While the community has come a long with regards to obtaining rights, recent trends to remove those rights have many on edge. For example, the recent change in allowing transgendered individuals in the military has rebirthed a new form of discrimination. As such, there are now more people in need of counseling services than ever before.
Identity House is a safe space where individuals can go and be oneself. For, whether attending a pre-scheduled appointment or walking in for counseling, the people working behind the scene are often a part of the community. As such, the volunteers and in-house staff often have a better understanding of community needs than others.
While counseling is offered on a walk in basis, there are also groups which focus on issues related to gender and orientation that meet on a monthly or semi-monthly basis. Anyone in the community or advocates of those in the community are welcome at the center. For, when at the center, when people talk, the counselors listen.
Aging in the community is something that has rarely been addressed in the past. Although, as many members of the LGBTQ community are now approaching senior status, it is one that has become of interest as of late. As such, seniors in the community often meet at the center to discuss various issues related to the aging process.
Identity House does it best to offer all in the community the support groups needed on an ongoing basis. In many cases, volunteers run these support groups one or two nights a month. The themes of the groups often reflect the issues which are present with regards to the community. In addition, there are often themed centered groups which focus on gender identity and sexual orientation. As there are often different needs between men and women, inner-sex, transgendered individuals, young and older people, there are also some groups which are based on age and gender.
The Identity House Coming Out support group is often one of the most popular and ongoing groups. For, there are always people discovering personal gender identities and sexual orientation or coming out of the closet. As such, this particular support group is often one that is held on a regular basis. There are other groups which assist those going through the sex change process and others with issues related to aging, overall health and well being.
While support groups meet on a regular basis, there area also events and workshops held throughout the year. While most of the workshops are based on lifestyle, there are others which relate to Aids awareness, research and other medical issues which effect the community.
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