home news about rpa constitution weekly meetings coming out guide student resources parent resources schedule of events members directory capital district guide message board about safe zone allies directory training calendar email the officers contacts links	Student Resources These are some readily available on-campus resources for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning people. Having resources on hand is an invaluable asset for those who are questioning their sexuality, those who are still in the closet, and the... uh... "seasoned pros" (you know who you are). Safe Zone The RPA in conjunction with the Health Center's Katrin Wesner, the Health Systems Manager, and Terri Kersch, Health Educator, has created and distribute SafeZone stickers to faculty members around campus. These will be used to denote safe areas for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth. More information can be found here. Capital District Gay & Lesbian Community Center The oldest gay & lesbian community center is located right in Albany. The CDGLCC provides several services for the gay community, including: Publishing a monthly newsletter, CommUnity Coordinating regular social and political events Planning Pride in Albany Holding weekly support groups on a variety of topics Providing information on gay & gay-friendly restaurants, businesses, and religious organizations The CDGLCC is located at 332 Hudson Avenue, in Albany. They can be reached at (518) 462-6138, and their website. HIV Testing The Student Health Center has a list of local testing services for HIV. They are available online at the SHC Website. Testing at the Rensselaer County Health Department is free, anonymous, and within walking distance of campus. For further information, contact one of the following: AIDS Council of Northeastern New York 88 4th Street Albany, NY 12202 Rensselaer County Health Department Rensselaer County Office Building, 2nd Floor 1600 7th Avenue Troy, NY 12180 (518) 434-4686 (518) 270-2655 You can visit the RPI Student Health Center's website for more information. Gay & Lesbian National Hotline Well, it's not really an on-campus resource, but still available. The hotline provides peer counseling, information, and referrals. It can be a lifesaver for people just coming out. You don't have to give your name if you don't want to, and the call is toll-free, so you don't have to pay and ridiculously high long distance rates. The phone number is 1-888-THE-GLNH (1-888-843-4564), and it is available Monday-Friday, 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM EST, and Saturday from 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM EST. For more information, check out their website. Rensselaer Student Health Office & Counceling Center Sometimes it can be helpful to speak one-on-one with a counselor about any feelings your having so you can start to sort them out. When looking for a counselor, it is important to remember that you are the consumer, and you have some rights: You can leave your counselor at any time and for any reason. If you feel that your counselor is being insensitive with respect to your sexual orientation, you can take your business elsewhere without owing any explanation. You can tell your counselor what notes he or she may take during your session. For example, if you don't want the words "sexuality" or "gay" appearing in your file, tell your counselor and he or she is required to do as you say. Counseling with respect to gay issues is far from being the same from counselor to counselor. There are still counselors whose situation to a gay patient's coming out issues is to try to convert them to being straight. All this said, it is a great idea to seek the guidance of a counselor if you feel comfortable with it. Check the background and training of the counselor you choose. The title "counselor" does not imply any formal training whatsoever and can describe someone with a Ph.D. as well as someone with a GED. Also, many counselors are not specifically trained to deal with gay issues. Any counselor with formal training however, is equipped to help you deal with such concerns as: How might being gay affect who I am? What can I do if I don't like this part of myself How can I deal with family and friends who might be unaccepting? Rensselaer has a counseling center available to all students who have paid their health-center fee. They are located in the Student Health Center. On The Web Lastly, we've compiled a list of websites we thought might be of use to any gay student, ranging in topics from coming out, to dating, or gay-related news. You can find these links here.