State Resources
Actual Mortician
Offering death education focused on accessibility and inclusion for secular and LGBTQIA+ individuals in preplanning, end-of-life, and funeral services. They provide continuing education for licensed funeral directors through the Ohio Funeral Director’s Association on how best to serve the Pride community. And they work to inspire the next generation of deathcare professionals by collaborating with the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science to offer LGBTQIA+ inclusive ethics education.
Bennett Holistic Deathcare
Quinn describes himself as “a being who lives in liminal spaces. A bridge between worlds and a steward for my community.” Just as birthing doulas help birth souls into this world, death doulas help birth souls on their next journey. Quinn offers advanced planning, creating a vigil plan, and facilitating a life review. He is a Level II Reiki practitioner of the Usui Shiki Ryoho lineage, tailoring each session to the individual, working with you to remove blockages and send healing energy where you need it. He offers community outreach on deathcare planning education on a larger scale, speaking on what documents are available, why advance planning is especially important for the queer and trans community, and more.
Columbus Community Deathcare
Community deathcare is a grassroots movement striving to reclaim a participatory relationship with death. The goal of community deathcare is to normalize the dying process by acknowledging death is a natural part of the life cycle. As end-of-life doulas, death educators, and home funeral guides, we work to empower community members to care for their dying and dead loved ones.
Fernside Center for Grieving Children
Fernside, established in 1986, as the nation’s second oldest children’s grief center, remains today a national leader in providing grief support services and outreach and education to the community and families. An affiliate of Hospice of Cincinnati, Fernside services compliment Hospice of Cincinnati’s comprehensive bereavement program by addressing the unique needs of children. We provide support to schools and other organizations following a death. We can provide consultation as well as on-site support for faculty, students and staff. Fernside provides all services free of charge with the help of generous donors who support our mission.
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Live Without Regrets
Envisioning a world where people are empowered to view their mortality and the perception of death in a way that will benefit them. Live Without Regrets actively campaigns to make our society a better place for everyone, regardless of gender, ethnicity, and religion, in an effort to stop trans misgendering deaths.
Nikki the Death Doula
Nikki is a death doula based out of Worthington, Ohio. From her website, she says “Death is a part of life. If you or someone you love is facing end of life you know how scary and overwhelming it all can be! Let me take the burden from you so you can focus on what matters most in your final months, weeks or days. Helping get your paperwork together, creating a legacy for your loved ones, or just being present I can help you have a Good Death and allow you to leave this world at peace.”
SCRIPTed- A Community Collaborative on Death & Dying
SCRIPTed is a community-based collaborative on death and dying, offering tools, workshops, and partnerships to help people navigate the end of life with more clarity, dignity, and connection. SCRIPTed was born out of a simple truth: talking about death doesn’t have to be cold, clinical, or avoided. It can be creative. Intentional. Even beautiful. This is where planning becomes storytelling — and where support becomes a shared script that no one has to write alone. Though based in Cleveland, Ohio, their work is designed to connect people across the country, especially in areas where inclusive options can be harder to find.
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The Buckeye Flame — Community Obituaries
The Buckeye Flame believes that individuals and families should not bear the financial burden of announcing the death of a loved one or celebrating their life. We provide this service of publishing obituaries to Ohio’s LGBTQ+ community free of charge in order to help ease the burden and allow our community to focus on healing and remembrance of LGBTQ+ Ohioans.