Say hello to the first NYC housing complex bought by and for the LGBTQ+ community

Trans rights activist Ceyenne Doroshaw, a trans woman herself, recently unveiled the GLITS—Gay and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society—complex. The newly opened complex is a safe housing space for members of the LGBTQ+ community, the first of its kind in New York City, CNN reports. Currently, the building houses in total 11 apartments, which span three floors, in the city's Queen's Woodhaven neighborhood. Doroshaw said opening the housing complex was "a dream" come true for her, as someone who is passionate about protecting and fighting for the rights of trans folks everywhere.

"Thirty years of a dream, of doing something like this," she stated at the opening ceremony of the GLITS complex on Friday. "But not just doing it, putting us in an area, in a location where we don't have to run." At present, the building's basement is being converted into an educational and learning center. This is primarily because the trans rights activist considers education to be "the key and the base to everything you need in this world." She affirmed in an interview on Monday, "This was created out of love. Each apartment will have and be—created, and painted, and styled—by a designer, an interior designer. The apartments are painted by volunteers. The art and everything has been donated. The furniture [was] donated from Disney hotels. This is an act of love."

Indeed, this housing community was built for and by the LGBTQ+ community themselves. Doroshaw hopes that her venture will soon help folks on an international scale, not just those who live in New York City (or even the United States). "My community is being hunted all around the world," she said. "If I'm going to have a mission and a statement, my mission has always been to change the lives of my community, to infuse and get young people to rethink what a career is, to invest in ourselves so we can see a better future."

There is no wonder, then, why GLITS' motto is, "Inspire yourself to inspire others." In addition to opening the housing complex, Doroshaw regularly engages in events to uplift the trans and LGBTQ+ community at large. For instance, she is currently fundraising for Candacy McEwan, a Black trans activist whose home was recently destroyed in a fire. You can donate to the fundraiser here. Or, if you would like to learn more about the GLITS housing complex, you can visit their website. Here is to more such initiatives, ones that make the world a better, safer place for those most vulnerable.