Safe Schools Coaltion of Washington

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Local Community Resources
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Region Ten: 
Pierce County  

A Sound Coalition: a group which meets to discuss issues that concern the GLBTQ community and to provide quarterly educational forums for the community. Meets monthly, call for information. Email: asoundcoalition@yahoo.com; 3800A Bridgeport Way W. #124, University Place, WA 98466; Website: http://www.geocities.com/asoundcoalition

Associated Ministries: religious association that administers a number of social services. 1224 South I St., Tacoma, WA 98405; Phone: 253-383-3056; Email: info@associatedministries.org; Website: http://www.associatedministries.org; (for additional faith communities, go to: http://www.gbgm-umc.org/ravenna/draftlist.html)

Children's Services at Comprehensive Mental Health: services include individual counseling, family therapy, case management, group counseling, family reconciliation, psychiatric assessments and consultation, medication review, education information and referral. Contact person: Mike Laederich, Director of Children’s Services; 1201 S. Proctor, Tacoma, WA 98405; Phone: 253-396-5800; Website: http://www.compmh.org 

Gender Alliance of South Sound (GASS): a support/educational organization in the South Sound region striving to help those dealing with gender expression and identity issues. Phone: 253-383-2318; Website: http://www.southsoundgender.com 

 

OASIS - Tacoma: sponsored by Pierce County AIDS Foundation. It is a safe place to hang out, meet others, and learn about life for teens and young adults. A drop-in center for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning (GLBTQ) youth between the ages of 14 and 24. Oasis has plenty of things to do: pool and air hockey tables, a TV, computers with Internet access, and even a kitchen. There's plenty of couches so that you can relax. They have discussion groups and one-on-one counseling, a variety of workshops and social activities, free, anonymous HIV testing, help with STD prevention, support to HIV-positive GLBTQ youth. Phone: 253-671-2838; Email: oasisyouthcenter@gmail.com; Website: http://www.oasisyouthcenter.org

PFLAG - Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays - Tacoma: Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays promotes the well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons, their families and friends through support, education, and advocacy. PFLAG meets the second Thursday of every month, 7:00 p.m., St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 7410 South 12th, Tacoma; Help Line/Phone: 253-383-2318; Email: TacomaPFLAG@mail.com; Website: http://www.pflagtacoma.org 

Pierce County Alliance Street Outreach Program (aka Youth Outreach Program): assists all youth with any needs focusing on homeless youth. Focuses mainly on drug and alcohol related problems. Phone: 253-572-4750; 510 Tacoma Ave. S., Tacoma, WA 98402; Website: http://www.pca.org  

Pierce County Domestic Violence Helpline: information and referral line and advocacy-based counseling for anyone 16 and up. Phone: 253-798-4166 or 206-764-2420.

Pierce County AIDS Foundation: PCAF, through education and service, prevents HIV infection, assists persons affected by HIV/AIDS, addresses related health problems, and combats associated stigma and discrimination.. Teens are more at risk for HIV in Pierce County.  24% of the cases of AIDS are among young people 20-29 years of age.  Taking into account a potential ten-year period where HIV has not yet progressed to full blown AIDS, it is logical to assume that most of these were infected as teens. That figure is only 21% for the state and for the nation. Phone: 253-383-2565; Website: http://www.piercecountyaids.org/  

Planned Parenthood: Planned Parenthood of Western Washington offers clinical, education, and advocacy services, including gynecological care, testing and treatment for STDs, emergency contraception, pregnancy testing. Most teens qualify for free services. They also have awesome gay-friendly Teen Councils, peer education programs where high school-aged people provide education for peers about teen pregnancy, AIDS, abusive relationships, and some GLBT issues. 813 Martin Luther King Jr. Way Suite 200, Tacoma, WA 98405; Phone: 253-572-2187;  Website: http://www.plannedparenthood.org

POCAAN (People of Color Against AIDS Network): a multi-cultural AIDS prevention organization created in response to the devastating impact that HIV/AIDS was and continues to have on communities of color. In Washington State, POCAAN brings people of color together across differences of race, gender, class and sexual orientation to achieve its mission. We are committed to develop, implement and promote comprehensive multicultural HIV/AIDS prevention models tht are effective and responsive to the evolving needs of communities of color. POCAAN seeks to remove the barriers created by sexism, racism and homophobia, which limit our abilities to access health care services and educational risk reduction messages concerning AIDS. Phone: 253-272-2577; Website: http://www.pocaan.org/tacoma.html 

Puyallup Youth Group: Support group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and questioning youth. Meets in Puyallup. Call Good Samaritan Behavioral Health for information: 253-848-5571.

The Rainbow Center: is a safe, accessible and welcoming community space for meetings, activities and events that strengthen the lives of people in our community. We support Greater Pierce County by providing a centralized source of information and referral about the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered communities. We provide visibility to the history, culture and diversity of our communities.  We believe that having a unified voice strengthens the community as a whole by contributing to the richness of diversity found in the South Sound area.  We support other like-minded organizations by nurturing their development and providing opportunities for networking across differences.  We are passionate about supporting the entrepreneurship of people demonstrating the initiative and talent to develop new opportunities for service and support.  We offer free meeting space, participation and financial support for special events.  The Rainbow Center offers an annually updated and continually growing resource guide of service providers and businesses that are open and welcoming to the GLBTIQA communities.   We host a variety of support groups and make referrals to other social and health services.  We offer movie nights, educational lectures, discussion groups, just for fun events and a lending library. The Rainbow Center is located at 741 St. Helens Ave, Tacoma, WA 98402; Phone: 253-383-2318; Website: http://www.rainbowcntr.org; MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/rainbowcntr

Rainbow Families of Puget Sound: provides opportunities for GLBT families to get together to support each other and form community. They host monthly fun family activities that provide parents and children with a chance to spend time with other families with GLBT parents. They also host an informal listserv for resource and idea exchanges, and playgroups for families with young children. Mailing address: P.O. Box 30031, Seattle, WA 98103;  Email: rainbowfamilies@familieslikeours.org; Website: http://www.rainbowfamiliesps.org

Sexual Minority Youth Support Group in Puyallup: meets Tuesdays, 4-6 p.m., sponsored by Good Samaritan Behavioral Healthcare and a grant from the Pride Foundation; free drop-in group for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning youth ages 14 to 21. "Have fun, make new friends, hang out, eat pizza, drink pop!" Contact person: Alaka Lindsley; Phone: 253-697-8421; Call Monday through Thursday for more information.

Tacoma Lesbian Concern: provides lesbian-identified women an opportunity to participate in activities with other women and explore resources in the community. Mostly an adult group, but also has family group with children. PO Box 947, Tacoma, WA 98401; Email: TacomaLC@comcast.net; Website: http://www.tacomalesbianconcern.org

Unitarian Universalist Association of Tacoma: a "welcoming"ť congregation, affirming of sexual minorities in the church community. Address: 1115 South 56th St., Tacoma;  Website: http://www.myplanet.net/uuatacoma; (for additional faith communities, go to: http://www.gbgm-umc.org/ravenna/draftlist.html).

The Washington State Human Rights Commission (WSHRC): Governor Chris Gregoire signed ESHB 2661 into law, making sexual orientation, including gender identity, a protected class in Washington State. The new law was effective as of June 7, 2006. "Today is a proud day in Washington.  Today, a promise that began 29 years ago is finally realized," said Governor Gregoire.  "Washington has taken a stand to say to gay and lesbian individuals, moms and dads, sons and daughters, neighbors, co-workers and friends that, like all other people, they are free to work in an environment absent discrimination."  It is enforced by the WSHRC, the Washington Law against Discrimination (RCW 49.60) makes discrimination unlawful on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, sex, sexual orientation, disability, familial status, marital status, and age.  Discrimination based on sexual orientation, including gender identity, is illegal in employment, housing, public accommodations, credit and lending, and insurance.  All employers with eight or more employees, except tribes and religious non-profit institutions, are covered by the law. Phone: 1-800-233-3247; Website: http://www.hum.wa.gov/Sexual Orientation/index.html

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