Queer Personal Stories

Support Groups

Free support letters and counseling for community members seeking gender-affirming surgeries and procedures, offered by the Brooklyn Community Pride Center in Crown Heights with Licensed Clinical Social Worker Rachel Goldstein. Appointments are by registration only, for adults 18 and older, in 30-minute slots between 4:00 and 6:00 PM. Register for a slot that suits you.

Community Resources

A free-form Zoom support group for LGBTQ+ adults (18+) who want community and a place to talk through the everyday demands of life in Brooklyn. Share what you're dealing with, hear from people facing similar challenges, and pick up advice and resources from BCPC staff. It's not intensive therapy, but if you need more, staff can talk it through with you one-on-one. Registration is required at least an hour before the 6:00 PM start.

Recovery

SMART Recovery is an in-person, LGBTQIA+-centered meeting in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, using evidence-based REBT and CBT methods for self-empowered addiction recovery. Discussions follow the 4-Point Program: building motivation, coping with urges, managing thoughts and behaviors, and creating a balanced life. It's free and open to anyone struggling with substance use or other addictive behaviors, and you don't need to register to drop in.

Community Focused

Monday night pickup basketball for LGBTQ+ players and allies of all skill levels at the Brooklyn Community Pride Center. No tryouts, no drama — just show up ready to play, get a workout in, and connect with community on the court. All skill levels welcome; just bring sneakers and energy.

Community Focused

Learn Pencak Silat—a Southeast Asian martial art that weaves together self-defense, breathwork, mindfulness, and dance—in a genuinely inclusive space. Student instructors Ilana and Steph (both they/them) lead this playful, all-levels class that's open to every body type and gender. It's the kind of class where you build real skills and confidence while feeling like part of a community.

Community Hub

Body Talk is a spiritual, creative somatic workshop space for and by Black queer and trans folk at the Brooklyn Community Pride Center in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Facilitated by Imani's poetic approach, sessions blend creativity, mindfulness and movement into collective healing meant to liberate. RSVP is required, and it's free with a sliding-scale suggested donation of $10 to $15 that never turns anyone away.