Community Resources
Capital City Pride strives to help not only our LGBTQ+ friends and family, but everyone within the community. We’ve collected resources that can help all members of our community, listed below.
Local LGBTQ+ Organizations
- Capital City Pride, is a 501(c)(3) organization that brings together the members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender and queer community along with their friends, allies, and supporters. We do this by producing events that inspire, educate, commemorate, and celebrate our diverse community and culture with and for the greater Des Moines metro.
- One Iowa, seeks to improve the lives of LGBTQ Iowans by protecting and advancing equality and inclusiveness through education, improving workplace culture, and increasing access to quality healthcare across our state.
- Iowa Safe Schools, Iowa Safe Schools offers direct services and supports to students who have been bullied anywhere in the state of Iowa.
- Des Moines Pride Sports League, Provides recreational and networking opportunities through sports to the LGBTQ+ community in Central Iowa.
- The Pride Center, is an organization that is dedicated to supporting the Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender individuals and their families and allies in the Greater Des Moines area. The Pride Center offers a safe environment for community members to visit with a large library and free wifi and serves as a hub for information and socialization for the gender and sexual minorities in Des Moines.
- Gay Men’s Chorus, The Des Moines Men’s Chorus boasts 40-50 singers who have banded together to sing in support of justice, inclusion, and love. It is open to those who sing in the tenor and bass ranges, regardless of gender.
- First Friday Breakfast Club, is a social and educational group for gay and bi men and women and are the largest LGBTQ breakfast club in Iowa. FFBC members gather for fellowship, mutual support, and education on community affairs. Each meeting they listen to a speaker and, of course, enjoy breakfast together.
- Capital Bears, is an inclusive group which focuses on providing the LGBTQIA+ community a safe and accepting social network.
- Lesbians of Iowa, is a community of 18+ queer women, gender non-conforming and trans-folk. The primary mission of this group is to be an open, affirming and safe place for queer folk from Iowa looking for community, support and friendship.
- Imperial Court of Iowa, mission is to make a difference to the People of Iowa through fundraising and social consciousness, one dollar at a time.
- Prime Timers of Central Iowa, Bringing together mature gay and bisexual men for friendship, activities, support, and personal growth.
- Iowa LGBTQ Archives & Library, is a community archives and lending library with a mission to collect, preserve, and share the queer history of Iowa and increase access to queer literature for all ages.
LGBTQ+ Health
Resources Centers
- The Iowa Victim Service Call Center: 1-800-770-1650 or text “iowahelp” to 20121
- The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386
- CommUnity Crisis Services: 1-855-325-4296 or chat online at www.IowaCrisisChat.org.
- Trans Lifeline: 1-877-565-8860
- The National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
Physicians & Wellness
- The Project of Primary Health Care, Our goal is to provide confidential, free or low cost services to help people living with HIV move through the stages of HIV medical care. From the time of diagnosis, our staff help patients connect to care, access resources that will help them achieve the best possible health outcomes and overcome obstacles that many stand in their way to a long and happy life. We also focus on prevention, providing outreach and access to the most effective tools to prevent HIV infection.
- UnityPoint LGBTQ+ Health, desires to meet the specific health care needs of the LGBTQ community in Central Iowa by providing a safe and affirming environment and overcome the stigma and discrimination that persons in the LGBTQ community often face. Our staff at LGBTQ clinics has undergone Safe Zone Training to ensure you receive your care in a welcoming environment with a team who strives to deliver quality affirming care with dignity and sensitivity to all our patients. We offer dedicated health services in a comfortable, caring environment to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, gender non-conforming, genderqueer, gender fluid, and anyone who identifies as part of the LGBTQ communities
- UCS Healthcare LGBTQIA+ Medical Care, UCS Healthcare delivers comprehensive health care services, including medical and behavioral health diagnosis, education, and treatment, including therapy, psychiatric services, substance use disorder therapy, and medication assisted treatment. We offer confidential, individualized, and compassionate healthcare to our patients. Located in West Des Moines, Ankeny and Knoxville, UCS Healthcare has been providing care to LGBTQ+ Iowans for twenty-six years. www.ucsonline.org
- LGBTQ+ Veteran Care, VA Central Iowa health care employees receive training in clinical care that is responsive to the unique needs of LGBTQ+ Veterans. Our trained LGBTQ+ Veteran care coordinators are fully equipped to support the health, welfare, and dignity of you and your family.
- At Home STD Testing, Hundreds of easy-to-read lab testing guides. Confidential, secure and convenient online lab test ordering powered by trusted physician networks. Compassionate customer service support. We combine expert-reviewed lab test information with access to hundreds of in-lab and at-home tests.
Know of a Resource not listed?
If you know of resources that may help someone, we’d love to hear about it!
Jake Sahr
(he/him/his)
Director of Diversity, Accessibility, & Inclusion
