Sometimes reaching out for support can be intimidating. Asking for and receiving support can make our situations more real. Rest assured, we are here when you are ready to reach out, even if that takes a while. When you submit a Support Request, a member of our team will respond (typically within 48 hours) and refer your request to a Support Contact. Your Support Contact will reach out to you shortly after that and explain all of the Personal Support Options available to you.
There are two ways to contact OurPath directly for support (please choose one):
- Call our toll-free Support Request line at 888-651-2811 or 708-227-9646 (Chicago) and leave a voicemail.
- Submit an online Support Request using the form below
If you feel you are in real trouble, please call 9-1-1 or get to your nearest hospital emergency room. You can also contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255 or suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
SUPPORT CONTACTS
Support Contacts and Group Leaders were or are Straight Partners or Partners of Trans People; or they were or are in a Mixed Orientation Relationship with an LGBT+ person. They have been vetted by our Recruiting Team and have been trained in how to help you on your own journey. Support Contacts typically have two or more years of experience in their role as a current or former Straight Partner or Partner of a Trans Person.
Our Support Contacts understand your core issues and experiences because we’ve lived them ourselves. We are here to walk beside you on your journey – while you make whatever decisions are best for you and your family. We do this because we believe no one should navigate this experience alone.
Support Contacts give you one-on-one support via phone or email. They also have access to resources that are only available to people who’ve put in a Support Request.
GROUP SUPPORT
In-person and virtual support groups exist throughout the United States and abroad, and they are only accessed after filling out a Support Request form and connecting with your Support Contact. Your Support Contact will connect you with local in-person or virtual support meetings in your area or time zone.
Note: Safety and confidentiality are of the utmost importance to us. Our meeting locations and times are not published, and are not open to the general public. Only other Straight Partners or Partners of Trans People will be in your meetings.
What Happens in a Support Group Meeting?
While virtual support meetings occur via Zoom, in-person support groups typically meet in public spaces such as library meeting rooms or restaurants. Other groups may meet in a Group Leader or member’s home. Group members often share where they are in their journey – including their emotional state, how children are coping, employment status, financial challenges, family dynamics and even their intimate lives. What’s said in a meeting stays in a meeting.
What are OurPath’s Support Group Guidelines?
- We do not judge another Straight Partner’s or Partner of a Trans Person’s journey – OurPath does not take a position on whether or not individuals should or should not leave their marriages or partnerships. Individuals are supported in processing their experiences and emotions, proceeding at their own pace, and making their own decisions about the future of their relationship. We advocate for leaving the relationship only if a Straight Partner or Partner of a Trans Person is in danger — otherwise, we are here to be supportive of them as they discover for themselves what is best for them and their families.
- We may offer our opinions if asked. We are here to come alongside people during their journey, not tell them what to do or what we think is best for them. As Support Contacts and Group Leaders, however, we have extensive experience with Mixed Orientation Relationships. We’ve seen a lot. We are able to offer perspective on the experience from a collective as well as individual point of view.
- OurPath supports LGBT+ rights and acceptance. We believe full acceptance and rights for LGBT+ people will help prevent the relationships and marriages that brought us here. We believe the people we support have every right to all of their feelings in response to discovery/disclosure, including intense anger. We are careful, however, to not project our pain and anger unilaterally onto all LGBT+ people. Hate speech is not permitted in any of our groups or on our platforms.
ONLINE SUPPORT
OurPath maintains several Facebook groups, some hidden and some visible, for Straight Partners and Partners of Trans People, as well as their family and friends.
Your Support Contact will share the descriptions of the various groups and add you to the ones that are relevant to you.
