Transgender/Nonbinary Gender - Affirming Care
Transgender/Nonbinary Gender - Affirming Care
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Research demonstrates that gender-affirming care — a medical and psychosocial health care model designed to affirm individuals’ gender identities — greatly improves the mental health and overall well-being of gender expansive, transgender, and nonbinary patients.
Failure to adhere to these standards of care can contribute to the mental health struggles of transgender and nonbinary people, and also can cause an individual to avoid seeking care in the future.
A necessary component of gender-affirming care is using the pronouns (ex: he/him, she/her, they/them, etc.) for that person which affirms their gender identity. Failure to use the pronouns they give you, or referring to them in a way that does not align with their affirmed gender, is known as misgendering and is a form of discrimination.
You can make a powerful difference in someone’s life by affirming and supporting them, and those efforts decisively contribute to positive outcomes for patients.
For any questions or inquiries, please contact Jesse Gilbert at Jesse.Gilbert@disabilityrightsca.org.
The Peer Self-Advocacy Program does not provide legal counsel or advice.
Please contact Disability Rights California at 1-800-776-5746 for the most current legal information.
Peer Self-Advocacy Resources
Transgender Equity in Behavioral Health Settings Presentation (.pdf)
Transgender and Nonbinary Equity in Behavioral Health Settings (.pdf)
Gender Affirming Definitions (.pdf)
More Resources on Gender Affirming Care
For Clients:
County
Alameda
- Bay Area Community Health
- Gender and Sexualities Alliance Network
- Oakland LGBTQ Center
- Planned Parenthood
- San Francisco Community Health
- East Bay Trans Counseling
- Native Health Center
- Transgender Law Center
- Lavender Seniors of East Bay
- Parivar Bay Area
- Black Trans Cultural Center
- Global Transgender Safety Taskforce
- Transgender Healthcare
- Asian Women’s Shelter
- Berkeley Trans Resource Hub
- Pacific Center for Human Growth
- Alameda County Behavioral Health Resource Pamphlet
- Chabot College Community Resources
- Our Space Youth Center
- CA Dept of Education LGBTQ resources
- Our Family Coalition
Alpine
Amador
- Sutter Hospital
- Sierra Wind Wellness and Recovery Center
- Cal Pride
- Region 6 LGBTQ+ Resources
- Tri-County LGBT Alliance
Butte
- Stonewall Alliance of Chico
- Gender and Sexuality Center at Chico State
- LGBTQ Resources Northeastern CA
Calaveras
Colusa
Contra Costa
- Native American Health Center
- Rainbow Community Center
- Services and Public Health (counseling services)
Del Norte
El Dorado
Fresno
- Gender Alchemy
- Fresno GLBT Youth Alliance
- All About Care (AIDS and HIV assistance and referrals)
- PFLAG Fresno
- LGBT Fresno
- Fresno EOC Sanctuary Youth Center
- Fresno Inclusive Medicine
- Fresno State Library Guide of LGBTQ+ Resources
Glenn
Humboldt
Imperial
Inyo
Kern
Kings
Lake
Los Angeles
- LA LGBT Center
- LA LGBT Center Substance Use Recovery
- Sun Valley Addiction Treatment
- LA County LGBT Youth Services
- The OUTReach Center
- Dept of Mental Health
- TAY Drop-in Center Yellow Submarine
- San Gabriel Valley Gay and Lesbian Center
- Southern California Transgender Counseling
- Van Ness Recovery House
- Trans Wellness Center
- St. John’s Community Health
- Satrang (South Asian LGBTQ+)
- Bienestar
- Black AIDS Institute
- AIDS Project Los Angeles
- LGBTQ Center Long Beach
- ThePrideLA Resources
- Rainbow Hill Recovery
- Pride Detox
- Sober Mind Recovery
- Los Angeles County Sexual & Gender Diverse Women's Health Collaborative (SGDWHC)
- Black LGBTQ+ Wellness
- Mount San Antonio College Pride Center
- ProjectQ Youth Services
- Dept of Mental Health
- Southern California Transgender Counseling
- Trans Wellness Center
- UCLA LGBTQ Campus Resource Center
- UCLA LGBTQ Health Initiative Resources
- Gender Justice LA
- Gender Justice LA Resources
- ThePrideLA Resources
- NAMI
- LAUSD LGBTQ Student Resources and Supports
Madera
Marin
Mariposa
Mendocino
Merced
Modoc
Mono
Monterey
- Monterey County Behavioral Health
- Epicenter
- C.A.T.S. Mental health services
- Intimacy, Sexuality and Gender Center of California
- Monterey Peninsula Pride
- Monterey Peace and Justice Center
- Rainbow Speakers and Friends
- Salinas Valley Pride
- Epicenter – El Gente
- NAMI – LGBT Connection Support Group
- LGBT Resources – South Bay
Napa
Nevada
Orange
- Recovery Beach Rehabilitation
- OC LGBTQ Center
- Harm Reduction Circle
- Radiant Health Services
- Shanti OC
- PFLAG Newport Beach
Placer
Plumas
Riverside
- Rainbow Pride Youth Alliance
- Inland Empire Harm Reduction
- TruEvolution Health & Justice
- The Center Palm Springs
- Desert AIDS Project
Sacramento
- PFLAG Sacramento
- Sacramento LGBT Community Center
- Racial and Ethnic Mental Health Disparities Coalition
- Sacramento Lavender Library
- Gender Health Center
- NAMI Sacramento
- Sacramento City Unified School District LGBT Support Services
San Benito
San Bernardino
San Diego
- The Collective Coalition Harm Reduction
- Bold Coalition Mental Health
- Trans Family Support Services
- Hillcrest Youth Center
- San Diego County LGBT Community Center, Harm Reduction and SUD Services
- Stepping Stone of San Diego SUD Treatment
San Francisco
- National Center for Lesbian Rights
- Our Family Coalition
- SF LGBT Community Center
- Dimensions Youth Clinic
- Family Acceptance Project
- San Francisco AIDS Foundation
- Openhouse LGBTQ+ Senior Services
- SF Bay Area Trans Resource Guide
- EL/LA Para Trans Latinas
- Community United Against Violence
- Native American Health Center
- UCSF Alliance Health Project
- AQUILAS LGBT Center
- Center of Excellence for Transgender Health
- SF Community Health Center
- Lyon-Martin Community Health
- Larkin Street Youth Services
San Joaquin
San Luis Obispo
San Mateo
Santa Barbara
- Santa Barbara Transgender Advocacy Network
- Pacific Pride Foundation – Serving the Santa Barbara County LGBTQ+ Community
- Santa Maria House of Pride and Equality
- Planned Parenthood
- Bialogue free, confidential weekly discussion group
- Great Outdoors - Santa Barbara Ventura County
- Santa Barbara's transgender support group, Lisa's Place
- PFLAG Santa Barbara
- FARO Center — SBACT
- Santa Maria House of Pride and Equality
- Transgender Medicine | Santa Barbara | Turner Medical Arts
Santa Clara
Santa Cruz
Shasta
Sierra
Siskiyou
- Siskiyou County LGTB Resources
- NorCal OUTReach Project
- Siskiyou Outreach
- LGBTQ Resources Northeastern CA
Solano
Sonoma
Stanislaus
Sutter
Tehama
Trinity
Tulare
Tuolumne
Ventura
- Ventura County LGBTQ+ Resources
- Ventura LGBT
- Oxnard LGBTQ
- Diversity Collective
- Coalition for Family Harmony
- LGBT+ Aging Coalition of Ventura County
- The Transverse
- Ventura County Pride Clinic
- Great Outdoors Santa Barbara Ventura County
- Queers in the Valley
Yolo
- UC Davis LGBTQIA Resource Center
- Davis Unified School District LGBTQIA+ Resources
- Yolo Rainbow Families
Yuba
For additional resources:
- Mission Academy Counseling LGBT Resource Guide (offers resources for counties across the state)
- Transfamily Support Services
- To search for further resources: Gay Pink Spots
- For legal assistance (Yuba, Ventura, Stanislaus, Santa Cruz, Riverside, Madera, Kern, Imperial, Fresno, Santa Rosa, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, San Joaquin, San Diego, Monterey counties) : California Rural Legal Assistance
Virtual
Mental Health
- Inclusive Therapists (General – Liberation Psychology lens)
- Fireweed Collective (General – Disability Justice lens and QTBIPOC-Centered)
- The Trevor Project (Youth)
- TransLifeline (General)
- Wildflower Alliance (General)
- Queer Asian Mental Health Club
- Strong Hearts (Indigenous clients)
- BlackLine (Black clients)
- Thrive Lifeline (General)
- LGBT National Help Center (General)
- LGBTQ Latinx Resources Guide
- Mental Health Liberation
- Asian Mental Health Project
- Therapy for Black Girls
- Black Men Heal
Healthcare
Mutual Aid
- Mental Health Liberation Therapy Fund (BIPOC Clients)
- Prism Foundation (AAPI clients)
- For The Gworls (Black clients)
- The Okra Project (Black clients)
- Project Rainbow Turtle (Indigenous clients)
- Genderbands (General)
- Point of Pride (General)
- Transitional Justice (General)
Legal Services/Information and Advocacy
- Legal Identity Documents Change in California
- Identity Documents Legal and Policy work
- Transgender Law Center
- Marsha P. Johnson Institute
- Sylvia Rivera Law Project
- Advocates for Trans Equality
- Trans Latin@ Coalition
- National Black Trans Advocacy Coalition
- National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance
- Human Rights Campaign
Immigration Resources:
Elderly Clients:
Resources for Youth
- Trans Youth Equality Project
- GLSEN
- OutYouth
- TribalYouth.Org Resource Guide
- Native Youth Sexual Health Network
Other Resources:
- DontCallThePolice.com
- TransTech Social
- PFLAG
- Rainbow Guidebook
- FindHelp.org
- Southwest Indigenous Women’s Coalition
- Queer Asian Social Club
- AAPI LGBTQ Resources
- Transgender Map
Continued Education for Providers
Mental Health
- A Clinician’s Guide to Gender Affirming Care (Book)
- Social Work and Health Care Practice with Transgender and Nonbinary Individuals and Communities (Book)
- Liberation Psychology: Theory, Method, Practice and Social Justice (Book)
- APA – Gender Affirming Therapy
- Behavioral Health Care for Transgender People
- Preventing Trans Suicide: An Introduction for Health and Services Providers
General Medical Resources
- Creating Equal Access to Quality Health Care for Transgender Patients: Transgender-Affirming Hospital Policies
- Trans and Gender Diverse Resource Library (Provider’s Resources)
- LGBTQIA+ Health Education
- Affirmative Services for Transgender and Gender Diverse People –Best Practices for Frontline Health Care Staff
- WPATH Standards of Care, 8th Edition
- Collecting Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SO/GI) Data In
- Human Rights Campaign
Statistics and Information
- 2022 US Trans Survey Health & Wellbeing Report
- National Transgender Discrimination Survey: Executive Summary
- The Public Health Crisis State of Transgender Health Care and Policy Ensuring Comprehensive Care and Support for Transgender and Gender-Diverse Children and Adolescents Get the Facts on Gender Affirming Care National Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and HIV-Affected Hate and Intimate Partner Violence in 2017
- Clark, K. D., Bosse, J. D., Jackman, K. B., Brown, D., Dubay, J., Jewell, J., ... & Dawson-Rose, C. (2025). “I don't think I have been out of fight or flight. Ever.” transgender people's experiences in inpatient psychiatric treatment. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 105028
- Institutional Violence Perpetrated against Transgender Individuals in Health Services: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(8), 1106
- Clare, Eli. Exile and Pride: Disability, Queerness, and Liberation. Durham: Duke University Press, 2015
- Kim, Eunjung. Curative Violence: Rehabilitating Disability, Gender, and Sexuality in Modern Korea. Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press, 2017