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ABOUT US

Lifelines Rhode Island: Accepting People As We Find Them.


Founded in October, 2006, Lifelines Rhode Island is the only statewide, multi-service nonprofit organization
focused on meeting the needs of transgender, transsexual, Two Spirit, gender variant, and intersex (TGI) people in
Rhode Island and surrounding regions. We are here for you and your friends, partners, co-workers, service
providers, and families.

We are also committed to increasing TGI awareness in health & human service environments and to challenging
transphobia, mistreatment of intersex people and people with Variations of Sex Development (VSD), and
discrimination against TGI people in both mainstream and gay, lesbian, & bisexual (GLB) communities.

Our services include advocacy, educational materials, health and sexuality workshops, provider and agency
trainings, outreach, support services, and social events.

To learn more, see
What We Offer.
To support our work,
Donate or Volunteer.
For information about our
Staff and Board of Directors, see Who We Are.

MISSION STATEMENT

Lifelines Rhode Island exists to identify and meet the needs of transgender, transsexual, Two Spirit, gender
variant, and intersex (TGI) people
in Rhode Island.  We do this through a combination of advocacy, agency &
provider training, community building, workshops, social events, outreach, and support services.


We promote full equality and civil rights for people with diverse bodies and genders.


OUR PHILOSOPHY

We are a needs-based civil rights organization. Therefore, we believe that all people deserve full equal rights,
regardless of their sex designations at birth, gender identities, or anatomical configurations. This includes the
fundamental civil right of all people to determine their social and legal gender(s), to access resources for medical
transition to align their physical bodies more closely with their body concept or "hardwiring" (sometimes called
"neurological sex" or "kinesthetic sex"), and to be free from the unwanted surgical and hormonal alterations often
inflicted upon people whose bodies do not fit common definitions of "male" or "female".  This includes both people
with binary man/woman gender identities and/or male/female body concepts, as well as people whose gender
identities and/or body concepts do not fit within a binary model.

We understand the diversity of identity and experience among TGI people. We call the people whom we serve
constituents, because we listen to and advocate for diverse TGI voices. Our TGI constituents tend to have distinct
sets of social, legal, and health needs. Our priorities are determined by these needs. Our goals are to meet these
distinct needs, to fill gaps in service left by other organizations, and to help those organizations meet the needs of
our constituents.

“If access to health care is considered a human right, who is considered human enough to have that
right?”
-Paul Farmer

YOU ARE.

We want to hear
your voice and meet your needs!
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Seahorse Panel Image ©2005 Molly Cliff-Hilts

Lifelines Rhode Island/ Cuerdas de
Salvamento is the only statewide,
multi-service nonprofit organization
focused on identifying and meeting the
needs of transgender, transsexual, Two
Spirit, gender variant, & intersex people
in Rhode Island and surrounding regions.

This effort has been made possible in
part by a grant from The Rhode Island
Foundation, a charitable community
trust serving the people of Rhode Island.

Your contribution to Lifelines Rhode
Island is tax-deductible thanks to 501(c)3
fiscal sponsor Keshet,
http://www.boston-keshet.org.

©2007 Lifelines Rhode Island
info@lifelinesri.org
LIFELINES RHODE ISLAND/
CUERDAS DE SALVAMENTO
POST BOX ONLY: 11 South Angell St. # 314, Providence, RI 02906
401.369.9680 or 401.455.7322
info@lifelinesri.org