New York's first major transgender center is now open in the Bronx

On Friday the Bronx Trans Collective officially opened, creating a safe harbor and "one-stop center" for the trans community.

The center, at 937 Summit Avenue near Yankee Stadium, will provide all sorts of services and support, including "job readiness programs, health care, housing referrals, immigration assistance and legal services, specifically regarding name changes," according to DNAinfo. People can drop in at anytime and take part in support groups, youth counseling, yoga classes and more. While there have been places focusing on transgender issues and services in the city, this is the city's first major multiservice center, the New York Times reports. The center was created as a group effort between community organizations and Councilman Ritchie Torres, who told the New York Times, “Transgender New Yorkers of color living in poverty face a level of discrimination most of us will never know. We’re creating a model for the rest of the city to follow.”

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio created a commission for gender equality in 2015 and signed an executive order earlier this year allowing people to use a single-sex bathroom of the gender they identify with at public locations, so we're already doing a whole lot better than North Carolina. This is another step in the direction of tolerance and equality in our diverse city.

The Center is proud to be a partner in The #Bronx #Trans Collective, opening today! pic.twitter.com/9vxWYWyImT

— The Center (@LGBTCenterNYC) April 15, 2016