RAINBOW COFFEE HOUSE

Let's get social!

Thursday
starting at 5:30pm at Grace UMC

Rainbow Coffee House is a safe space and time every Thursday evening for high school and middle school aged LGBTQIA+ youth to gather, relax, enjoy and connect with a community. Our mission is to build resilience in LGBTQIA+ youth through healthy peer relationships, empowerment, leadership development, education, community outreach, and advocacy.

Rainbow Coffee House began as a dream of the Reconciling Ministry at Grace UMC who wanted to create safe space for the LGBTQIA+ youth of Billings to come and be themselves together. In partnership with MSU-B Campus Ministries, and other churches/organizations in Billings, we opened our doors in January of 2015.

Interested in finding ways to help? Contact us at rainbowcoffeehouse@gmail.com

Political

Bisexual

Youth

Military

Transgender

Aging

Legal

General

406 Allies

406 Pride Allies is a support group on Facebook and an in-person support group for parents, siblings, and allies of LGBTQ+ persons. Request to join the private 406 Allies facebook page at 406 Allies (Invitation Page). 406 Allies is a resource for non-LGBTQ+ parents, siblings, and allies who are seeking ways to process the coming out of an LGBTQ+ loved one and to increase our capacity to support our LGBTQ+ loved ones.

406 Allies meets the 2nd and 4th Wednesday evenings each month at the 406 Pride Resource Center in Billings, MT, from 7-8:30 pm.

406 Pride Resource Center

The 406 Pride Resource Center is located at 310 N. 27th Street in the North/West corner of Billings First UCC. The Resource Center is a space for LGBTQ+ people and allies to find community resources; parenting support; a meeting space for LGBTQ+ organizations; and community and fellowship.

Billings Transgender Alliance

The Billings Transgender Alliance is a support and discussion group for individuals of gender diversity, their allies and supportive families. This is an open and accepting group for individuals of all ages.

This chapter meets on the 1st Saturday and 3rd Tuesday of every month @ 6:00pm – 8:00pm in Billings, MT.

https://www.facebook.com/BillingsTransgenderAlliance/

(406) 272-2253 (phone)

RESOURCES

Key Queer Concepts

Genetic and anatomical characteristics with which youth are born, typically labeled “male” or “female.” Some youth are born with a reproductive/sexual anatomy that does not fit typical definitions of “male” or “female.” This is sometimes referred to as “intersex.” Many medical and some advocacy communities now use the term “disorder” (or sometimes, “differences”) of sex development (DSD).2

Our internal sense of being male, female, or some other identity. Because gender identity is internal, it is not necessarily visible to others.4 “Cisgender” describes youth whose gender identity/expression does not differ from that typically associated with their assigned sex at birth. For example, a young person who was born as male and identifies as a man may be considered cisgender. In contrast, “transgender” (or “trans”) describes people whose gender identity/expression is different from that typically associated with their assigned sex at birth. Research shows that children as young as two years old can identify a person’s sex based on how they present their gender, that by age three they can begin to see themselves as either male or female, and that around age nine they understand gender roles.5 For most youth, internal gender identity is reinforced by the reactions that others have to our gender expression.6 Other terms are sometimes used to describe one’s gender. For example, “gender fluid” or “gender creative” reflect a more flexible range of gender expression.

How youth represent their gender to others. For example, individuals may express their gender through mannerisms, clothes, and personal interests. Our understanding of gender and what it means to be “masculine” and “feminine” is influenced by how we were socialized. For example, families, schools, and the media influence our understanding of gender. A relatively small percentage of gender-variant children develop an adult transgender identity—but the majority of adolescents with a gender-variant identity develop an adult transgender identity.7

Transgender youth “transition” to express their gender identity through various changes, such as wearing clothes and adopting a physical appearance that align with their internal sense of gender. Transition may or may not include medical or surgical treatment and depends on a variety of factors, including age, access to and affordability of services, overall health, and personal choice. For transgender youth, transitioning is an important part of affirming their identity.9

An inclusive term created specifically by and used by some Native American communities. It refers to American Indian/Alaskan Native individuals who express their gender, sexual orientation, and/or sex/gender roles in Indigenous, non-Western ways, using tribal terms and concepts, and/or who define themselves as LGBT, questioning, and intersex in a Native context. Often a person’s spiritual experiences or cultural beliefs are core to the formation of their two-spirit identity.10

The process through which youth identify, acknowledge, express, and share with others information about their sexual orientation and gender identity. This experience can be an affirming one, resulting in a sense of belonging—but it can also create stress in the life of youth and put them at risk for negative outcomes as a result of LGBT-related stigma and the responses and behaviors of others. This process includes coming out over time to oneself, to friends and other peers, at school, to family, at work, and in one’s community.11