Arcila-Adams Trans Resource Center

Darius McLean, Director

Located on the fourth floor of William Way LGBT Community Center, the Arcila-Adams Trans Resource Center was dedicated in November 2019. Our mission is …

Programs

TransWay

A virtual weekly drop-in social group for trans and gender non-conforming people. To join please reach out to the group admins on Facebook. Meets every Thursday at 7 p.m.

Trans Oral History Project

The Phildelphia Trans Oral History Project (PTOHP) is a community engagement initiative that preserves and makes publicly accessible the stories of trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming people. A partnership between the University of Pennsylvania and the William Way LGBT Community Center.

Trans Day of Visibility

Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) is an annual community gathering to raise awareness and celebrate the joy and resilience of transgender people. Yearly on March 31.

Trans Day of Remembrance

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual community gathering to remember and celebrate our friends and loved ones lost to violence, and to raise awareness of the continuing violence against members of our community. Yearly on November 20.

Summer Vibes Block Party

The Summer Vibes Block Party is an annual community gathering of the trans community and allies, offering an exciting array of live entertainment, food, activities, and community organizations. Yearly in July.

Social Media

Contact Us

You can reach out to us on email at trc@waygay.org.

Charlene Arcila (1963-2015)

Trans and HIV/AIDS activist Charlene Arcila moved to Philadelphia in 1991 from Jackson, Mississippi. She worked for The Philadelphia AIDS Consortium for over twenty years and was involved in numerous trans, HIV/AIDS, and recovery initiatives in the city and beyond. She was the founder of the internationally-known Philadelphia Trans Health Conference. She was instrumental in the overturning of SEPTA's gender marker policy, which led to the formation of the trans and allied activist group RAGE (Riders Against Gender Exclusion), and the eventual reversal in policy by SEPTA. Charlene was the recipient of numerous awards over her lifetime and she served as a deaconess and later ordained minister for Unity Fellowship of Christ Church.

Jaci Adams (1957-2014)

Known to most as "Miss Jaci," trans and HIV/AIDS activist Jaci Adams was born in Beckley, West Virginia, and moved to Philadelphia with her family as a child. She began living on the street at the age of 9 and experienced poverty, childhood abuse, drug addiction and incarceration. Jaci served on the planning committees for Morris Home as well as for the Philadelphia Trans Health Conference. She was a founding member of the Temple University Community Advisory Board, and was the longest-serving member of the Philadelphia Police LGBT Liaison Committee. Jaci was named to POZ magazine's 100 Unsung Heroes and received Philly Pride’s first OutProud Transgender Award.