One of the country’s few gender-affirming thrift stores is in Baltimore
by Julie Scharper
Published November 4 in The Baltimore Banner
The Skylight Boutique is not like other church thrift stores.
There is an assortment of mammoth stiletto heels, in sizes up to a women’s 16. Wigs: curly, straight and vibrant purple. Plenty of plus sizes. Chest binders. And a team of workers eager to help shoppers find clothes and accessories that fit their bodies — and affirm their gender.
The boutique is a project of Dreams & Visions, one of a trio of Lutheran congregations rooted in the St. Mark’s church building in Station North. Led by Pastor Emily M.D. Scott, Dreams & Visions centers LGBTQIA+ people, a population that often faces discrimination from others who identify as Christian.
Trans people, in particular, have come under attack in the final weeks of the presidential campaign, with Republicans saturating swing states with ads designed to spur hostility against them.
But that hatred feels far away from the sunny church loft that holds the Skylight Boutique. On a recent Sunday, Dreams & Visions members showed Halloween movies and handed out bags of popcorn and candy as shoppers poked through the clothes.
“I think people need to know there are queer-affirming Christian spaces,” said volunteer Phillip Clark. “The Skylight Boutique is a really tangible way of living out our faith.”
The idea for a gender-affirming thrift store was honed through a series of surveys and interviews led by the congregation, said Scott. People who are trans, nonbinary or in some way gender-nonconforming spoke of the difficulties they faced when shopping for clothing.
“It’s a very vulnerable experience when your body is different from what the fashion industry typically designs for,” said Scott. “It’s frustrating and demoralizing to have clothes not fit and salespeople look at you funny.”
While there are an increasing number of brands that sell clothing and gear designed for trans and gender-nonconforming people, their products are pricey. And the brands are almost entirely online, which means there is often no way for shoppers to try on items on before purchasing them.
Moreover, trans people often face financial hardships due to employment discrimination. More than one-third of trans people are living in poverty and nearly 1 in 5 are unemployed, according to a national survey.
At the Skylight Boutique, there are no price tags. A volunteer sits by a cash register, but there is no pressure to pay a set amount. “The expectation is zero, so anything more is great,” said employee Abi Wynn, 26.
The thrift store, which celebrated its first anniversary this month, is largely supported by grants and donations, Scott said. A Baltimore Community Foundation grant of $20,000 enabled the team to freshen up the space and bring it up to code, she said. Additional funding from the Delaware-Maryland Lutheran Synod and Divinity Lutheran Church in Towson allows the boutique to purchase new gender-affirming gear and pay the stipends to a small staff.
The shop, which is open on the second and fourth Sundays of each month, has been so flooded with clothing that it is not currently accepting private donations, Scott said.
On a recent Sunday, assistant manager Owen Miller-Dye, 31, tidied a rack of pants as shoppers browsed around him. Miller-Dye, who is trans, said being in a space that celebrates gender-nonconforming people brings him joy.
“If I had found a place like this earlier in my life, I would have been more accepting of myself,” he said. “I probably would have come out sooner.”
Only a handful of other trans-affirming thrift stores operate around the country, including Margie’s Closet in Cleveland and Safe Combinations in Portland, Oregon.
Wynn pointed out that unlike a bar or a drag show, the shop allows queer people to socialize without spending money. “It’s a place to sit and hang out and build community and it’s free,” they said.
Nearby, their friends Noah Grover, 21, and Julian Spence, 28, both baristas, poked through the racks of clothing. Spence had picked out a pair of navy blue corduroys and a peach waffle-weave top — an outfit he liked so much he wore it home.
“I come here every chance I get,” said Spence. “All the vibes are really great.”
This story was republished with permission from The Baltimore Banner. Visit www.thebaltimorebanner.com for more.
