LGBTQ+ Immigrants
LGBTQ+ immigrants are especially vulnerable and may struggle with finding gender affirming resources and welcoming communities. We have compiled a list of free and low-cost resources that may help patients seeking gender affirming care.
As of January 2024, the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law found that there were 174,200 transgender immigrants in the United States and 41,000 transgender immigrants in California; however, there may be more individuals who may not want to identify themselves for personal safety, social discrimination, and immigration status. The changing political landscape makes seeking and providing evidence-based, medically necessary care for transgender minors and LGBTQ+ immigrants and refugees increasingly difficult to support their health and well-being.
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LGBTQ+ Immigrant Legal Services
Advocates for Trans Equality: Trans Legal Services Network Directory →
Trans Legal Services Network members represent over 80 organizations across the country dedicated to providing name and gender change services or other legal services for trans people in their areas. (May not be specific to immigrant-related legal issues)
They provide pro bono legal services to HIV positive immigrants living in the San Francisco Bay Area. Call for information and advice.
Bet Tzedek: Justice for Transgender Individuals →
Bet Tzedek provides free expert legal advice and representation to Los Angeles County residents. Each year, they work with over 1,000 pro bono attorneys and volunteers to assist more than 90,000 people of different ethnic and racial backgrounds, religious beliefs, immigrant statuses, and gender identities.
California Rural Legal Assistance | LGBTQ+ Justice →
CRLA combines free direct legal services with community outreach and education, community leadership development, technical assistance, and collaborations with other staff and legal services providers to provide trauma-informed, culturally sensitive services to address the complex legal needs of LGBTQ+ communities (including name change) across rural California.
Free, fill-in-the-blank sample forms and an FAQ to help you request confidentiality of past name and gender marker correction records under California’s new SB 59. Access the toolkit here.
Gender Health Center | Get Free Transgender Legal Help in Sacramento →
Community members can meet with Legal Services of Northern California during the Haus of Hormones: ConneQT with QTs Program, a community gathering at the Gender Health Center that brings together healthcare navigation, housing supports, peer support, and legal services. This is a walk-in opportunity to access legal support in Sacramento. The program takes place twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays from 6:00–9:00 PM.
​Advocates for fair and humane immigration policies and provides migrants and immigrants with humanitarian, legal, and social services, with a particular focus on Black people, the Haitian community, women and girls, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and survivors of torture and other human rights abuses​.
LA LGBT Center: Immigrant Legal Services →
Provides legal consultations, court representation, including for asylum/refugee law, and holistic support to protect members of the LGBTQ+ community fleeing persecution and torture in their countries of origin. They also assist in applying for permanent residency, naturalization, family and marriage petitions, and other administrative relief.
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Lambda Legal | Inclusive Immigration →
Lambda Legal’s Help desk is a resource for the community we serve in providing general legal information and resources relating to discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, and HIV status.
The LGBT Asylum Project is the only San Francisco nonprofit organization exclusively dedicated to providing accessible legal representation for LGBT asylum seekers who are fleeing persecution due to their sexual orientation, gender identity and/or HIV status.
NIJC | Legal Services for LGBTQ Immigrants →
NIJC’s LGBTQ Immigrant Rights Initiative provides legal services to low-income immigrants who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) and those who are living with HIV.
​Oasis Legal Services empowers low-income LGBTQ+ Immigrants who have survived violence and persecution due to their sexuality, gender identity, and/or HIV status by increasing access to quality, culturally responsive legal representation and social services.
They take requests from anyone who lives in a country that criminalizes LGBTQI+ people or commits state-sanctioned or state-enabled community-level violence against them. They do not currently support individual requests for help related to international relocation or movement through asylee or refugee pathways from individuals in Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Canada or the United States.
The Tahirih Justice Center is a national nonprofit founded in 1997 that offers legal and social services to immigrant women, girls, and all survivors of gender-based violence. Tahirih’s expert staff provide technical assistance and training and engage in systems-change advocacy to both address and prevent violence.
LGBTQ+ Immigrant Legal Resources
This document is meant for community members and advocates, to help you understand what rights you and your loved ones have in California. You can use this information to advocate for yourself and others.
Advocates for Trans Equality: Trans Legal Survival Guide 2.0 →
Our communities are under attack, and the law is changing very fast. This update (Aug 2025) to A4TE’s Trans Legal Survival Guide compiles information to help the trans community navigate changing regulations and advocate for themselves and their networks.
Immigration Equality is a non-profit organization that provides free information and legal services to people who have been persecuted on account of their sexual orientation, gender identity or HIV status, or have other LGBTQ-related immigration issues. If you are looking for legal resources, or would like to be considered for Immigration Equality’s asylum or refugee programs, you can fill out our inquiry form here.
Point of Pride | Get a Name Change Fee Waiver: State-by State Resources →
Learn about financial assistance forms and resources to help make changing your legal name more affordable and accessible.
The San Diego LGBT Center | LGBTQ+ Immigrants Know Your Rights →
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LGBTQ+ Immigrants: Know Your Rights – San Diego / The San Diego LGBT Community Center →
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Inmigrantes LGBTQ+: Conozca Sus Derecho – San Diego / Centro Comunitario LGBT de San Diego →
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LGBTQ+ Immigrants: Know Your Rights – (not San Diego specific) →
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Inmigrantes LGBTQ+: Conozca Sus Derecho – (no específico a San Diego) →
Gender Affirming Medical Care
Coalition for Immigrant Mental Health →
Resources to support mental health of LGBTQIA+ people, including a list of articles that discuss LGBTQ Immigrant issues
The Gender Affirming Letter Access Project →
They are a group of transgender, nonbinary, and allied mental health and medical providers based in the U.S. who have come together to:
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State their position on the requirement that transgender and nonbinary people and/or people seeking gender-affirming medical interventions acquire a letter of support from a mental health provider;
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Make public their commitment to making letters, when required by medical systems who adhere to the WPATH SOC, accessible and free.
Gender Health Center | Healthcare Services (Sacramento) →
This clinic specializes in providing healthcare services to the LGBTQIA+ community, with a particular emphasis on transgender health. It offers a non-judgmental, affirming, and supportive setting for people throughout their medical transition journeys. Furthermore, the health clinic provides essential medications and services to community members who may otherwise lack access. They primarily serve uninsured or underinsured community members. Open twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays from 6:00–9:00 PM, by appointment only.
Los Angeles LGBT Center | Gender Affirming Care →
In addition to a full range of primary care services, their Transgender Health Program offers: hormone therapy, including education and management; pre- and post-surgical care; trans-sensitive pap smears, pelvic exams, prostate exams, and more.
The Center’s team can help you determine eligibility for insurance or programs. Otherwise, their fees are on a sliding scale basis, based on only two factors: your household income and your family size.
Planned Parenthood (Most California Locations) →
Planned Parenthood offers gender-affirming services at low or no cost for patients 16 years and older. They work with you to provide safe care based on your goals, no matter what insurance you have. Your informed consent is all you need to get started. Telehealth follow-up appointments are available. Fees are determined on a sliding scale, based on your income and family size. All services are provided at the lowest cost possible, and you can call them anytime to discuss payment options.
Gender Affirming Care Services:
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Estrogen and Anti-Androgen Hormone Therapy
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Transition Resources
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Testosterone Hormone Therapy
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Gender Affirming Surgery Referrals
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Mental Health Consultations
San Francisco AIDS Foundation | Trans Health Care →
They provide no-cost trans-inclusive sexual health and gender-affirming hormone (GAH) services at Strut, located at 470 Castro Street, San Francisco. All trans, gender non-binary, genderqueer, and gender non-conforming people are welcome. Make an appointment at 415-581-1600. Their services are provided at no cost to community members.
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Gender Affirming Services & Items
Black Dagger Hair | Gender-Affirming Haircut Sign-Up (San Diego) →
Offers free gender-affirming haircuts throughout the year for trans, nonbinary, queer, and gender-expansive community members.​ Join their contact list for future haircut events. When appointments become available, they'll reach out with details, dates, and next steps.
Gender Health Center | Miss Tracey's Boutique (Sacramento) →
Visit their sanctuary space to get clothes, shoes and accessories, try on and get gender affirming items, and learn how to use gender affirming items such as binders, shapewear, tucking underwear, trans tape, bra inserts, packers and packing underwear and more.
Point of Pride | Free Chest Binders →
Point of Pride provides free chest binders (specially-designed chest compression garments) to any trans person who needs one and cannot afford or safely obtain one.
To get a free binder, please carefully read their page, then complete the Jotform linked at the bottom of their page.
Point of Pride | Free Femme Shapewear →
Point of Pride provides free femme shapewear (specially-designed compression underwear/gaffs) to any trans femme person who needs one and cannot afford or safely obtain one. To get a free shapewear garment, please carefully read their page, then complete the Jotform linked at the bottom of their page.
ProjectQ Free Hair Service (Los Angeles) →
ProjectQ provides free haircuts to Queer Youth on the first three Mondays of every month. While their haircuts are free, they ask that our youth attend the accompanying MagiQ Monday workshop in order to receive a free haircut. They prioritize Black and Brown Trans Youth ages 30 and under.
The Queer Trans Project | Free Gender Affirming Items: Make Your Build-A-Queer Kit →
Check regularly for restocks. Discretely ships to all fifty states.
RISE LA LGBT Center | The Rainbow Boutique Gender-Affirming Closet →
A free, universal-access, gender affirming closet program for LA County Youth, 24-years-old and younger in search of clothing, services, etc. which affirm their gender identity and/or gender expression. Includes clothing, gender affirming products, accessories, and other grooming services. ​
TransGuys | Chest Binding 101 →
For folks interested in learning how to bind safely.
Queer-Safe Spaces and Communities
Coalition for Immigrant Mental Health →
Resources to support mental health of LGBTQIA+ people, including a list of articles that discuss LGBTQ Immigrant issues
DeQH | Desi LGBTQ+ Helpline for South Asians →
Free peer support for South Asian lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, trans, non-binary, questioning individuals in the US.
Stay up to date on all of the most important pieces of trans and queer news and legislation for the week. She summarizes it all complete with links to source documents. She tells the stories that legacy media refuses to tell.
National Black Trans Advocacy Coalition →
They are here and happy to assist transgender people get the resources they need free of discrimination. They are available to you by Live Chat Support, Phone at 855-624-7715, &/or by submitting your request online.
Refuge Restroom →
Free app designed to help locate safe restrooms for trans, intersex, and gender non-conforming folks.
Available: Android, Apple
TransLash Media is an independent news organization that tells trans stories to save trans lives.
Trans Latina Coalition (Los Angeles) →
Free, affirming support for transgender, gender-expansive, and intersex people in Los Angeles. You do not need to know which TLC program to ask for. Services include basic needs & community support, housing support, health & HIV services, reentry support, violence prevention & survivor support, and employment & economic support.
Trans Lifeline provides trans peer support for our community that’s been divested from police since day one. They're run by and for trans people.
The Wall Las Memorias (Los Angeles) →
Dedicated to serving Latinx, LGBTQ+, and underserved populations, offering virtual services including HIV/AIDS prevention, substance abuse counseling, support groups, and safe sex practice counseling. Register for support groups and services on the website.