The 2025 TransLatin@ Walk4Humanity took place in Los Angeles last weekend and, in a display of resistance, visibility and solidarity, raised $462,550 for life-changing health and support services, including those centered on HIV care and prevention.

 

Organized by The TransLatin@ Coalition (TLC), Walk4Humanity offers community members an opportunity to mobilize and show support for trans, gender-nonconforming and nonbinary (TGNCNB) and intersex individuals. The event amplifies their voices and raises essential funds for life-affirming services while celebrating joy and power in the face of injustice.

 

 

The two-mile walk kicked off with an opening ceremony and speech by coalition CEO and president Bamby Salcedo, a Mexican American transgender rights activist. (Salcedo was honored in the 2022 POZ 100, which celebrated Latino HIV advocates, as well as the 2019 POZ 100, which elevated those in the TGNCNB communities; to learn about her earlier efforts, read a 2011 profile here.)

 

Speaking during last week’s Walk4Humanity rally, Salcedo said, “This is an event to bring people together, to walk for our own humanity and stand in solidarity with one another—while at the same time raising money for the TransLatin@ Coalition.”

 

 

TLC has grown into a nationally recognized organization with representation in 10 U.S. states, according to TLC, and is the largest trans-led organization in Los Angeles. Click here for more details about the group and rally, including a gallery of photos from the day.

 

Founded in 2009, the coalition offers HIV prevention and testing, housing services for transitioning individuals, mental health counseling, leadership development, work support (such as résumé building and job search assistance) and more.

 

Nearly 51,000 people were living with HIV in 2022 in Los Angeles Country, according to AIDSVu data. What’s more, TGNCNB people are at greater risk for HIV and are more likely to be living with the virus than the population at large. To learn more, visit POZ’s Health Basics on HIV and Transgender People.

 

Proceeds from this year’s event will support the creation of a new community center in Los Angeles that will provide TLC’s critical services.

 

Stretching from Sunset Junction in Silver Lake to Western Avenue in Hollywood, the walk was led by Grand Marshal Kalen Allen, a social justice advocate and award-winning digital creator whose positive energy inspired walkers and onlookers alike.

 

 

The walk culminated in a block party that featured live entertainment from nearly a dozen performers, including David Hermandez, LZ Love and LaBamby. TLC vice president and COO Maria Roman-Taylorson, a longtime advocate and leader in social services for the transgender community, also spoke at the event.

 

 

Although the walk is over, there’s still time to donate! Go here to learn more.