Resources: LGBTQI-focused Organizations and Resources

PARC corresponds with and mails a directory of these resources to prisoners, their friends and family members. We are often the first point of contact for people to connect with prisoners' rights organizations, community organizations, prison literature and arts projects, family and visiting resources, health care and legal resources, parole and pre-release resources, and the prison abolition movement.

Download a PDF copy of the 2023 edition linked here.

Resource Category
Black and Pink

Black and Pink is a national prison abolitionist organization dedicated to abolishing the criminal punishment system and liberating LGBTQIA2S+ people and people living with HIV/AIDS who are affected by that system through advocacy, support, and organizing.  It has 13 volunteer-led chapters, including in Albuquerque, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Missoula, New York City, and Portland OR. Pairs people with pen pals and sends newsletters; new pen pal website at https://blackandpinkpenpals.org. Write for more info and for local chapter information.


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

 


LGBTQI-focused Organizations and Resources
Black and Pink Minneapolis

This project was formed to connect Midwest-based incarcerated trans/gender non-conforming people with other trans/gender non-conforming and allied community member correspondents for friendship.  This project was initially launched to reach out to transgender prisoners who are placed in lock down (administrative segregation), and now accepts requests for correspondents from LGBTQIA2S+ individuals mainly in MN, IA, ND, and SD.


LGBTQI-focused Organizations and Resources
GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD)

Through strategic litigation, public policy advocacy and education, GLAD works in New England and nationally to create a just society free of discrimination based on gender identity and expression, HIV status and sexual orientation. As part of this work, GLAD takes very select legal representation on behalf of LGBTQ prisoners. Has a victory in Sept. 2018 achieving transfer of a trans woman to a women's prison in Maine. Also has a New England centered resource guide. Mostly serves people in New England.


LGBTQI-focused Organizations and Resources
Hearts on a Wire

Hearts on a Wire is a grassroots organization working to address the needs of incarcerated transgender people in Pennsylvania prisons. They are a group of trans and gender variant people building a movement for gender self-determination, racial and economic justice, and an end to policing and imprisoning our communities. Offers a free newsletter to incarcerated and detained people. Write to be added to their mailing list. In your letter asking to be added, please tell us something about your relationship to the trans community. Serves transgender people in Pennsylvania only.



LGBTQI-focused Organizations and Resources
Lambda Legal

Lambda Legal carries out its legal work principally through test cases selected for the likelihood of their success in establishing positive legal precedents that will affect LGBT people and those affected by HIV. Lambda Legal recently represented a trans prisoner successfully in a lawsuit against the Texas prison system.


LGBTQI-focused Organizations and Resources
National Center for Transgender Equality

Advocates for change policies and society to increase understanding and acceptance of transgender people. Its Racial and Economic Justice Initiatice includes work on reforming detention conditions for transgender people in correctional facilities and in immigration detention. In 2019, NCTE published Failing To Protect & Serve, an audit of the policies at the 25 largest police departments and a model policy to help local advicates and law enforcement. Operating remotely in January 2022 and will continue to do so for an undetermined period of time. They are still active during the pandemic but remote status may impact phone and written responses. Will send resources nationwide.


LGBTQI-focused Organizations and Resources
Prisoner Correspondence Project

The Prisoner Correspondence Project is a solidarity project for gay, lesbian, transsexual, transgender, gendervariant, two-spirit, intersex, bisexual and queer prisoners in Canada and the United States, linking them with people a part of these same communities outside of prison through a direct-correspondence program Letters to PCP in Canada cost $1.15 in US postage. Has pen pals who speak/write French. Serves people nationally.


LGBTQI-focused Organizations and Resources
Queer Detainee Empowerment Project

Part of the Center for Transformative Action. Assists folks coming out of immigration detention in New York in securing structural, health/wellness, educational, legal, and emotional support and services.


LGBTQI-focused Organizations and Resources
Sinister Wisdom

Publishes work by lesbians only - prose, poetry, essays, graphics, and book reviews. Will send free to women. Nationwide to women's prisons only.


LGBTQI-focused Organizations and Resources
Sylvia Rivera Law Project

Provides free legal services to released prisoners who are transgender, intersex, gender nonconforming people who are low-income, and/or people of color. They specialize in providing assistance on name changes, identity documents, public benefits, immigration, shelter and more. Operating remotely in January 2022 and will continue to do so for an undetermined period of time. They are still active during the pandemic but remote status may impact phone and writen responses. Serving individuals in New York area only.


LGBTQI-focused Organizations and Resources
The Transformative Justice Law Project

TJLP is a collective of radical lawyers, social workers, activists, and community organizers who are deeply committed to prison abolition, transformative justice, and gender self-determination. They provide free, zealous, life-affirming, and gender-affirming holistic criminal legal services to low-income and street based transgender and gender non-conforming people in Illinois (only) who are targeted by the criminal legal system. Serves people in Illinois only.


LGBTQI-focused Organizations and Resources
Transgender Law Center

Transgender Law Center’s Detention Project works to end the abuses transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) people experience in institutional settings such as prisons and jails. Resources include state DOC and BOP policies on trans rights; guides for filing grievances and lawsuits; know-your-rights guides for trans and LGBT people; medical information about transition-related health care; reentry resources; and other information. Serves people nationwide, but more specific information for Californians.


LGBTQI-focused Organizations and Resources
Transgender, Gender Variant, and Intersex (TGI) Justice Project

The TGI Justice Project works primarily with transgender prisoners and formerly incarcerated transgender people in California, and sends out their “Stiletto Prison Newsletter” and their very informative 72-page “Still We Rise-Prison Resource Guide” to all TGI prisoners. TGI also supports TGI prisoners being released to the San Francisco Bay Area, and are part of a broader movement fighting for racial and social justice. Some services nationwide but more services for Californians. Expect delays in response to letters.


Nationwide Organizations and Resources, LGBTQI-focused Organizations and Resources
Tranzmission Prison Project

An LGBTQ+ focused abolition and advocacy group based out of Asheville, NC.  A volunteer-run, non-hierarchicial organization providing free books, zines, resources and other means of support to incarcerated queer individuals nationwide.


LGBTQI-focused Organizations and Resources