AHF nurse practitioner Razan Alawadhi spoke at the opening of the Connie Norman Transgender Health Care Center. (photo by Jordan Strauss / AP for AIDS Healthcare Foundation)

On March 16, AIDS Healthcare Foundation and FLUX celebrated the opening of a brand new full-service health care center in the heart of the LGBTQ+ Community that is “Open for All.” The center, called the Connie Norman Transgender Health Care Center, is now open inside the Connie Norman Transgender Empowerment Center.

“We care for everyone,” said Queen Chela DeMuir, COO of CONOTEC and CEO of Unique Woman’s Coalition. “This is not just a ribbon-cutting ceremony. This is about who we are and what we do. This Health Care Center is in our community, but we are inclusive. This is open for all.”

“When you care for the most marginalized in our nation, you end up caring for all,” said Queen Victoria Ortega, international president and chief visionary officer of FLUX/CONOTEC. “We welcome everyone to stand with us in our Righteous Rebellion as we fight to prevail over injustice. We know we are on the right side of history, and we will never stop fighting for our community.”

“We treat the whole person, offering everything under the health care umbrella: primary care, HIV treatment and prevention, transgender health, and sexual health,” said Razan Alawadhi, a nurse practitioner who will be a primary health care provider for the Health Care Center.

“We open these doors when TGI (Transgender, Gender Diverse, & Intersex) people are facing more discrimination than ever,” FLUX ambassador Laith Ashley said. “Today, we stand together and say we deserve health care – health care that is designed with us, for us and guided by our voices. Today, we are expanding hope.”

“When others close doors, we open them,” said Dr. Carl Millner, the chief medical officer for AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “My experience has taught me that healthcare works best when we treat the whole person. This Health Care Center helps move us towards a place where health care is truly a human right.”

The Health Care Center is located at 1001 N. Martel Ave. on the second floor of CONOTEC. For information, visit connienorman.org.