St. Louis Queer+ Support Helpline is a community-based, grassroots organization focused on providing spaces and support for queer St. Louisans to thrive. At SQSH (affectionately pronounced “squish”), the mission is to strengthen the LGBTQIA+ community in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area by providing empathetic listening, connections to identity-affirming resources, and education and advocacy. Using a margins-to-center approach, the organization prioritizes and uplifts the voices of queer folks with multiple marginalized identities, including queer and trans people of color (QTPOC), queer immigrants and refugees, and more.
Sixty-two percent of LGBT St. Louisans have experienced homophobic or transphobic violence and victimization over their lifetime. As a result, queer St. Louisans disproportionately face negative mental health outcomes, poverty, and homelessness.
SQSH addresses these disparities through six core programs:
- Peer support helpline for emotional support and peer counseling
- SQSHBook resource guide for resource referrals
- Call data and analysis for systemic advocacy
- Training for partner organizations to improve local services
- Education for queer community for collective skill-building
- Volunteer engagement program for grassroots community-building
Website: www.thesqsh.org
Email: general@thesqsh.org
Donate: www.thesqsh.org/donate
Volunteer: www.thesqsh.org/volunteer
Request a Training: www.thesqsh.org/training-education
