Nation's first transgender voting center opens in L.A. County

If you are transgender or non-binary, you can cast your vote in the March 5th primary election at the Connie Norman Transgender Empowerment Center near West Hollywood.

As KNX News' Margaret Carrero reports, this first-of-its-kind voting center in the nation accommodates all people but will serve as a safe space for those who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community to vote without fear.

During remarks at the center, Queen Victoria Ortega said, "Many of the times we are either misgendered or looked at up and down or just intimidated when we go and cast our vote. So, being able to have a place where you can see people like you that are going to respect you, that are going to use the correct pronoun - We go through arduous processes to change our name and gender. Why should we go through arduous processes to cast our votes?"

L.A. City Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky said the center comes at a 'particularly terrifying' time in our nation for the LGBTQ+ community. She made reference to the recent death of a non-binary student in Oklahoma who was brutally attacked by classmates.

The councilwoman said, "As state legislatures across the country try to make it harder and harder to vote, imposing draconian voter ID laws eliminating early and mail-in voting and limiting voting hours," she believes the city of Los Angeles and the state of California "must be the light in all that darkness."

Voters can cast their ballots at the center March 2 - March 4, 10am - 7pm and Tuesday, March 5 election day, 7am - 8pm.

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