Local Resources

Upstate Pride SC is only one of many organizations that serve people of various gender expressions and sexual identities in the Upstate of South Carolina. Check out these great local groups!

Advocacy

  • Pride Link is a nonprofit organization serving LGBTQ+ people in Upstate, South Carolina. Their mission is to improve the quality of life for all LGBTQ+ people in the Upstate. They provide services, programs, and resources that addresses LGBTQ+ health disparities, cultural competency among providers, and LGBTQ+ youth issues including homelessness.

  • Project Pronouns is a local nonprofit that supports gender queer youth. They donate jewelry featuring pronouns to youth. They also sell to jewelry to adults to fund donations.

  • SC Equality consists of two organizations, South Carolina Equality, Inc., a 501(c)3 charitable and educational organization, and South Carolina Equality Coalition, Inc.,  a 501 (c)4 political organization focused on advocacy and legislation, were chartered.  While originally organized as a coalition of GLBT and progressive organizations, both the (c)3 and (c)4 organizations of South Carolina Equality now provide leadership as independent educational and political advocacy organizations, respectively, working for GLBT inclusive policies at the local and state levels.

  • The Stevens Firm, P.A. assists LGBTQ clients with sophisticated and complex Family Law arising from interpersonal relationships both domestically and abroad. Practice areas include all aspects of family law including divorce/separation, child custody, visitation, child support, and alimony.

Health

  • AID Upstate is a contractor with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC) to provide supportive services to people living with HIV/AIDS and prevention services to the Upstate community—particularly focusing on “high-risk” populations/communities. Supportive Services are funded through the Ryan White Care ACT, a federal grant awarded to SC DHEC. Our Prevention Services are funded through the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

  • Piedmont Care is the nonprofit 501c3 organization providing HIV/AIDS care, prevention, and advocacy in Spartanburg, Cherokee, and Union counties of South Carolina. We are the only organization in our community 100% dedicated to the fight against HIV/AIDS.

  • Prisma Health LGBTQ Patient Care Collaborative lists providers who specialize in LGBTQ patient care, including Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and other clinical considerations associated with transgender health care.

  • Local Counselors who work with our Community

    • Amaryllis Counseling is owned and operated by Elizabeth Serricchio, licensed and certified as a professional (mental health) and addiction counselor. Amaryllis Counseling is an LGBTQ+ affirmative counseling practice offering therapy sessions in a safe space for individuals, couples, and families in the community. Ages accepted is middle school through 65+. For more information visit the website at www.amarylliscounselingllc.com and look me up on FB at Amaryllis Counseling or by my name on Psychology Today. I provide weekly encouraging or informative posts for my viewers on FB, just because!

    • Anchoring Within, LLC is located in Downtown Spartanburg and offers a wide range of mental health services. Free support services are also available. Currently a free LGBTQ+ Youth Group occurs on the first Thursday of each month at Spartanburg Community College's downtown campus at 220 E Kennedy St, Spartanburg, SC 29302. Parents are encouraged to attend the PFLAG support group that runs at the same time in the same location. For more information, go to www.AnchoringWithin.com or call 864-663-2218.

    • Ascend Counseling is an LGBTQ+ affirming counseling practice for teens and young adults in Greenville. Shelby Turner, a Licensed Professional Counselor, offers individual and family sessions in a safe and welcoming environment, as well as online scheduling and secure messaging. For more information, visit www.ascendcounselinggvl.com.

    • Shaylin King Therapy is a Queer-owned private practice in Greenville. Shaylin seeks to provide support to the LGBTQIA and Poly communities and their families. She is currently seeing both couples/polycules and individuals in person or via telehealth. Her therapy style is direct, playful, and collaborative. Kink friendly and anti-racist.

    • (Note to other counselors: If you would like to be included on this page please send your practice contact information to jaime@upstatepridesc.org )

Networking

  • BJUnity provides a safe harbor—a network of people and resources—for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and straight affirming people affected by fundamentalist Christianity. BJUnity affirms and empowers lgbt+ people from Bob Jones University and other Independent Fundamental Baptist organizations. BJUnity confronts homophobia and transphobia in compassion, dignity and love, with the objective to promote dialogue and change.

  • Gender Benders is a group for transgender, gender variant, LGBTQQI, and allied individuals in the Upstate, SC area. The Tri-County Gender Benders (Facebook) group includes Anderson, Oconee and Pickens Counties. Gender Benders strives to create a safe and supportive space for transgender, gender variant, LGBTQQI, and allied individuals by connecting folks through friendships, providing support through resources, and initiating trans-inclusive community change through social action.

  • GLBTQ and Friends of Pickens South Carolina is a place for GLBTQ and friends of people of Pickens and surrounding counties to post things of interest, events, concerts, movies, social events, dinners, parties and other things that may be of interest.

  • Out & About Upstate is a social organization promoting acceptance for people of all sexual orientations. While primarily an organization created for the LGBT community to socialize, we welcome all individuals who celebrate diversity. Our goal is to provide a safe and fun environment at local venues enabling the community to interact. There is no cost to join. Simply arrive at the specified location and pay for your own food and drinks. Happy Hour events are planned the third Friday of every month with mid-month events planned on Saturday during the day. Facebook and Meetup.com

  • PFLAG (Parents, Family, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) is a national organization of more than 350 chapters and 200,000 members.  PFLAG exists to support GLBT people, their families and friends in an adverse society, to inform and enlighten the public, and to advocate to end discrimination and secure equal civil rights. At PFLAG, we listen, we learn, we share, we act.

    • PFLAG Spartanburg meets the first Thursday of each month from 7 PM -8 PM at Spartanburg Community College 220 E Kennedy St Room 161, Spartanburg, SC 29302. Facebook

    • PFLAG Greenville meets the first Wednesday of each month at 7 PM. All members of the LGBT community and their straight allies and family members are welcome. For meeting place or further information, please leave a message on our help-line at 864-232-2988 or via email. And be sure to check out the PFLAG GREENVILLE 20 YEAR HISTORY document on our website! Facebook

  • Uplift Outreach Center is the only youth center in Upstate South Carolina who’s exclusive purpose is to serve LGBTQ+ youth. The Center provides a safe space for LGBTQ+ you and young adults/adults in Spartanburg, SC and surrounding areas. The Center is committed to creating an environment shared by community leaders who assist in providing community resources. UpLift increases advocacy of LGBTQ+ by providing education to the community and organizations such as schools, health and mental health programs.

If you know of a resource that we're missing on this list, please contact info@upstatepridesc.org to have the list updated.