramento

Our mission is to build on a foundation of loving families united with LGBTQ people and allies who support one another and to educate ourselves and our communities to speak up as advocates until all hearts and minds respect, value and affirm LGBTQ people.

PFLAG provides opportunity for dialogue about sexual orientation, gender identity/gender expression, and acts to create a society healthy and respectful of human diversity.

PFLAG Greater Placer County

We are an all-volunteer group of parents, family and friends of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT), people.
Celebrating Diversity, we are: PFLAG Greater Placer County.
We are:

• Non-Partisan
  
• Non-Profit
  
• Non-Sectarian
• Non-Discriminatory
• Completely Confidential

Sacramento Area Rainbow Families

We welcome families of all stripes! Sacramento Area Rainbow Families provides play dates, resources, eduacational activites, and workshops to LGBTQ parents (and prospective parents). We are a safe space that allows LGBTQIA families from across the greater Sacramento region to connect, share resources, and build community.

Sacramento Rainbow Kids

Sacramento SOFFA-T

Significant Others, Family, Friends, & Allies of Trans people in Sacramento. Peer-led and sponsored by the Gender Health Center.
We are a Sacramento group of peers who have one or more loved ones who are transgender or gender variant in their lives. We meet every first Tuesday of each month at 6pm until 8pm at the Gay & Lesbian Center to give each other support.

Trans Families Sacramento

We are a group of transgender families in the Sacramento area, which includes transparents (transgender parents), parents with transgender children, spouses and families with or without children. We represent a range of transgender expression and sexuality. In our struggles to raise our children the best we can, we have felt the need for support to maintain strong transgender family values. We have come together to give each other the support we could only find with other transgender families.

Yolo Rainbow Families

a social and advocacy group for families in Yolo County with LGBTQIA members. Our activities include:

– monthly meetings for support and discussion (with childcare!)

– assisting with community LGBTQIA events, such as Pride

– advocating for LGBTQIA parents and children in the schools, in our community, and nationally

-Social/Support-

AmBi Sacramento

amBi is Sacramento’s social community for bi people, our partners, and allies. Our mission is nothing less than to build a vibrant and visible bisexual community.

amBi exists to build a bi community through a variety of events and activities that allow bisexuals to meet, establish meaningful friendships, and have fun! If you’re interested in expanding your sense of bisexuality, getting to know good people, and participating in all sorts of interesting and fulfilling events — all while hanging out with fellow bisexuals — then this group is for you!!!

California Adventurers – NorCal Gay Men Hiking & Adventures

Are you an adult gay man in Northern California? Do you love hiking, camping, backpacking, and exploring the outdoors? Then California Adventurers is the group for you!

California Adventurers, which is the state’s largest outdoors group for gay men (we have so few spaces just for us these days), is for guys who are interested in hiking, camping, and other wholesome outdoor adventures in Northern California. We are outdoor enthusiasts and encourage men to join us as we explore the great outdoors.

Capital City Squares

Capital City Squares is a gay and lesbian square dancing club in Sacramento, California, with membership open to any adult.  Begun in 1981, the club is a founding member of the International Association of Gay and Lesbian Square Dance Clubs. We offer square dance classes ranging from Basic to Advanced levels, beginning in the fall and continuing throughout the year. The club is unique in that no partner is needed, and we do not require the wearing of traditional square dance attire. This is a fun and lively activity done to all kinds of music, and it bears little resemblance to the square dancing most of us did in school.

Varsity Gay League, Sacramento

VARSITY GAY LEAGUE or V.G.L. is the original Queer+ Recreational Sports Organization, established in 2007! We offer year-round outside-the-box activities, games and sporting events to the active Sacramento resident. Everyone is welcome, regardless of experience. It’s our goal to excite and unite the gay and straight community with new ways to play and interact.

Everyone is welcome, regardless of sexuality, gender identity, or experience.

Golden Grounds, LGBT Senior Social Group

A group of senior LGBT individuals committed to meeting regularly for the sole purpose of enriching the group through sharing insights, experiences and wisdom from what we’re doing presently with our lives and what we’ve done during our lifetimes. Golden Grounds meets in the Center’s Lambda Lounge on the third Saturday of every month from 10-11:30 a.m. All LGBT seniors who are interested in living up to their full potential are welcome. Please come with your visionary hats on, your bucket list if you have one, and your secrets for a happy, healthy, productive and prosperous life! For more information please email Groups@saccenter.org

River City Gems

“The River City Gems are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to improve the lives of transgender individuals and their families by providing social opportunities, peer support, education, resources, outreach programs, and other services focused on the specific needs of the male-to-female transgender community.”

Sacramento Gay & Lesbian Sierrans

Welcome to the Gay and Lesbian Sierrans (GLS), an activity section of the Mother Lode Chapter of the Sierra Club, centered in Sacramento, CA. GLS is a friendly, relaxed group of lesbians and gay men who enjoy outdoor adventures and camaraderie. Our local group, since 1996, has offered a variety of outdoor activities such as day hikes of varying intensity, bike rides, camp trips and other social activities. We hope to encourage your participation in, and appreciation of the outdoors and help you make new friends in a comfortable atmosphere. GLS outings are led by Sierra Club trained leaders. There are generally no costs for outings, besides sharing expenses such as entrance or camping fees. All adults are welcome on our outings, you don’t need to be a member of the Sierra Club, though we’d appreciate that.

Sacramento Saturday Gay Brunch

Sacramento has some great places for brunch! What better way to enjoy these places then to meet with several gay friends. We meet every other Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. (not too early) and rotate to different restaurants throughout midtown/downtown Sacramento. Since we need to make reservations at the restaurant, please RSVP as soon as possible. Singles and couples welcome. Our plan is to always post the information about our event the Sunday prior to the Saturday Brunch by 8:00 p.m.

Sacramento Valley Bears

The Sacramento Valley Bears is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization for men 21 or over that provides bears and bear admirers with the opportunity to meet and socialize.  The Sacramento Valley Bears organization was formed in 1993 out of a need for men of a common mind to develop lasting friendships within their community.

Wisdom Project LGBTQ Elders

Inviting, warm and welcoming community for LGBT seniors, allies and those who enjoy the elder community. We offer programming and resources to help support our older community members age with dignity

QueerFest Sacramento

We are a queer womxn, trans guys and gals social group that believes diversity is the spice of life! A supportive community made up of artists, writers, academics, blue collar, leather, professionals, students, homemakers, and techies. We embrace our gender-queer diversity: butch, femme, lipstick les, power femme, “just me”, leather daddies, introverts looking to extrovert, fabulous androgyny, trans guys and gals.

Sutter Gender Identity Support Group

An open, non-profit, non-sexual social group serving the Greater Sacramento area for those who are serious about their gender identity.  We provide a safe and secure place where they can interact with others with similar experiences and meet, visit and exchange information. We serve the educational, emotional, and recreational needs of the gender variant, transgender and intersex community, their significant others, parents, children, allies and helping professionals

-Legal/Justice-

Equality California

With over 900,000 members, Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization. And we’re California’s only LGBTQ+ civil rights organization working at the local, state and national levels.

Equality California brings the voices of LGBTQ+ people and allies to institutions of power in California and across the United States, striving to create a world that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ+ people. We advance civil rights and social justice by inspiring, advocating, and mobilizing through an inclusive movement that works tirelessly on behalf of those we serve.

Family Equality

Family Equality’s mission is to advance legal and lived equality for LGBTQ families, and for those who wish to form them, through building community, changing hearts and minds, and driving policy change.

National Center For Transgender Equality – national

The National Center for Transgender Equality advocates to change policies and society to increase understanding and acceptance of transgender people. In the nation’s capital and throughout the country, NCTE works to replace disrespect, discrimination, and violence with empathy, opportunity, and justice.

Stonewall Democratic Club of Greater Sacramento

The mission of the Stonewall Democratic Club of Greater Sacramento is to advance equal rights for all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. We will support public policies that advance that mission in the United States, the State of California, and the greater Sacramento area.

Transgender Law Center – national

Transgender Law Center is the largest national trans-led organization advocating self-determination for all people. Grounded in legal expertise and committed to racial justice, we employ a variety of community-driven strategies to keep transgender and gender nonconforming people alive, thriving, and fighting for liberation.

-Top Surgery-

If You’re seeking out top surgery you’ll likely have to talk with your insurance and Doctors about your options, but in My work with trans and gender non conforming clients, most who have sought out top surgery have voiced a desire to work with Dr. Scott Mosser at the Gender Confirmation Center:

Gender Confirmation Center

We strive to empower transgender, non-binary, and gender-diverse individuals to become the self-made person they see themselves as. From our website to our office experience, we provide a supportive environment for patients to ask questions and learn about best practices so they can make the best decision for their surgical transition.

Our practice firmly believes that everyone has a right to feel at home in their body and we fully recognize the beautiful array of gender identities that exist within and beyond the gender binary. Access to gender surgery should not be limited by hormone use, BMI, or any other identifying factor. We are leaders in working with non-binary patients who want top surgery or body contouring, and we are growing our practice to include facial feminization surgery for femme identifying trans and non-binary folks.

-Crisis Resources-

Sacramento LGBT Community Center

Creating a region where LGBTQ+ people thrive means supporting your health and wellness. If you are dealing with any issue that feels beyond your control, including depression, anxiety, victimization, homelessness, stress or relationships issues, we are here to listen without judgement and empower you with the coping strategies and culturally affirming mental health services and resources that provide relief. All services are free.

Offering drop-in respite, the Lambda Lounge provides a safe place to chill, access resources, or to just talk to someone. Respite is open for any person 25 years or older who identifies as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Drop-in is open Tuesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A safe place to rest, clean restrooms, free WiFi, access to computers, and people who care are on hand to help you with any issues.

Sacramento LGBT Community Center – The Q Spot

Drop-In Center: 7-days a week, 12-6 p.m., the Q-Spot offers LGBTQ+ and allied youth a brave space to hang out amongst community peers, play video games, watch TV, enjoy snacks, do homework, get help with job applications, financial aid, or other resources. Youth receive social and emotional support through mental health respite and peer mentorship. Free services include:

• Computer Lab & WiFi
• LGBTQ Library
• Art Projects
• Life-Skills Workshop
• HIV/HCV Testing
• Crisis Intervention

-National-

Trans Lifeline

877-565-8860

The Trevor Project

The only national 24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention lifeline for LGBTQ young people under 25, available at 1-866-488-7386.

Text and chat also available through the Trevor Project website.

-Youth-

The Landing Spot

This is a safe, non-religious LGBTQ youth support/social group in Placer County.

Please consider joining us here, or in person at our meetings/events, and share with any LGBTQ teens you may know.

We usually meet the 2nd Wednesday of each month, from 6-7:30pm, Alley House – 490 K Street Lincoln, CA 95648 (we meet at a church, but it is a safe space and the group is not religion-based).

LGBT National Youth Talkline
1-800-246-7743

Sometimes you may need just to talk, or hear a kind voice.  We’re here.  You deserve to be heard.  You deserve respect, support, affirmation and acceptance.

The LGBT National Youth Talkline is staffed by highly trained volunteers who identify somewhere on the LGBTQ spectrum, from all ages, walks of life and from all over the United States.

The Trevor Project

The only national 24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention lifeline for LGBTQ young people under 25, available at 1-866-488-7386.

Text and chat also available through the Trevor Project website.

Sacramento LGBT Community Center – The Q Spot

Drop-In Center: 7-days a week, 12-6 p.m., the Q-Spot offers LGBTQ+ and allied youth a brave space to hang out amongst community peers, play video games, watch TV, enjoy snacks, do homework, get help with job applications, financial aid, or other resources. Youth receive social and emotional support through mental health respite and peer mentorship. Free services include:

• Computer Lab & WiFi
• LGBTQ Library
• Art Projects
• Life-Skills Workshop
• HIV/HCV Testing
• Crisis Intervention

Trans & Queer Youth Collective

Trans & Queer Youth Collective provides a safe space for youth who do not otherwise have an opportunity to receive services. From basic needs assessments and health-care resource linkage to providing gender-affirming mental health services and LGBTQ+ education, TQYC provides the opportunity to create a chosen family and build a community of support.

About the author

Joe Borders is a marriage and family therapist located in Roseville and Sacramento. He is primarily a sex positive gender therapist, but also specializes in working with couples, teens, addiction, and the LGBTQ community. Joe is also the owner and founder of SacWellness. You can find out more about him by visiting his sacwellness listing or by visiting his website: therapy and counseling in Roseville and Sacramento