Transgender Support Organizations Serving Rural America

Transgender Support Organizations Serving Rural America

This article relates to Woodworking

In Emily St. James's debut novel, Woodworking, the protagonist, Erica, must travel more than an hour each way, from Mitchell to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to attend a support group for transgender people. The group is small—seven people is "a good turnout"—but it's there, and over the course of the book, the group's existence gains importance for Erica and other trans characters. At a time when trans rights are increasingly threatened, it's important to remember that there are groups like Erica's, as well as larger, more established organizations serving transgender youth and adults throughout rural areas and in red states. Here are just a few doing this important work:

TransVisible Montana

Montana, the fourth largest state by area, is also one of the most rural. What's more, according to the ACLU, it's one of the states with the highest number of legislative proposals targeting LGBTQ people. TransVisible Montana, based in Missoula but connecting individuals to resources statewide, seeks to advocate for transgender, nonbinary, and Two-Spirit people through community education, resource sharing, and workshops and trainings for allies. As their website states, "Living in Montana, often in rural spaces, it can feel difficult to access affirming communities. TransVisible Montana seeks to broaden the network of knowledge within communities across Montana & encourage people to engage in their autonomy, share resources & honor our lived experiences."

The South Dakota Transformation Project

Woodworking is set in South Dakota; one of the most active nonprofit organizations serving transgender South Dakotans is the South Dakota Transformation Project. Transformation SD publishes a magazine, provides welcome kits and support groups for trans residents and their families, and educates communities in South Dakota and beyond about gender identity and expression. Their many other projects include Marty's Closet, a program that accepts new and gently used garments. Gender-diverse people can meet with a personal stylist and select, for free, a full week's worth of outfits that reflect their authentic selves and styles. They also operate South Dakota's only LGBTQ2S+ community center, the Prism Community Center in Sioux Falls, with virtual programs offered to residents statewide. They conduct public health research and, with their sister organization Transformation Project Advocacy Network, conduct state social and political action.

Trans Youth Emergency Project

A project of the Campaign for Southern Equality, the Trans Youth Emergency Project recognizes that many transgender youth and their families are facing increased barriers to receiving gender-affirming medical care and support. This is especially true for rural youth who might live far from LGBTQ+ community centers and other in-person resource networks. TYEP offers numerous educational and legal resources to families online and via a network of regional resources, as well as a grant program offering trans youth and their families up to $500 to cover "travel expenses, medication costs, and mental health or wellness needs."

TransRural Lives

Established with the help of state and national humanities funding, TransRural Lives is a "digital storytelling project exploring and celebrating the lives of transgender, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse older adults who live in or have strong ties to rural areas and small towns in the Pacific Northwest." The stories collected on their website are illuminating for anyone seeking to better understand the experience of trans people in rural America, as well as for those seeking support and courage for their own journeys. They also hosted an inaugural, free-of-charge Trans Rural Elders Conference in Washington state in late 2024, with the goals of raising visibility and building networks.

Books Not Bans

According to a 2025 study released by PEN America, "in the 2023-2024 school year, there were more than 10,000 instances of banned books in public schools, affecting more than 4,000 unique titles." 36% of those titles included LGBTQ+ people or characters; of that number, 28% featured trans and/or genderqueer characters. This troubling phenomenon means that young readers in many school districts are having a harder time finding books that reflect their lived experience or that answer their questions about gender identity. San Francisco–based nonprofit Books Not Bans, founded in 2023, has sent more than 2100 brand-new banned and challenged books, many featuring LGBT characters, to organizations across the country, including "youth groups, high schools, rural Pride organizations, bookmobiles in rural areas, universities, drag story hours, youth centers, LGBT centers, queer book clubs, and community centers."

Those interested in supporting the work of organizations like these can find opportunities to donate or volunteer by visiting each organization's website. And for those seeking support wherever they live, this article has a good rundown of 100 different organizations supporting trans rights and trans people in all 50 states.

USA Trans Flag (Remixed)
Original design by USER:DI (THEY-THEM), Collide Press, CC BY 4.0

Filed under Places, Cultures & Identities

This article relates to Woodworking. It first ran in the March 26, 2025 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.

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