The TransLatin@ Coalition Breaks Ground on a Permanent Home for TGI Community Power
The April 10 groundbreaking marked a major step toward a permanent home for transgender, gender-expansive, and intersex communities in Los Angeles.
The TransLatin@ Coalition and community partners break ground on the future Trans Wellness and Empowerment Center at 5314 Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.
The TransLatin@ Coalition marked a major step toward a permanent home for transgender, gender-expansive, and intersex communities in Los Angeles. The April 10 groundbreaking celebrated what our community has built together and the future taking shape at 5314 Sunset Boulevard.
On April 10, 2026, community members, elected officials, artists, partners, and chosen family gathered on Sunset Boulevard as The TransLatin@ Coalition broke ground on the future Trans Wellness and Empowerment Center.
For seventeen years, our community has organized, advocated, cared for one another, and created spaces where transgender, gender-expansive, and intersex (TGI) people can find support and belonging. Now, that work is taking permanent form on land The TransLatin@ Coalition will own.
Ownership means greater stability. It means building a home for our programs, services, advocacy, and community gatherings that cannot be taken away by a lease ending or a landlord’s decision. At a time when TGI communities are facing coordinated political attacks, establishing a lasting community institution is both practical and powerful.
A ceremony rooted in culture and community
President and CEO Bamby Salcedo reflects on the years of community struggle, organizing, and collective care that made the new center possible.
Mariachi Arcoiris welcomed guests with music as people gathered around the stage. The program began with a land acknowledgment and blessing of the site, grounding the celebration in respect, gratitude, and responsibility.
President and CEO Bamby Salcedo reflected on the decades of struggle, survival, and organizing that made the moment possible. As the crowd responded with chants of “sí se puede,” she shared a truth at the heart of the ceremony: “We could only dream, but this place is now a reality.”
Vice President and COO Maria Roman-Taylorson also shared an original poem, “The Future Is Bright,” honoring the community’s journey from surviving to thriving.
The program included remarks from U.S. Representative Laura Friedman, Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations Executive Director Robin Toma, and Advancing Human Potential Project Director Mark Faucette. Their participation recognized the importance of investing in institutions created by and for TGI communities.
Performances by LZ Love and Jazzmun Nichcala Crayton filled the gathering with music, movement, and joy. The morning held many emotions at once: pride in how far we have come, remembrance of those who made the path possible, and hope for what we are building next.
Jazzmun Nichcala Crayton and LZ Love brought joy, music, and community spirit to the groundbreaking celebration.
Preserving this moment for the future
Guests contributed notes, small works of art, and Polaroid photographs to a time capsule created for the new site. Bamby added personal objects and a letter carrying her hopes for the generations who will one day inherit this work.
A time capsule filled with messages, photographs, artwork, and personal objects is lowered into the future center’s grounds. It is intended to be opened in thirty years.
The capsule was sealed and buried beneath the future center. It is intended to be opened in thirty years, giving a future generation a glimpse of the love, determination, and collective power present on that April morning.
Construction on the Trans Wellness and Empowerment Center is expected to be completed in late 2027. When its doors open, it will be more than an office building. It will be a place for care, connection, leadership, advocacy, and the continued work of building a future where TGI people can live safely and with dignity.
Thank you to every community member, volunteer, donor, partner, artist, and supporter who helped bring us to this moment. This home belongs to the movement that made it possible and to the people who will carry that movement forward.
Bamby Salcedo and Maria Roman-Taylorson take part in the ceremonial groundbreaking at the future Trans Wellness and Empowerment Center.
The ground has been broken. The foundation is community. And together, we are building what comes next.
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View photos from the April 10, 2026 historic moment.
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