Transgender Immigrant Support Center Finds Permanent Home in San Francisco

San Francisco welcomes a beacon: New center brings hope

In a thrilling leap forward, San Francisco has become home base—a sanctuary, really—for South Asian transgender immigrants. The newly opened support center, Parivar Bay Area, has finally found a permanent home. After years without a dedicated space, these walls now offer solace, particularly embracing individuals known as Hijrah or Kinnar in their cultures.

A fresh start with Diwali as a backdrop

Timed perfectly with Diwali, a festival symbolizing light and new beginnings, Parivar Bay Area officially opened its doors. At their ribbon-cut ceremony, founder Anjali Rimi, who herself journeyed here as an Indian immigrant, expressed profound gratitude. "I'm feeling very grateful," she shared, reflecting on all it took. "We've tried many times before, and now we have a place where we can truly belong." This space embodies roots and community.

Meeting urgent needs head-on

During celebrations, Phanny Lun, Director Of Strategy, highlighted why this center couldn't be more timely. "We're in a critical period," Lun explained. "We need places offering legal advice, leadership training, and support because transgender immigrants face so much discrimination." Community and connection matter. And now, Parivar Bay Area stands ready, reminding everyone that support exists—it isn't just doom and gloom.

Shifting narratives with strength

In a society often casting transgender people aside, Parivar Bay Area writes a different story. Lun was emphatic: "Immigrants and trans people have a place, and we're here, ready and willing, with open arms."

Welcoming diversity with open arms

While Parivar Bay Area primarily aims at helping Southeast Asian trans immigrants, Rimi makes it clear—they welcome all immigrants. Parivar Bay Area dreams big: they're building a sanctuary and support network, ready and waiting, no matter where someone comes from. As America's first Kinnar Hijrah-led group, they center their efforts on Indian South Asian and Global South transgender, gender-diverse, and intersex communities. Their mission? Social justice through advocacy, arts, support, and leadership development.

Their mission declares, "We reclaim spaces beyond cisnormativity, confront systemic barriers, and build bold, affirming pathways where our communities thrive locally and globally grounded in dignity, belonging, and pride."

A sanctuary open wide

Parivar Bay Area's groundbreaking center stands as a testament—a brick-and-mortar symbol—of resilience and determination. Here, transgender immigrants find navigation tools through legal advice, leadership training, and unwavering support. It empowers them, giving strength in a new homeland.

With Parivar Bay Area, they cultivate leadership and advocacy, arming their community with tools needed against inequality and toward a future brighter than any past. In nurturing community and belonging, Parivar Bay Area becomes a pillar, providing strength and support where there was little before.

In sum, this center opening marks immense achievement, especially poignant in its support toward South Asian individuals. It celebrates diversity, inclusion, resilience—offering vital resources, support, and empowerment where it always belonged.

As Parivar Bay Area grows, may it continue as a welcoming haven—a place where dignity and rights shine, cherished by all who enter.