Transgender Law Center

Transgender Law Center
Founded2002, San Francisco, California, United States
Focustransgender law
Area served
United States
MethodCampaigning, advocacy, lobbying, research
Key people
Shelby Chestnut (executive director)[1]
Websitetransgenderlawcenter.org

The Transgender Law Center (TLC) is the largest American transgender-led civil rights organization in the United States. They were originally California's first "fully staffed, state-wide transgender legal organization" and were initially a fiscally sponsored project of the National Center for Lesbian Rights.[2] The stated mission of TLC is to connect transgender people and their families to technically sound and culturally competent legal services, increase acceptance and enforcement of laws and policies that support California's transgender communities, and work to change laws and systems that fail to incorporate the needs and experiences of transgender people. TLC utilizes direct legal services, public policy advocacy, and educational opportunities to advance the rights and safety of diverse transgender communities.[3]

Since launching in 2002,[4] TLC has held over 250 transgender law workshops providing legal information to more than 3,250 community members, attorneys, social service providers, and business owners, as well as collaborated on public policy initiatives designed to improve safety in schools and prisons and safe access to public restrooms for transgender people in San Francisco. TLC successfully helped to revise San Francisco's "Regulations to Prohibit Gender Identity Discrimination" in December 2003,[5] making them more inclusive of people who do not identify as strictly female or male, and to pass legislation in the City of Oakland banning gender identity discrimination in housing, employment, public accommodation, and city services.[6]

  1. ^ Ferrannini, John (February 21, 2023). "New Transgender Law Center ED 'humbled' to lead organization". Bay Area Reporter. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  2. ^ "Transgender Law: Overview". Nclrights.org. 18 July 2013. Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  3. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-11-07. Retrieved 2008-07-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ Engardio, Joel P. (June 12, 2002). "Legal Precedent: A transgender Stanford grad and his colleague are set to open the first-ever law center for transgender issues". SF Weekly. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  5. ^ "Compliance Guidelines to Prohibit Gender Identity Discrimination". Human Rights Commission. City and County of San Francisco. December 10, 2003. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  6. ^ Laird, Cynthia (December 18, 2003). "Oakland OKs gender identity ordinance". Bay Area Reporter. Retrieved May 27, 2016.[dead link]