On September 11, 2014 the Orange County Human Relations Commission convened its members at The Center OC, a nonprofit organization in Santa Ana that provides support for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) communities in Orange County. At the request of the Chair, Ken Inouye, the Commission went to The Center OC to conduct a Listening Session focused on members of the Transgender community.
Listening Sessions are one of the tools developed by OC Human Relations Commission to learn about the diverse communities living in Orange County. These sessions involve visits to venues where various communities gather, to listen to their stories and betterunderstand the experiences of these diverse groups.
Five members of the transgender community shared their stories of institutional discrimination, police abuse, rejection from the greater community, difficulty in finding jobs, a lack of trained health care providers, unaffordable hormonal treatments, and disrespect from the greater public. They described being harassed and disrespected by local law enforcement as well.
The Commission has produced a report of this session, which includes a set of recommendations. Click here to read the full report.
