LGBTQ-friendly Crisis Lines
The Lesbian, Gay, Bi Trans Youth Line
A toll-free service provided by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, two-spirit or queer youth, for youth under 26 and live anywhere in Ontario. Offer support, information and referrals. Includes a crisis phone line, online chat, and text messaging peer support service. Operate Sunday to Friday from 4:00pm to 9:30pm. Toll free: 1-800-268-9688
Durham Region Distress Line (Distress Centre Durham)
Offers a 24-hour telephone helpline service for those in the Durham Region.
Call 905-430-2522.
Telephone Aid Line Kingston (TALK)
A distress line offering a confidential, non-judgmental, and anonymous listening service. Operates from 7pm to 3am.
Call 613-544-1771.
Distress Centre Niagara
A 24-hour, free, confidential telephone crisis intervention support service available to anyone in need in the Niagara Region.
St. Catharines, Niagara Falls And Area: 905-688-3711
Fort Erie and Area: 905-382-0689
Port Colborne, Wainfleet and Area: 905-734-1212
Grimsby, West Lincoln: 905-563-6674
Distress Centre Halton
A community-based organization that provides 24/7 support to people of Oakville, Milton, and the surrounding area to better cope with mental health issues, crisis, loneliness, and emotional stress.
Oakville: 905-849-4541
Burlington: 905-681-1488
Milton/Halton Hills: 905-877-1211
Distress Centre Ottawa and Region
24/7/365 Crisis Line providing unbiased and non-judgmental support. All calls are confidential. English only service.
Distress Line City of Ottawa and City of Gatineau: 613-238-3311.
Sarnia-Lambton Distress Line (Family Counselling Centre)
Offers a 24/7 distress line.
Call 519-336-3000 or 1-888-347-8737 (1-888-DISTRES).
Toronto Distress Centre
24-hour distress line offering confidential emotional support, crisis intervention, suicide prevention and linkage to emergency help, access to interpreters (offered in 151 languages), and TTY service for hearing impaired.
Call 416-408-4357 (416-408-HELP).
Distress Centre of Waterloo Region
Provides 24/7/365 confidential listening and support, crisis response and intervention.
General Line: 519-745-1166
Youth Line: 519-745-9909
EARS Line (for male victims of sexual assault): 519-570-3277
Distress Centre of the Downtown Mission
Free, anonymous, and confidential emotional support, crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and community referrals by telephone. Operates 365 days a year from 12 noon to 12 midnight.
Call 519-256-5000.
Services for LGBTQ youth
Ottawa FtM
Group for FTM transsexuals, transgendered, and 2-spirited individuals, or anyone who was born female but does not wholly identify as such from Ottawa, Ontario and surrounding areas. Meet approximately once a month for breakfast. Email list was set up to organize monthly breakfast meetings or other activities. Yahoo ID required.
PFLAG Ontario
A national charitable organization, founded by parents who wished to help themselves and their family members understand and accept their non-heterosexual children.
The 519 Church Street Community Centre
Offers programs and services for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, Two-Spirit and queer (LGBTTQ) communities and allies and friends.
Central Toronto Youth Services
Offers the BOYOBOY Collective (BOBC) program, a biweekly, drop-in workshop series for younger gay/bi/queer/trans guys.
Supporting Our Youth (SOY) (part of Sherbourne Health Centre)
Community development program designed to improve the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and transgendered youth in Toronto through the active involvement of youth and adult communities.
2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations
Offer social, cultural and recreational activities (e.g., traditional sweats, drum making, celebration of life ceremonies, Two-Spirit Women’s Full Moon ceremony, medicine picking). Also, offer counselling, advocacy, client support programs, and HIV/AIDS education, outreach and prevention programs.
ReachOUT
A program of the Griffin Centre. A creative, inclusive & accessible program for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ) youth and adults, including drop-in groups, community outreach, art & skills exchange, counselling, training and consultation. Includes Compass, a social group for LGBTQ youth under 25 labelled with intellectual disabilities.
Skylark Youth Children, Youth and Families
Offers LGBTQ+ friendly counseling, mental health addiction and other services. Has a Provincial LGBTQ+ Youth Outreach Worker on-staff.
The Triangle Program
One of three programs that make up Oasis Alternative Secondary School. This full-time TDSB program offers the structure, support and a community of gay, lesbian, bisexual, straight and transgender peers to obtain high school education.
My House: Rainbow Resources of York Region
My House is an inclusive and safe space. Those who identify with the LGBTQ+ community and their allies can access information and resources on services, arts and culture, and volunteer opportunities. A comprehensive collection of Queer literature and books is available that can be borrowed for personal use.
Queer Asian Youth (QAY)
A program of Asian Community AIDS Services (ACAS). Provides safe and supportive social spaces for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, queer, curious, undecided, or questioning East and Southeast Asian youth and their friends. Facilitates youth-driven workshops; provides capacity development training for youths to become peer educators; organizes social events; and develop multilingual brochures and resources.
Adelaide Resource Centre for Women
A safe, welcoming place for homeless women. On-site showers, phones, and laundry. Lunch provided daily. Help with health-care, housing, life skills and social activities.
Associated Youth Services of Peel (AYSP)
Offer the Youth Beyond Barriers Program, which provides support and resources to queer and trans youth ages 12-19 (up to 19th birthday). One-to-one support, a confidential telephone line, email, and Facebook contact for youth, caregivers and professionals, offering information, support and relevant resources.
Kind Spaces
Kind Space is committed to providing Ottawa – located on unceded Algonquin territory, accessible resources, events, social, and educational programming to celebrate and support people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions.
Youth Services Bureau (YSB) of Ottawa
Offers several drop-in and support groups, including YSB SPECTRUM LGBTQ+, a drop-in group for youth aged 12-25 and SHAG (Sexual Health Advisory Group) of YSB, which holds monthly events for LGBTQ and allies aged 16 and up. Toll-free 24/7 crisis line: 613-260-2360
Ottawa Transforum
A space serving the transsexual and transgendered community in Ottawa, Ontario. To join, please submit a request to the moderator briefly explaining your interest in the list. Yahoo ID required.
Gender Mosaic
Ottawa-based Transgender support group. Safe, supportive, and non-judgmental environment where MTF, FTM, Cross-dressers, Two-Spirited, transgender individuals of all ages can freely express their gender identity. Develops positive relationships among its members and seeks to empower them and the community at large through educational and outreach activities.
OK2BME
OK2BME is a set of free, supportive services for LGBTQ+ identified children, teens and their families in Waterloo Region. The OK2BME program consists of confidential counselling services, an OK2BME Youth Group for individuals 13-18 as well as public education, consulting and training around LGBTQ+ issues.
Positive Space Network
Provides LGBTQ+ youth and trans specific programming (education, visibility, awareness, and supportive programming in the work in the Halton Region. Runs multiple drop-in programs.
General contact info: psncoordinator@rockonline.ca or call 905-339-3525 ext 295
24-hr crisis line: 905-878-9785
Rainbow Youth Coalition
Housed at Peterborough AIDS Resource Network (PARN), hosts weekly drop-in meeting for LGBTQ+ youth; organizes a youth ambassador program (queeRAdicals) for community outreach, including delivering inclusivity trainings to local schools, service providers, and organizations.
Out on the Shelf
A library and resource centre for the LGBTTTSIQQ communities and allies in Guelph.
Transgender Niagara
Non-profit support group throughout the Niagara region and beyond for transgendered individuals, families, and friends that focuses on support through speakers, community resources, awareness and education, and social support.
