Mayor Eric Garcetti said today that the city has created a Transgender Advisory Council to advise officials on issues affecting transgender people in Los Angeles.

The Transgender Advisory Council will serve to give policy advice to Garcetti, the City Council and other officials on various issues that impact Los Angeles' transgender community, City News Service reports. The Council falls under the umbrella of Los Angeles' Human Relations Commission.

There are nine members of the council, including Karina Samala, Diana Feliz Oliva, Jaden Fields, James Wen, Jazzmun Crayton, Justine Gonzalez, Talia Bettcher, Terri Jay and Zoey Luna.

Samala said via a release that the council was formed to "provide a greatly improved quality of life for all transgender individuals visiting, living and working in the City of Los Angeles."

The council's first meeting is today, and Samala said the group will discuss issues including healthcare, hate crimes, employment, immigration and housing.

"Today, the City of Los Angeles sends a clear message to transgender Angelenos: your voices matter and your experiences count," Garcetti said via a release.

City leaders say that Los Angeles is the largest city in the U.S. to permanently create such a council. West Hollywood has had a similar board since 2009.