San Francisco has become what's believed to be the first city in the country to create a position dedicated to transgender issues.
Mayor Ed Lee announced Thursday morning that Theresa Sparks will be appointed to the newly created post of senior adviser for transgender initiatives.
“We should be adding more protections to prevent discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities in the United States, not taking them away,” Lee said in a statement.
The move comes amid a larger national battle over the rights of transgender individuals.
Several weeks ago, 11 states filed a lawsuit against the Obama administration over its directive that public schools allow students to use the bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity. That came after North Carolina passed a law requiring people to use restrooms that correspond to the gender of their birth certificate.