(WHNT) – It’s Pride Month! While the month is best known as an acknowledgment of the LGBTQ+ community, it’s also a time to reflect on the progress and culture of the community as a whole.
News 19 has compiled a list of resources and organizations available in North Alabama that accept and embrace the LGBTQ+ community — from mental health services to social groups and even places of worship. These resources are organized by category below.
Health
Physical health
- Prosper Alabama: Offers LGBTQ+ health care, including physical exams, transgender care, care for common conditions, acute care, chronic disease management, vaccinations, cancer, case management, and nutritional counseling. Learn more here.
- Dr. Kathy Spaccino: Dr. Sparacino will start or continue hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with a letter from a mental health professional. Sparacino also offers general medicine services. Contact Dr. Sparacino at 256-340-5150.
- Dr. Lona Haskell: Dr Haskell will start HRT for patients with a letter from a mental health professional. Haskell is also continuing HRT for patients who have been on HRT for a while, based on informed consent. Contact Dr. Haskell at 256-429-4915 or click here.
- Dr. Vytautas Pukis: Dr Pukis will start HRT for patients with a letter from a mental health professional. Patients must be 21 years of age or older. Pukis also offers general medicine services. Visit here or call 256-883-0107 to learn more.
Mental Health
- Healing Sound Music Therapy: Located at 1428 Weatherly Road, Suite 102 in Huntsville. Offers music therapy services aimed at evoking non-verbal emotional expression, reduction of stress and anxiety, and overall improvement both physical and mental. To learn more about their services, click here.
- Silver Linings Clinic: Located at 185 Chateau Drive in Huntsville. Offers a variety of mental and behavioral health services in a team environment. To learn more, click here.
- UAH Advice Center: The University of Alabama Huntsville (UAH) Counseling Center offers a variety of services to students enrolled in at least three credit hours. Among these services is a group specifically for young black men who identify as gay or bisexual. Call 256-824-6203 for more information.
Non-profit organizations
- Shoals Diversity Center: Located at 112 S. Pine Street, Suite 101 in Florence. This non-profit organization is the only LGBTQ+ center in northern Alabama. They offer the following services in their establishment:
- Support group for young homosexuals: 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. every other Tuesday
- Gender Nonconforming Support Group: 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. every other Wednesday
- Transgender support group: 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. every other Thursday
- LGBTQ+ AA Dating: 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. every other Saturday
Events
- Huntsville’s only drag brunch: Located in the Speakeasy at Straight to Ale. This monthly event features drag queens from all over Rocket City and sometimes even welcomes special guests from outside the area! Find the latest happenings for Huntsville’s Only Drag Brunch here.
- HSV out loud: Located at sites across Rocket City. This spoken word community regularly organizes events, open mics and poetry slams with the aim of providing a platform for writers and poets of all backgrounds. Learn more about their upcoming events here.
- The Ruby Babouche: Located in the old art room at Straight to Ale. This pop-up gay bar offers a variety of events and aims to become a full-time bar for the local LGBTQ+ community. Learn more here.
Faith
- Grateful Life Community Church of Huntsville: Located at 207 Oakwood Avenue NW in Huntsville. This church says everyone is welcome and members of the congregation come from all walks of life. To see the schedule of their services, click here.
- Spirit of the Cross: Located at 3015 Sparkman Drive NW in Huntsville. The church advertises itself as having a “gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender affirmation ministry”, and has emphasized that it is a church for all. Learn more here.
- Unitarian Universalist Church of Huntsville (UUCH): Located at 3921 Broadmor Road NW in Huntsville. This church describes itself as “the liberal religious voice of Huntsville”. Learn more about them here.
Social groups
- Athens Pride Coalition: Located in County Limestone, this community aims to be a safe and supportive space for all local LGBTQ+ people! Learn more about them here.
- Huntsville Prime Timers: Meetings the second Saturday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Spirit of the Cross Church at 3015 Sparkman Drive NW in Huntsville. The group is a social club for gay and bisexual men over the age of 40 and is a member of Prime Timers Worldwide. Learn more here.
- NEXUS Huntsville Softball League: Formed in 2021 as the city’s first LGBTQ+ softball league, the NEXUS Huntsville Softball League has six teams and nearly 100 players after its second season! The league is primarily for members of the LGBTQ+ community, but everyone is welcome to play! For more information on the league, click here or visit their Facebook page.
- Red Ribbon Bowling Association: This association regularly organizes bowling tournaments aimed at supporting the local LGBTQ+ community. 10% of all prize funds benefit Thrive Alabama. Check out their latest gatherings here.
- Rocket City Gaymers: This group aims to provide a safe space for everyone who loves video games and supports the LGBTQ+ community in North Alabama. See the latest news from the band here.
- Rocket City Pride: This non-profit organization aims to engage the local LGBTQ+ community and create space for them through events and social gatherings. See their upcoming events here.
- Trans North Alabama: This 18+ Discord server is a safe space for transgender, non-binary, and gender-questioning adults in and around Alabama. Click here to join the server.
- TransFamille Support Services: This group aims to connect transgender people to a strong, educated support system that will improve the community and, most importantly, save lives. Find out how to contact them here.
- UNA LGBTQ+ Resources: The Mitchell-West Center for Social Inclusion offers a wide variety of campus resources and events aimed at strengthening LGBTQ+ voices on campus and creating welcoming campus environments. See the full list of UNA resources here.
Media
- Gay Huntsville: This local outlet shares LGBTQ+ content central to the North Alabama region, as well as LGBTQ+ events and stories. See their Facebook page here.
Local Defenders
- Alabama Human Rights Campaign: The state chapter of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) works for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equality in the state of Alabama. See their latest work here.
- PFLAG Huntsville: The local chapter of Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) provides peer support, education, and advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community in northern Alabama. Learn more about their meetups and organization here.
Resources and organizations listed are from the following websites: Rocket City Rainbow Pages, Shoals Diversity Center, University of North Alabama, Athens Pride Coalition, and EveryoneIsGay.com.
If we missed any LGBTQ+ resources in North Alabama, submit them to [email protected]!
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