Clothes shopping can be a challenge for trans, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming people, especially on a budget.
Shirts, pants and shoes might be hard to find in the right style and size.
The new QMNTY Closet, a free thrift store, is here to help. The expanded version of a service provided by nonprofit groups Trans YOUniting and Proud Haven opened Wednesday in its new dedicated storefront on East Ohio Street, on the North Side.
“Some people just have absolutely nothing,” said Melissa Sloan, who runs the store. “So to come in and be able to gather things that they need, keeping theirself warm, keeping theirself comfortable, [with] gender-affirming garments, maybe work clothes — whatever they need, it’s just going to be amazing.”
The small store is lined with shelves and packed with racks bearing everything from jeans, T-shirts and winter coats to stilettos and fancy dresses. Hand-written signs read thing like “Masculine shirts” and “Feminine Formal Wear.” The store also offers hygiene products and some nonperishable food items.
The free thrift store, which depends on donations, had previously operated out of Trans YOUniting’s QMNTY Center, located just a few doors down. The store quickly outgrew it original 10-feet-by-10-feet space in that building’s basement.
The Center will continue to operate its offices and programs including free health screenings, craft and game nights, and a support group out of its headquarters. (It also organizes Pittsburgh Pride, the city's biggest annual celebration of the LGBTQ community.) And working with Proud Haven, Trans YOUniting continues to offer housing to transgender, lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, intersex, asexual and HIV-positive people.
In its new space, the Closet will be open noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. All that’s required of patrons is to sign in.
On Wednesday, more than a dozen shoppers packed the aisles both before and after Trans YOUniting executive director Dena Stanley cut the ceremonial red ribbon. A number of customers were also volunteers with Trans YOUniting or Proud Haven.
“It’s a wonderful thing,” said Jazmine Butterfly, a Trans YOUniting board member browsing the racks. “It’s much needed because we have a lot of people that don’t feel safe going to regular thrift stores and lots of times they don’t even have their size.”
“It’s just really nice that there’s other members of the community here,” said a shopper named Willow. “I feel like this is 100 percent normal. The comfort, the love that’s going on here.”
“It’s been really a good shopping experience so far,” said Alex Lightning, a drag queen. “They cater to everyone, not just some sizes.”
“I found a few T-shirts,” said Kitt, a gender-fluid Swissvale resident. “My partner and fiancé is also transmasculine, so we share clothes as well, so I found clothes not just for me, but that we can share together.”
“I also have a job where I have to wear a different kind of uniform or style than I would normally wear in my day-to-day,” said Babs, a Swissvale resident. “So being able to find things where I wouldn’t have to spend an arm and a leg is way more helpful.”
With President Donald Trump and both state and federal Republican lawmakers pursuing anti-trans policies like denying trans people's access to bathrooms, medical care and legal documents that reflect their gender identity, Stanley acknowledged this is a difficult time. But she said the store was an important resource, perhaps especially for younger members of the community.
“It is a disaster, but we’ve been here before,” said Stanley. “We’re gonna make it through this and we’re gonna love on the babies, ’cause they’re the ones who really need us at this time.”
