Welcome to C.A.A.N. Community Alliance & Action Network

While we make an effort to insure the links are appropriate for our community, we make no endorsements or recommendations.

If you know of a resource that should be listed contact us:

Accredited Colleges: accreditedcolleges.com/resources/lgbt-college-guide/ To help you find the best accredited college. The website includes where LGBTQ students can apply for scholarships.
ACLU: The American Civil Liberties Union fights for individual rights of Americans, including GLBT citizens.
Amnesty International: Gender, Sexuality, Identity re: LGBTQ issues of the global human rights organization Amnesty International.
Attorney: Attorney for us Sara J. Gray will win your trust. Call today for a free consultation; DUI, Traffic, Criminal, Bankruptcy, Real Estate, Personal Injury, Workers Compensation, and more!
Cerebral Palsy and LGBT: Cerebral Palsy and LGBT Stopbullying.gov, a non-profit site that provides valuable information from various government agencies, writes that young LGBT people with disabilities are at a heightened risk of being bullied and ridiculed. However, there are a number of things the community can do to help.
Chicago Gender Society: Chicago Gender Society is an educational, support and social organization for the Transgender and Transsexual Community.
Church of St. Benedict: (Episcopal) new.stbenedict.ws 909 Lily Cache Lane, Bolingbrook, 630-759-5955. We seek to be a community of welcome for all people and families. You will find a place of support (and fun!) in worship, education, and fellowship in the church community at St. Benedict. We welcome gay and lesbian couples who are members of our church (or who are close family of members) to have their civil union blessed here. Not a member? Come visit a Sunday service, our website, or contact our priest to see if we might be a community where you feel at home (check our website for current contact info). We are a diverse congregation in class, race, and age and we are fully handicapped accessible.
Cross of Glory: (Lutheran) crossofglory.com 14719 W. 163rd St. Homer Glen, 707-301-6998. We recognize the importance of worshiping with a diverse group of people of any color, age, creed, ethnicity, physical and mental ability, addiction, legal record, economic status, LGBTQ, Straight, their partners and their families. We welcome all into the full participation in the church life. It is with love and with celebration that we affirm this position. Join us Sundays at 9:30 for worship and fellowship.
Dr Diana Slaviero: drdianacounseling Licensed clinical psychologist practicing in the Aurora/Naperville area. Provides personal counseling as well as career assessment. An LGBTQ affirming practice.
DignityUSA: DignityUSA is a resource for gay Catholics to find affirmation and support from others.
Gay and Lesbian Medical Association: glma.org Founded in 1981 to help ensure equality in healthcare for the LGTB community. We offer an online directory of non-judgmental and culturally competent doctors, therapist, nurses, dentists and other providers that you can trust. Find our online provider directory at: www.glma.org/referrals. For more information, contact: [email protected], or 415-255-4547
Get Covered Illinois: getcoveredillinois . Talk to Shanda Raglin at 815-685-5093 or by email at [email protected] at the Family Guidance Center for help to sign up for health insurance.
Gina L. Spielman, LCSW & Associates:ginaspielman.com/ Psychotherapy services in the western suburbs of Chicago: Gina Spielman, 445 W. Jackson Ave., Suite 105, Naperville IL 60540, 630-212-7048, [email protected]. LGBTQ affirming!
GLAAD: The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
Guardian Angel Home: Guardian Angel Home provides services for those who are victims of domestic violence and/or sexual assault.
Hatzidakis Law:Attorney for Employment Cases.Hatzidakis Law is a law firm dedicated to protecting and advancing employee civil rights. Contact Hatzidakis Law by calling 312-857-5577 or visiting hatzidakislaw.com Attorney Christina D. Hatzidakis regularly respresents LGBT individuals in discrimination, harassment, and retaliation cases against their employers. She welcomes cases of individuals who have been treated differently at work due to their sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, age, race national origin, disability, religion, marital status, caregiving responsibilities, and other reasons.
Health Degrees: Health Careers If you're interested in medicine, health and wellness you may want to consider a health degree. The link to the Bureau of Labor Statistics provides details about each field. To start a fulfilling career in the healthcare industry then Joliet Jr. College, St. Francis University and Lewis University are the 3 educational institutions in Joliet to call.
Housing and Mortgages for the LGBT Couple:mortgageloan.com/lgbt/a comprehensive consumer guide for the LGBT community that talks about the various approaches that can be used in getting a mortgage and other similar topics. "disclaimer" people should check with their own reputable attorney for legal questions regarding home ownership,survivorship, wills, trusts, living trusts, etc.
Illinois NOW:the goal of the National Organization of Women is to take action to bring about equality for all women. Now works to eliminate discrimination and harassment in the workplace, schools, the justice system, and all other sectors of society.
KML Associates:KarenMLavin.comA family law firm based in Crystal Lake that is gay and lesbian friendly. Services include pre-nuptial agreements, civil union agreements, domestic partnerships, adoptions, estate planning, and dissolution of marriage for same sex couples. Call Karen Lavin at 815-356-0800.
Lavender Green Caucus: The Lavender Greens are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer Greens organized as a Caucus with the purpose of promoting LGBTIQ issues within the Green Party.
Life Insurance:The Simple Dollar Life Insurance Guide. In 2006 Trent Hamm started sharing his personal finance, insurance, and retirement advice because he was frustrated with how dense and misleading the information available was. The Simple Dollar is the result. Check it out.
Loving More: Love More About polyamory. Romantic love with more than one person, honestly, ethically, and with the full knowledge and consent of all concerned.
LGBTQ Youth:Youth Outlook provides social, educational, and recreational programming, including HIV prevention, speakers, discussions, and game nights. Naperville, Aurora, DeKalb, Sterling.
National Center for Transgender Equality: transequality.org is a national social justice organization devoted to ending discrimination and violence against transgender people through education and advocacy.
Open Door Clinic: The Open Door Clinic is dedicated to improving the quality of life for persons with HIV/AIDS & STIs and to the prevention of future transmissions. They provide sexual health and wellness services through a multi-discipline approach with medical, psychological and educational interventions that empower individuals to eliminate the transmission of sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS and their stigma.
People For the American Way Foundation: Over the past two decades, People For the American Way Foundation has worked to ensure that the promises enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights are made real for all Americans.
PFLAG Dupage:PFLAG Dupage is a local chapter of Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays, a national, nonprofit organization that promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons, their families and their friends.
PFLAG Joliet:PFLAG Joliet is a local chapter.
PFLAG Sauk Valley Chapter: The Sauk Valley Chapter of National PFLAG (email us) meets on the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Amboy and serves Lee, Ogle and Whiteside Counties in northern Illinois. The chapter serves parents, families, friends of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons. In order to better serve the transgender community, the chapter now is affiliated with PFLAGTNET and has a transgender coordinator position as part of their organization. The goal for 2007 is to become more visible in the communities they serve and to become a vital part of the National PFLAG's project of Staight for Equality.
Pink Pages:Pink Pages is a Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Directory.
Plainfield Congregational Church. Open and Affirmining. 24020 Fraser Rd. Plainfield IL 60586 815-436-9441
Quit Day. quitday.org The public sector faces moral and ethical issues when choosing whether to support, or deny support, for Big Tobacco. Public education and stricter laws may help to sway public opinion, and in the process, save lives.
Rainbow Group of Alcoholics Anonymous: The Rainbow Group of A.A. is for anyone who wants to stop drinking. Monday evenings at 5:10 p.m. at the Fellowship Club in Joliet. There is also a call-in teleconference. See the Rainbow Group website.
Rainbow Serenity: The Rainbow Serenity of Northwest Indiana is an organization that is provided to the public that shall provide all people, with emphasis in the lgbt community with at safe, educational, and label-free atmosphere.
Rainbow Wedding Network: Since 2000. Rainbow Wedding Network is a lesbian owned LGBTQ wedding & family resource. Includes a nationwide directory of screened gay friendly businesses.
Real Estate: Realtor for usThe LGBT community in Chicagoland is very diverse culturally, ethnically and geographically. David Shallow will help you market your home or help you find the home of your dreams. Committed to the advancement of equality for all people!
Reconciling Ministries Network:Reconciling Ministries Network is a national grassroots organization that exists to enable full participation of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in the life of the United Methodist Church, both in policy and practice.
Save our Sanity Group of AlAnon: This group of AlAnon, for friends and families of alcoholics, meets Monday Nights at 8:00 p.m. at the Joliet Alano Club (go in the back door, to the front room), 265 Republic Joliet, IL 60434.
Scarleteen: Scarleteen is an independent, grassroots sexuality education and support organization and website.
Southern Poverty Law Center: The Southern Poverty Law Center, founded in 1971 as a small civil rights law firm, is today internationally known for its tolerance education programs and its legal victories against, and its tracking of, hate groups.
Straight Spouse Support: Straight Spouse Network For Spouses/Partners, current or former, of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender mates. Email [email protected] for more information about a group in the C.A.A.N. community area (Joliet and roughly the surrounding 30 miles).
St. Michael’s United Church of Christ: stmichaelsucc.org. A progressive, open and affirming congregation in DuPage County.
The Church of the Transfiguration: A progressive parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, The Church of the Transfiguration is located at 12219 S. 86th Ave., Palos Park, across the street from the Plush Horse ice cream parlor. Sunday services are at 8 and 10 a.m. All are welcome!
True Child: TrueChild.org Helps donors, policy-makers, and practitioners reconnect race, class and gender through "gender transformative" approaches that challenge rigid gender norms and inequalities.
Turningpoint Counseling. turningpoint-counseling.com Jeni Lucas has over 25 years of experience in partial hospitalization programs, inpatient psychiatric programs, and outpatient community mental health. She Specializes in providing LGBTQ+ affirmative therapy. Work with individuals and couples for a variety of issues including depression, anxiety, chronic mental illness, relationship issues, stress, personal growth, and more..
United Church of Christ: The United Church of Christ is an Open and Affirming Christian Denomination, fully accepting LGBT people into their churches.
Universalist Unitarian Church of Joliet: UUCJ.org is an eclectic congregation of all faiths - christian, buddhist, pagan, and atheist, among others.

Joliet Police LGBT Liaison

At this time there is no assigned officer you can call if you are having, or have had, any problem with the Joliet Police Department, or any other matter requiring police assistance related to your gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, or perceived sexual orientation.

We are here...inventing the future!

If you know of a resource that should be listed contact us:

Joliet Police LGBT Liaison