Click the following text link for information
about our online Yahoo Support Group:
Support For Lesbians
and Bisexual Women Coming Out

Resources

Helping your family understand that you may be lesbian or bisexual:

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)
1726 M Street, NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036, 202/467-8180
PFLAG'S easy-to-use website has lots of information and lists local chapters by state:
http://www.pflag.org/
email: info@pflag.org
With 488 chapters reaching over 80,000 households, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) helps gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered (GLBT) people, their families and friends, through support, education, and advocacy. PFLAG's line of publications addresses a variety of support and educational issues for both GLBT people and allies. Their publications help prepare family and friends for the challenges of supporting GLBT loved ones. PFLAG's mission promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons, their families and friends through: support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights. PFLAG provides opportunity for dialogue about sexual orientation and gender identity, and acts to create a
society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity.


Books to help your parents, family, and friends

Beyond Acceptance: Parents of Lesbians and Gays Talk About Their Experiences
by Carolyn Welch Griffin, Marian J. Wirth, Arthur G. Wirth, Brian McNaught, December 1997, St. Martin's Press; ISBN: 0312167814

Straight Parents, Gay Children: Inspiring Families to Live Honestly and With Greater Understanding
by Robert A. Bernstein, May 1999, Thunder's Mouth Press; ISBN: 1560252294

Coming Out As Parents: You and Your Homosexual Child
by David K. Switzer, September 1996, Westminster John Knox Press; ISBN: 0664256368

My Child Is Gay: How Parents React When They Hear the News
by Bryce McDougall (Editor), October 1998, Allen & Unwin; ISBN: 1864486589

Is It a Choice?: Answers to 300 of the Most Frequently Asked Questions About Gay and Lesbian People
by Eric Marcus, June 1999, Harper San Francisco; ISBN: 006251623X

Outing Yourself: How to Come Out As Lesbian or Gay to Your Family, Friends, and Coworkers
by Michelangelo Signorile, June 1996, Fireside; ISBN: 0684826178

Our New Coming Out Support Package

Other Books on Coming Out as a Lesbian or Bisexual

Books on Lesbian Partnerships, Marriage, and Weddings

Books on Lesbian Sex and Sexuality Books,
Lesbian Sex Stories, Erotic Photography

Books on Lesbian Parenting,
Lesbian and Gay Kids, Lesbian Parents

Books on GBT in Education/
Gay & Lesbian Studies



Organizations that fight for our rights

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
http://www.aclu.org/LesbianGayRights/LesbianGayRightsMain.cfm
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is our nation's guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Since our founding in 1920, the nonprofit, nonpartisan ACLU has grown from a roomful of civil liberties activists to an organization of nearly 300,000 members and supporters, with offices in almost every state.

GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation)
GLAAD Atlanta, 159 Ralph McGill Blvd., Ste. 506, Atlanta, GA 30308, 404-614-3700
GLAAD Kansas City, 1509 Westport Road, Kansas City, MO 64111, 816-756-5991
GLAAD Los Angeles, 5455 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1500, Los Angeles, CA 90036, 323-933-2240
GLAAD New York, 248 West 35th St., 8th Floor, New York, NY 10001, 212-629-3322
GLAAD San Francisco, 1360 Mission St., Suite 200, San Francisco, CA 94103, 415-861-2244
GLAAD Washington, DC, 1700 Kalorama Road, NW, Washington, DC 20009, 202-986-1360
http://www.glaad.org/
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate, and inclusive representation of individuals and events in all media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network)
121 West 27th St., #804, New York, NY 10001-6207
http://www.glsen.org
“GLSEN is the leading national organization fighting to end anti-gay bias in K-12 schools.”

Hate-Crime Network - a project of LAMBDA GLBT Community Services
The National Hate Crimes Hotline, 800-686-HATE
http://www.HATE-CRIME.net
The Hate Crime Network (HCN) was created by a team of experienced hate crime victim advocates who know the importance of hate crime laws, recovery services, and improved police response. But they also know that for the thousands of Americans affected by hate crimes each year, none of that matters if they can't tell anyone what happened. Survivors of bias incidents often say that they fear reporting to the police or that they simply don't know where to turn for help. The national Hate Crime Network (HCN) gives hate crime victims a chance to tell someone what happened to them. And it gives all of us the opportunity to tell hate crime victims that they are not alone.

LAMBDA GLBT Community Services
PO Box 31321, El Paso, TX 79931-0321, 208-246-2292
http://www.lambda.org/
“Nonprofit, gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender agency dedicated to reducing homophobia, inequality, hate crimes, and discrimination by encouraging self-acceptance, cooperation, and nonviolence.” Also has a special youth outreach section.

National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR)
870 Market St., Ste. 570, San Francisco, CA 94102, 415.392.6257
e-mail: info@nclrights.org
http://www.nclrights.org/index.htm
NCLR is a national legal resource center with a primary commitment to advancing the rights and safety of lesbians and their families through a program of litigation, public policy advocacy, free legal advice and counseling, and public education. In addition, NCLR provides representation and resources to gay men, and bisexual and transgender individuals on key issues that also significantly advance lesbian rights.

National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association
1420 K Street, NW, Suite 910, Washington, DC 2000, 202-588-9888
e-mail: info@nlgja.org
http://www.nlgja.org/
A professional organization for gay and lesbian media employees.

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF)
1700 Kalorama Road NW. Washington, DC 20009-2624, 202-332-6483
http://www.ngltf.org/
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force works to eliminate prejudice, violence, and injustice against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people at the local, state, and national level. As part of a broader social justice movement for freedom, justice, and equality, NGLTF is creating a world that respects and celebrates the diversity of human expression and identity where all people may fully participate in society.

Political Research Associates
1310 Broadway, Suite 201, Somerville, MA 0214, 617-666-5300 
http://www.publiceye.org/
Monitors right-wing groups, with extensive research on homophobic movements.


Online support for lesbians of domestic partner abuse; childhood psychological, physical or sexual abuse; rape and hate crimes:

Rainbow Hope
http://www.rainbowhope.org
We support lesbians who were abused (psychological, physical or sexual) in their childhoods, who were raped, who were victims of hate crimes or of domestic violence. This site was created so that we could share our experiences, grief, hopes, struggles and dreams. We wanted to create a space where women could be themselves without the fear of being judged because of sexual orientation issues. We hope that we can provide you with a safe place to finally be able to be completely yourself.

Breaking The Silence
http://t.webring.com/hub?ring=survivors
Open to everyone; age, gender, background irrelevant. Survivors of sexual and gender violence, rape, sexual abuse, harassment; FGM; and G/L/B/T hate crimes. Most are against women by men, but we don't seek to exclude male survivors or victims of female assailants. Sites in the webring are by or about survivors and most include resources or inspiration in coping with surviving. Our motto is: “Work for survival, and refuse to keep the secrets of the crimes we have suffered.” By sharing our pain, we are sharing our strengths.

Where to go for help if you’ve been sexually abused

The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)
635-B Pennsylvania Ave. S.E. Washington, DC 20003, 1-800-656-4673
http://www.rainn.org/
RAINN is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that operates America's only national hotline for survivors of sexual assault. The hotline offers free, confidential counseling and support from anywhere in the country. You can call the RAINN hotline 24 hours a day at 1-800-656-HOPE, or you can locate a crisis center near you by using their search function on their website. RAINN is provided as a service for survivors who cannot reach a rape crisis center through a local call, as well as those who might not know that a local center exists. Currently, the majority of the country is a toll call away from a rape crisis center. Many of these long distance callers are being abused by someone in their own household and thus can't utilize a service that will appear on a phone bill. Since RAINN was founded in 1994, survivors nationwide finally have access to free, confidential counseling all day, every day.


Religious Issues and GLBT People

Christian Lesbians
http://christianlesbians.com

Evangelicals Concerned
http://www.ecwr.org

Cathedral of Hope Homosexuality and Christianity
http://www.cathedralofhope.com/

Gay Church
www.gaychurch.org
Gay Church is a web site dedicated to ministering to the gay and lesbian Christian community (GLBT) and friends of our community. We feature one of the largest gay and lesbian welcoming Christian church directories and bulletin boards in the world. Network with other gay and lesbian Christians.

Human Rights Campaign
http://www.hrc.org/religion
Provides general information on a variety of communities of faith and their stance on GLBT people.
They have a list of updated religious organizations with an overview of their positions on GLBT people that is very helpful including: African Methodist Episcopal Church, Church of God in Christ, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Islam, Judaism, Metropolitan Community Churches, National Baptist Convention USA Inc., Presbyterian Church (USA), Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), Roman Catholic Church, Seventh-day Adventist Church , Southern Baptist Convention, Unitarian Universalist Association, United Church of Christ, United Methodist Church.

You can also browse their list of GLBT-affirming organizations serving people of faith. Many of these organizations maintain directories on their respective websites that you may use to gather local contact information.

More Information from the Human Rights Campaign Website:

Mosaic
http://www.jewishmosaic.org/index.htm
The National Jewish Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity:

SoulForce
http://www.soulforce.org
A national interfaith movement committed to ending spiritual violence perpetuated by religious policies against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.

Whosoever
http://www.whosoever.org.



Lesbian friendly places to buy art, magnets, books,
videos, DVDs, music, toys, and do other stuff

Resource Directory
GAYELLOW PAGES™
http://www.gayellowpages.com/
The Original Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Information Resource since 1973. The Gayellow Pages is a great directory of organizations, businesses, & resources for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community in the USA & Canada. The Original Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Information Resource since 1973

Lesbian Art, Magnets, Books, Videos & DVDs, and music

Lesbian Artwork, posters and magnets
Our Own Lesbian Art Store
Fun Lesbian Magnets,
Lesbian Posters and Art Prints,
Fantasy Women Posters and Art Prints,

Our Own Online Bookstore
Our New Coming Out Support Package
Other Books on Coming Out as a Lesbian or Bisexual
Books on Lesbian Partnerships, Marriage, and Weddings
Books on Lesbian Sex and Sexuality Books,
Lesbian Sex Stories, Erotic Photography
Books on Lesbian Parenting,
Lesbian and Gay Kids, Lesbian Parents

The Lesbian Shopper
http://www.lesbianshopper.com
Your one-stop shop for lesbian books, magazines, movies, classifieds and more. We've taken the work out of scouring the Internet for great lesbian products and items by creating a site of nothing but the best in Lesbian everything: reading, watching, listening, wearing and more!

TLA Video
TLA Entertainment Group, 234 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, 215-733-0608
http://www.tlavideo.com
Store Locations:
South Street-Society Hill, 517 S. 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147, 215-922-3838  
Chestnut Hill, 7630 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia PA 19118, 215-248-4448
RittenhouseSquare, 1520 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, 215-735-7887
Bryn Mawr, 763 Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, 610-520-1222
Art Museum, 1808 Spring, Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130, 215-751-1171
West Village, Manhattan, 52-54 West 8th Street, New York, NY 10001, 212-228-8282

Toys, safer sex items, and other stuff for us
Our Own Lebian Sex Tips Toy Store
http://www.amazingdreamspublishing.com/lesbiansextipsstore.html
Amazing Dreams Publishing proudly presents the sister store for both our Coming Out and Lesbian Sex Tips guides. We have over 1,000 of the best sensual toys, hand-picked by and for lesbians and bisexual women. Our store has secure online shopping, fast delivery, discreet packaging, and no embarrassing visits to your local male-owned toy store. Use our Advanced Search Function to find the perfect birthday or an anniversary gift, or maybe you need to treat yourself to something special. From multifunctional vibrators, to pillows with secret compartments for your toys, we have the best selection for women on the web. Visit our Lesbian Sex Tips Toy Store, and spice up your sensual life today!.

Good Vibrations
Good Vibrations is a women-owned and woman-operated cooperative which has been promoting sexual health and pleasure since 1977. From a great antique vibrator online museum to new toys for the new millennium, Good Vibrations has it all. Books, audio, video, and even a section to "Get Off Cheap" are included in their great website.
Good Vibrations San Fransisco, 1210 Valencia Street (@ 23rd Street),
San Francisco, CA 94110, 415-974-8980
Good Vibrations Berkeley Store, 2504 San Pablo Avenue (@ Dwight),
Berkeley, CA 94702, 510-841-8987
To order a catalog by phone, call: 800-289-8423

Toys in Babeland
Toys in Babeland is the famously fun lesbian owned, women run adult toy store in Seattle, New York and online at Babeland.com. Find the gear, guidance and inspiration for a satisfying love life with the help of their staff educators. Visitors to Seattle and New York should check out the events listings on their website for their unique instore workshops: “Babeland University”.
New York: Toys in Babeland, 94 Rivington Street (between Orchard and Ludlow),
NewYork, NY., Phone: 212-375-1701
Seattle: Toys in Babeland, 707 E. Pike Street,
Seattle, WA., Phone: 206-328-2914.
To order a catalogue by phone: 800-658-9119

Internet info, hosting, and searching

A lesbian introduction to the Internet
http://www.lesbian.org/internet-guide/guide.html

Lesbian Friendly Web Hosting
kryss.com
http://www.kryss.com/
Looking for award-winning website design, a webmaster to help you maintain your site, an e-commerce package that ROCKS, or a great place to get low-cost affordable web hosting? At kryss.com, we aim for 100% Customer Satisfaction. We have lightning fast, reliable servers, connections, service, and support. We are also well-known for including more features with our virtual hosting package than many hosts charging two to five times more. Check out our Hosting Comparison page to see why you should choose kryss.com as your web presence provider.

Search the “Queer” Internet

WARNING: Some of these sites contain adult content. They are listed here because most have resources for our community that other search engines do not featue.

http://www.rainbowquery.com

http://www.gayagenda.com

http://www.gayplanet.com

http://www.gayscape.com

http://www.gayzoo.com

http://www.queerseek.com

http://www.bglad.com

http://www.queery.com

http://www.gayinsider.com

http://www.pridelinks.com



How to find other lesbians with similar interests

Amazing Dreams Publishing Lesbian/Bi Women Networking Groups
http://www.amazingdreamspublishing.com/lesbianbiwomennetwork.html
LESBIAN NETWORK is our new free networking service for Lesbians, Bisexual, and Bi-Curious Adult Women. All such women aged 18 to 118 are welcomed free. We are setting up lesbian/bi networking groups for every state in the US, and many English speaking countries. These free groups are for women to find a supportive community in their own areas, a thing we all desperately need in the finger-pointing, prejudiced times we are going through now. Join us for fun and friendship. Chat with other women locally and worldwide. Make new friends on and off-line. Meet new visitors to your home area. Why pay a dating service or purchase expensive Personal ads to find friends when you can join us free? Please tell other like-minded women about our network and encourage them to join our State or our Country Groups.

Amazing Dreams Publishing Lesbian Dating Advice
http://www.amazingdreamspublishing.com/lesbiandating.html
Great tips and advice especially for online dating. Also links to online lesbian dating services that women in our coming out group have had success with.

The Wishing Well Magazine
PO Box 178440, San Diego, CA 92177-8440. Phone/Fax (858) 270-2779.
http://www.wishingwellwomen.com
Since 1974,The Wishing Well Magazine has helped women who love women to meet, with confidentiality and loving support. Introductory copy $5 (ppd.) mailed discreetly.
Check, or MC/Visa accepted.

Lesbian Mailing Lists
http://www.lesbian.org/lesbian-lists/index.html
Huge listing of women-only, sapphic, lesbian centered, or similarly defined mailing lists. From Artistic Dykes and GranolaGrrls, to Babydykes and The Gillian Anderson Estrogen Brigade, this list has it all.

...Never Never Land...
http://www.fly2neverland.com/
e-mail: ladybane@fly2neverland.com
....Never Never Land... is a virtual lesbian community. Aside from the chat room which is the heart of NeverLand we also offer a message board, profiles, lesbian poetry, E-cards and a women's resources area, not to mention "Lady Bane's Guide to Chat Room Lingo" for those who are unfamiliar with chat room acronyms. Never Never Land is all about fun, support, and friends.

Reference Books used for Happy Lesbian:

Bagemihl, Bruce, Biological Exuberance : Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity,
New York: St Martin's Press, 1999.

Bass, Ellen; Davis, Laura, The Courage to Heal, A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse, New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1988.

Boswell, John, Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe, New York: Villiard Books, a division of Random House Inc., 1994.

Bradshaw, John, Home Coming, Reclaiming and Championing Your Inner Child, New York: Bantam Books, 1992.

Brown, Mildred L.; Rounseley, Chloe Ann, True Selves : Understanding Transsexualism-For Families, Friends, Coworkers, and Helping Professionals, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1996.

Davis, Laura, The Courage to Heal Workbook, For Women and Men Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse, New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1990.

Grabhorn, Lynn, Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting: The Astonishing Power of Feelings, Virginia: Hampton Roads Publishing Company Inc., 2000.

Koop, C. Everett, M.D., Dr. Koop’s Self-Care Advisor, California: Time Life Medical, The Health Publishing Group, 1996.

Komaroff, Anthony L., M.D., Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide, New York:
Simon & Schuster, 1999.

Masters, William H.; Johnson, Virginia E.; Kolodny, Robert C., Human Sexuality 4th Edition, New York: Harper Collins, 1992.

Miller, Neil, Out of the Past, Gay and Lesbian History from 1869 to Present, New York:
Vintage Books, Division of Random House Books, 1995.

Murray, Raymond, Images in the Dark: An Encyclopedia of Gays and Lesbians in Film and Video, New York: Penguin Press, 1996.

Bleiler, David (Editor), TLA Film, Video, and DVD Guide 2002-2003: The Discerning Film Lover's Guide, New York: Griffin Trade Paperback, St. Martin's Press, 2001.

Russell, Paul, The Gay 100, A Ranking of the Most Influential Gay Men and Lesbians, Past and Present, New Jersey: Citadel Press Book, published by Carol Publishing Group Edition, 1995.

Sisley, Emily L., M.D.; Harris, Bertha, The Joy of Lesbian Sex, New York:
Simon & Schuster, 1977.

Stone, Merlin, When God Was a Woman, New York: Harcourt, 1978.

West, Celeste, A Lesbian Love Advisor, Pennsylvania: Cleis Press, 1989.

Westheimer, Ruth, M.D., Sex for Dummies, California: Hungry Minds, Inc., 2000.


Internet Articles

Can Animals Be Gay? New Book Stirs Debate
By Steve Grant
Posted by USA on March 24, 1999
Hartford Courant, March 23, 1999
285 Broad St., Hartford, CT, 06115
http://outnz.net.nz/

Queer Creatures
From New Scientist, August 7, 1999
http://www.newscientist.com/

Just the Facts About Sexual Orientation & Youth:
A Primer for Principals, Educators & School Personnel
GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network)
http://www.glsen.org/templates/resources/record.html?section=15&record=424

Symbols of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Movements
Featured on the Lambda.org website
Charles Edward Riffenburg IV, Copyright 1998
http://www.lambda.org

Understanding the Gay Agenda
Viewer's Notes and Historical Comments About Anti-Gay Propaganda
by Brad L. Graham, Copyright 1993
The Privacy Rights Education Project (PREP), St. Louis, Missouri
http://www.prepstl.org/gayagenda.html

Summary of States, Cities, and Counties Which Prohibit Discrimination
Based on Sexual Orientation
Lambda Legal Defense and Educational Fund
Copyright 1999, Lambda Legal Defense and Educational Fund
http://lambdalegal.org

Online Exhibition “Do you remember when?”
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
http://www.ushmm.org/doyourememberwhen/

HOW TO BE A HAPPY LESBIAN:
A COMING OUT GUIDE
©2009 by Amazing Dreams Publishing.
All rights reserved.