Transgender Law Center (TLC) is the largest national, trans-led civil rights nonprofit in the United States. Founded in 2002 and based in California, TLC uses legal advocacy, strategic litigation, policy advocacy, education, and community organizing to advance the rights, safety, and self-determination of transgender and gender-nonconforming people, with an explicit focus on centering BIPOC, disabled, and HIV‑positive communities.
Advocates for anti-discrimination protections (employment, housing, public accommodations), access to gender-affirming health care and insurance coverage, school and youth protections, prison and detention policy reform, identity document and legal name/gender marker access, immigration-related protections, HIV-related policy, and broader intersectional racial and economic justice reforms.
Primarily funded through philanthropic foundation grants and individual donations, supplemented by program-specific grants and fundraising (including a sustaining donor program).
Has worked closely with national civil-rights and LGBTQ organizations including the National Center for Lesbian Rights (its original fiscal sponsor), the ACLU, Lambda Legal, and the National Center for Transgender Equality; current Executive Director Shelby Chestnut and former Executive Director Kris Hayashi are prominent leaders associated with the organization.
Non-profit organization (501(c)(3) civil rights advocacy organization; trans-led)
