Agency opens first trans services center in SF [ebar.com]

^{Gizelle Mattingly, a volunteer with the San Francisco Community Health Center, opened her arms in joy at the ribbon cutting for the new home of the agency's Trans Thrive program Tuesday, March 21. Photo: Jane Philomen Cleland}

By Matthew S. Bajko, The Bay Area Reporter, March 22, 2023

Caught in Tuesday's early morning rainstorm without an umbrella on route to attend the official opening of the first stand-alone facility dedicated exclusively to serving San Francisco's transgender and gender-nonconforming communities, Gizelle Mattingly slipped into the room holding the wardrobe offerings of the SheBoutique. Filled with free clothing that trans women and others can use for job interviews or other needs, Mattingly picked out a soft-pink blazer to borrow.

A client and volunteer with the San Francisco Community Health Center's Trans Thrive program, Mattingly wanted to be presentable for the grand opening ceremony for the program's new dedicated space since she expected to be interviewed by the invited media. The experience was "inspirational," she told the Bay Area Reporter.

The 8,000 square foot facility, which includes 2,000 square feet of usable outdoor space, signals a true commitment to the trans and nonbinary people who will walk through its doors, said Mattingly, 38, a trans woman who moved to San Francisco from San Diego two years ago.

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