High School Students on a Legacy Tour

If there is anything we hope you learn from visiting this website it is to realize that people just like you have been making important, life-altering contributions to the world for centuries – even if nobody has ever bothered to tell you about it.  For example, did you know that... 

...the computer you are reading this website on was invented by a gay man named Alan Turing?

...the person who first diagnosed the treatment of Tuberculosis – Dr. Alan L. Hartwas transgender?

...Dr. Martin Luther King’s mentor in the Civil Rights Movement – Bayard Rustinwas gay?

...the patriotic hymn "America the Beautiful" was written by Katharine Lee Batesa lesbian?

Chances are you didn’t know about any of them, unfortunately.  Well there's a lot more people, too...

Amazing Legacy

The Legacy Project website has over 200 people from all walks of life waiting to be explored and more being added all the time.  We hope you will take a few minutes to learn about those who came before us, and that you will come away knowing that in spite of all the messages you have thrown at you every day because you are different - people like you have made awesome contributions - and so will YOU. 

YOU ARE AMAZING JUST THE WAY YOU ARE.

"The answer to the problem must not lie in suicides, but rather in life and the freedom to live it."

-- Christine Jorgensen (1926-1989), Transgender Activist, Legacy Walk Inductee (2012)

Youth Resources

Though you may live in a time when being open about being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer – or questioning any of these things – is much more common, there are probably a lot of people who may hassle you (or worse) about it.  Today, in some areas, there are resources and supportive people available to you. But in other places it can be pretty scary.  If you are struggling right now because of your circumstances and cannot find an adult you trust to talk to about what you are going through, please consider using any of these resources to be put in touch with people who care and will try to help you. You are not alone – and it really does get better

Illinois

Brave Space Alliance
https://www.bravespacealliance.org/

Center on Halsted
https://www.centeronhalsted.org/

Equality Illinois
https://www.equalityillinois.us/

Gerber/Hart Library and Archives
https://www.gerberhart.org/

Illinois Safe Schools Alliance
http://www.illinoissafeschools.org/ 

Prevent School Violence Illinois
https://www.psvillinois.org/

Youth Outlook
https://youth-outlook.org/

National

Athlete Ally
https://www.athleteally.org/

American Medical Student Association Gender and Sexuality Committee
https://www.amsa.org/action-committee/gender-and-sexuality/

Anxiety and Depression Association of America 
https://adaa.org/find-help/by-demographics/lgbtq

BiNet
http://www.binetusa.org/

Born This Way Foundation
https://bornthisway.foundation/

Call Blackline
https://www.callblackline.com/

Campus Pride
https://www.campuspride.org/

Centers for Disease Control Youth Services
https://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/youth-resources.htm

COLAGE
https://www.colage.org/

Combating Bisexual Erasure
https://socialworklicensemap.com/blog/how-to-be-an-ally-to-people-who-are-bisexual/

Delta Lambda Phi
https://www.dlp.org/

Desi LGBTQ+ Helpline for South Asians
https://www.deqh.org/

Finding a Voice: A Guide to Gender Affirming Voice and Communication Training
https://speechpathologymastersprograms.com/gender-affirming-voice-train…

Gamma Mu Foundation
https://gammamufoundation.org/

Gamma Rho Lambda
https://www.gammarholambda.org/

GenderCool Project | Showcasing Stories of Transgender Children
https://gendercool.org/

GLAAD-LGBTQ Media Watchdog Organization
https://www.glaad.org/

GLSEN
https://www.glsen.org/

How Does Addiction Affect the Trans Community?
https://www.sunshinebehavioralhealth.com/resources/transgender-communit…

Human Rights Campaign
https://www.hrc.org/

interACT
https://interactadvocates.org/

It Get’s Better
https://itgetsbetter.org/get-help/

Jed Foundation
https://jedfoundation.org/

Lambda Legal Defense Youth Issues
http://www.lambdalegal.org/issues/youth

League Foundation
https://www.leaguefoundation.org/

LGBTQ Student Resources
https://essayontime.com.au/lgbtq-students-resources-support/

Matthew Shepard Foundation
https://www.matthewshepard.org/

National Runaway Safeline
https://www.1800runaway.org/
773-880-9860

NOH8 Campaign
http://www.noh8campaign.com/

PFLAG
https://pflag.org/lgbtq-people

Planting Peace-Equality House
https://www.plantingpeace.org/campaign/equality-house/

Rainbow Health
https://rainbowhealth.org/

Teen Central
https://teencentral.com/

The Recovery Village: Treating Addiction in the LGBTQIA+ Community
https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/resources/lgbtq/
www.therecoveryvillage.com/teen-addiction/related/lgbtq-youth-addiction/

Trans Lifeline
https://www.translifeline.org/
510-771-1417

Trans Student Educational Resources
https://transstudent.org/

Trevor Project
https://www.thetrevorproject.org/
866-488-7386

True Colors United
https://truecolorsunited.org/

U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services- LGBTQ Resources
http://www.stopbullying.gov/topics/lgbt/