Any experience with any of these charities?

[suzifrommd]

In the run up to my surgery date, I'm trying to get my will updated. Not that I expect anything to happen, but under my current will, my wife gets everything, which is SO not how I want it.

I'd like to leave some money to LGBT support charities. Here is a list of some that I've come across.

Anybody had any experiences with these? I'm especially interested if site members have been personally helped by them.

* Lambda Legal
* National Center For Transgender Equality
* GLAAD
* The Transgender Law Center
* Human Rights Campaign

Any other ones that people had positive experiences with that I should also consider? (Of course susans.org will be on the list...)

[Constance]

Transgender Law Center helped me with my legal name & gender change process, as well as with getting my birth certificate updated.

They were also able to help clarify the law that passed in CA in May 2013 regarding discrimination in health insurance with regards to trans persons. That law doesn't apply to the "self-insured" policies that employers provide to their employees, but that wasn't TLC's fault.

I haven't worked with any of the others you listed.

[aleon515]

HRC is anti-trans (or has been in the past, not sure what's going on with them lately).
Nothing but positive for Transgender Law Center. Also heard good things about the Lamba law center.
GLAAD has recognized trans people (such as Laverne Cox), but don't know about them otherwise.
And don't know anything re: National Center for Transgender Equality.

--Jay

[suzifrommd]

HRC is anti-trans (or has been in the past, not sure what's going on with them lately).
--Jay

Thanks for tipping me off about this, Jay. I tend to be clueless if someone doesn't give me the scoop. I just came off 20 minutes of googling that led to very interesting reading. I know more about the politics of LGBT support organizations than I ever want to. There's a lot of squabbling so I don't know what's real and what's part of the normal clawing for money, but I think I know enough to strike both HRC and NCTE (which apparently was started by them) off my list.

[skin]

I don't think HRC is anti-trans anymore - I highly doubt they'd back an ENDA bill that neglected gender id protections again, but trans issues are no where near the top of their priority list.