Here’s where Kansas City’s LGBTQ+ students can find help in the face of discrimination

Students in some Kansas City area schools have been noticing a disturbing trend: comments or incidents that negatively target members of the LGBTQ+ community. Earlier this year, Kansas City’s LGBTQ Commission held an emergency meeting to discuss this issue, noting five incidents in the previous few weeks alone.

”Young people need to know that there are services available to them if they need it, and that it does get better,” said Amy Gray, assistant executive director of the Kansas City Anti-Violence Project, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group. “There are people in the community working really hard to make it better.”

If you or a young person you know is facing discrimination due to sexuality or gender identity, support is available. Here are some local resources:

Social support

The Kansas City Center for Inclusion hosts regular community-building events for LGBTQ+ people. These gatherings include support groups, book clubs and DIY activity nights. The center’s youth program meets on the first and third Thursday of each month from 5 to 7 p.m. You can find upcoming gatherings on the center’s calendar of events.

Teens ages 13-17 can apply to become a part of Passages, one of the city’s oldest support groups for young LGBTQ+ community members. The group holds a three-hour meeting once a week, run by the Kansas City Anti-Violence Project. Interested teens should reach out to info@kcavp.org for more information.

PFLAG is a nationwide organization of LGBTQ+ people and allies. The Kansas City chapter meets regularly online. It also runs a confidential helpline and connects members to other LGBTQ+ events and resources in the area. You can join its mailing list here or call its helpline at (816) 765-9818 for more information.

Housing and meals

Pride Haven is an overnight shelter for LGBTQ+ people ages 18-24 experiencing homelessness or facing an unsafe situation at home. The shelter provides housing and job search assistance, medical and mental health referrals and other services. You can contact the shelter 24/7 by calling 816-931-0602.

Lion House is a transitional housing program based in Kansas City, Kansas. It serves LGBTQ+ people ages 18-24, but also works with families and can assist 16 and 17 year olds referred by KCK Public Schools. Lion House is part of the larger LGBTQ+ resource center Our Spot KC, a nonprofit group that coordinates housing assistance, hosts events and distributes meals and personal care items to those in need. You can contact the organization by calling 913-303-8664.

Medical and mental health care

The KC Care Health Center provides affordable medical treatment to city residents, including members of the LGBTQ+ community. In addition to primary care services, this clinic is a leading prescriber of PrEP and PEP, medications that can help prevent individuals from contracting HIV. It also provides free walk-in testing for HIV, hepatitis C, and syphilis on weekdays at its midtown location.

The University of Kansas Health System has a gender-affirming medicine division at its location in Overland Park. Treatments available include gender-affirming surgery, hormone therapy, psychology and care specific to adolescents. You can seek care by calling 913-588-6200 or emailing jgay@kumc.edu.

The University Health LGBTQ Specialty Clinic is a coalition of providers offering a variety of medical services for LGBTQ+ individuals.

Similarly, the Kansas City chapter of the LGBT-Affirming Therapist Guild offers a directory of mental health professionals trained to work with LGBTQ+ people, including children, teens and young adults.

Crisis counseling

The Kansas City Anti-Violence Project is a nonprofit organization serving LGBTQ+ victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and hate crimes. It helps its clients of all ages obtain protection orders, navigate court proceedings and hospital stays, interact with law enforcement and document incidents of anti-LGBTQ+ violence. KCAVP will not report incidents of violence to the police without its clients’ consent.

Synergy Services is a domestic violence and youth crisis resource center based in Parkville. Teens and young adults can call its youth crisis hotline at 816-741-8700 or 888-233-1639 to learn about its services, which include shelter for runaway and homeless youth.

Trans Lifeline is the nation’s only crisis support hotline run by and for transgender people. You can call the hotline at 877-565-8860. All calls are confidential, and operators will not contact emergency services without your consent.

If you feel you may be at risk of suicide, you can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.

More resources

Many Kansas City groups offer even more information about LGBTQ+ youth resources at the local, state and national levels. These groups include the Kansas City Center for Inclusion, Transformations, PFLAG Kansas City and the Kansas City Public Library.

Have you faced anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination in Kansas City? Do you have questions about the rights, protections or resources available to you? Ask our Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.

This story was originally published November 2, 2021 at 5:00 AM.

Natalie Wallington

The Kansas City Star

Natalie Wallington was a reporter on The Star’s service journalism team with a focus on policy, labor, sustainability and local utilities from fall 2021 until early 2025. Her coverage of the region’s recycling system won a 2024 Feature Writing award from the Kansas Press Association.