Transcend Charlotte

Dan Mauney Leadership Award

Transcend Charlotte was founded in 2015 by Trey Greene & Che Busiek, local advocates determined to address the lack of affirming services for gender diverse people (18+) in the Queen City. Beginning with peer groups and affirming clothing, Transcend has since grown to be a wrap-around mental health and social services provider and community leader. Our programs include therapy, case management, the Xpression Space (free clothing, wigs, binders & breast forms), peer groups, events and resource fairs, name change workshops and more.

While proud Transcend’s growth in recent years, we recognize that it barely touches the surface of need for our communities. Each year NC sees a barrage of anti-trans and anti-queer legislation and is of the most dangerous states in the US for trans people. To continue our pursuit of social justice and equity for gender diverse people, we knew we had to do more.

To that end, in 2022 Transcend formally merged with Carolinas CARE Partnership (CCP), leaders in housing, mental health & social services for LGBTQ+ folx & people living with HIV. This bold and exciting step was taken so that together, Transcend & CCP could form the CCP LGBTQ+ Life Center. This strategy prioritizes mental health, healthcare, housing and social services equity for queer and BIPOC communities, while honoring the lived experience and history of LGBTQ+ communities with the HIV pandemic. Transcend remains a branded programmatic division of the CCP LGBTQ+ Life Center. In addition, the center offers therapy, case management, peer groups, resource provision (clothes, transportation, self-care products, groceries), substance use support, HIV testing, and more, free of charge for all LGBTQ+ community members & people living with HIV. The LGBTQ+ Life Center drop-in space will launch April 2023 and we are thrilled to host our first annual Queer Prom for LGBTQ+ community members and allies on April 22, 2023! We hope you will join us in our fight for queer communities. Your partnership is invaluable, we will only see change together!

For more information, contact: Bethany Corrigan, MPH (they/them) | Director of Transcend CLT & LGBTQ+ Programs at Carolinas CARE Partnership (bethanyc@carolinascare.org)