Growing up as an LGBT+ youth in the South, there were not many options for developing relationships within the community. It was ultimately that need for connection and visibility that made me want to work at the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
Working at the Center has given me the courage to live my life authentically. Now as an out and proud transgender man, I am excited to see what the future holds for me and how I can use my story to be visible for those who can’t.
After I was hired, I found out my uncle was one of the founders of the group now known as the Birmingham AL Gender and Sexuality League of Youth (BAGSLY), which has since become a part of the Magic City Acceptance Center’s youth programming. No one in my family knew about his community work because he kept it a secret for his own safety. But he mentioned it to me when he found out I was working at the Center. I am extremely grateful to be carrying on his legacy through my work at the Center.
For anyone who is thinking of working at the Center, you will not find a better work environment. It is a special place, and words cannot describe what happens here. You just have to see it to believe it.
Hometown: Alabaster, Alabama
Year Started at Center: 2018
Staff Position: HR Specialist