This resource page is for LGBTQ+ and questioning people who are 18 and younger, or who are still in high school. If the resources below don’t answer your questions, you and your guardians are always welcome to reach out to [email protected]. UP also hosts youth groups, so if you’d like to meet more people like you, consider joining one of our support groups. You and your guardians can find out more about Uniting Pride’s support groups here.
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If you are currently in crisis, the Trevor Project is available 24/7 for LGBTQ+ youth.
If you have run away from home or are considering running away from home, the National Runaway Safeline can help you.
Questioning & Coming Out
​As you question your gender or sexuality, keep in mind that the labels used in the resources below are just words that help us to communicate specific experiences. Knowing these words can be helpful in understanding ourselves and communicating our needs and wants to others, but they aren’t necessary. You are free to claim as many labels as is useful to you, or none at all.

It’s also important to accept that the labels you use now may change over time, and that doesn’t make the feelings or experiences you describe with those labels any less real. It is normal for people to change and grow over time, and those changes can include sexual orientation, romantic orientation, and gender.
***These resources focus on gay and lesbian identity for boys and girls, but keep in mind that sexual/romantic orientation and gender are separate. You do not need to be a woman to identify as a lesbian, and you do not need to be a man to identify as gay. Many nonbinary people are gay or lesbian, and these people are valued and respected within our LGBTQ+ community.

Coming Out
Extra Resources for Trans Youth
Name Resources
Legal Changes & Rights
  • To change the gender marker on your birth certificate, you have to submit paperwork with the state that you were born in. For Illinois birth certificates, click here. Scroll to the bottom of the page to download the necessary forms. If you were born outside of Illinois, we recommend googling “[birth state] gender marker change” to find the most up-to-date information for your state.
  • To view the process in Illinois to change your name as a minor, click here.
  • Changing the gender marker on your passport does not require any documentation. Read about the process here. Click here to read about changing the name on your passport.
  • Trans Youth Handbook by Harvard Law School (complete guide to legal changes you may make and your rights as you come out as trans)
  • Name Change Mobilization by the Transformative Justice Law Project of Illinois
  • Name Change Checklist by UIC Law

Body & Voice Changes
  • Puberty and transitioning for trans and non-binary youth by Kids Help Phone
  • If you think it would help them, consider sharing UP’s resource page for healthcare providers with your doctor. This page includes information about how to support a patient through a transition and how to use the correct pronouns.
  • If you need a binder or waist cincher and cannot afford or safely purchase one on your own, apply to UP & Away, Uniting Pride's free gender-affirming item program.
  • How to safely bind your chest with Pink News (video)
  • Safer Tucking by Desert AIDS Project and DAP Health
  • Learn about voice training with Health Outreach to Teens (Callen-Lorde)
  • In the Champaign area, our source for voice training is Clarion Mendes. She's worked with our community extensively and we regard her very highly. She is a certified member of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) as well as a member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). You can reach her by phone at 217-300-7826 or by email at [email protected].

If you want to start exploring other transition options (beyond social and gender presentation changes) you can read our complete list of transition resources on our adult resources page. Keep in mind that these articles are written for an older audience, so consider reviewing these with your doctor, caretaker, or another trusted adult.
Youth Rights at School
​Title IX is a federal law that makes sex discrimination illegal in most schools. Most courts who have looked at the issue have said that this includes discrimination against someone because they are transgender or because they don’t meet gender-related stereotypes or expectations, as well as discrimination based on sexual orientation. Several other federal and state laws also protect transgender students. Here are some of the rights you have under these laws:
  • You have the right to be treated according to your gender identity. That’s true even if you haven’t done things like changing your ID or getting medical treatment, and your school cannot require you to show proof of these things in order to have your gender respected.
  • You have the right to be called by the name and pronouns that match your gender identity. Sometimes people make an honest mistake, but teachers and school staff aren’t allowed to call you by the wrong name or pronouns on purpose after you tell them what you want to be called.
  • You have the right not to be bullied or harassed because of your gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation. If school administrators know that you’re being bullied or harassed, they have to take action to end it.
  • You have the right to use restrooms and locker rooms that match your gender identity, and you can’t be forced to use separate facilities. If you feel safer or more comfortable using a private space, or if you’d like to use a separate space for a short period of time, you can request that—but your school can’t force you or pressure you into using a separate restroom or locker room if you don’t want to.
  • You have the right to get the same opportunities to learn and participate in school life as anyone else, no matter your gender, including your gender identity or expression, or your race, nationality, or disability. This includes not being punished because you are transgender or gender non-conforming and being allowed to participate in school activities and events.
  • You have the right to dress and present yourself according to your gender identity. This includes how you dress at school every day as well as for dances, graduation, and other school events. You need to follow general dress code rules that apply to all students, but your school has to let you follow those rules in a way that matches your gender identity.
  • You have the right to protect your privacy and choose who you tell or don’t tell about being transgender. If you want to keep that information private, your school must make sure that things like your transgender status, your former name, or your medical history are kept as confidential as possible.
  • You have the right to join or start an LGBT student club like a GSA or Pride Alliance. Your school isn’t allowed to ban LGBT student groups or treat those groups differently than other student groups. If your school doesn’t have a club like this, you can learn how to start one here.

In the Central Illinois area, we sometimes see that schools either don’t know about these laws or are not willing to enforce them. If your school is not respecting your rights, consider reaching out to UP at [email protected]. We often provide inclusivity training for schools in the area, and we may be able to help at yours, too.

To find out more about your rights as an LGBTQ+ or questioning student, check out the following organizations:
  • ACLU (nonprofit with a long history of fighting for civil liberties in the U.S.)
  • National Center for Transgender Equality (nonprofit that advocates to change policies and society to increase understanding and acceptance of transgender people)
  • GLAD (nonprofit that fights for the rights of LGBTQ people and those living with HIV)
  • TYEF (nonprofit that that advocates for transgender, gender non-conforming, and intersex youth ages 2–18)
  • Lambda Legal (nonprofit that fights for the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people, and people living with HIV)
  • U.S. Department of Education (click the link to read about the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)

If you’re looking into colleges as an LGBTQ+ student, check out this guide from Intelligent to learn how to identify LGBTQ-affirming schools.
Relationships & Communication
Connecting With the Community
This resource collection is a living document. If you find that any of these resources are outdated, or if you know of an additional resource that may benefit this collection, please reach out to [email protected].
University YMCA, 1001 South Wright Street, Champaign, IL, 61820, United States
Office Hours: Weekdays 10am-4pm
(217) 898-5235
[email protected]

Uniting Pride of Champaign County is a nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status and Federal EIN #27-1636190.
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