This LGBTQ+ History month we’re proud to feature the incredible work of Trans Closet of the Hudson Valley. Founded in 2019, Trans Closet has become a beacon of support for trans and gender non-conforming individuals in need of gender-affirming clothing and essential resources. Their mission is rooted in providing accessibility, community, and empowerment to those who often face significant barriers. Read as we dive into the story behind their founding, the transformative impact of their services, and how they continue to uplift the local trans community.
"Every person deserves to experience euphoria about their gender, to play in the space of gender expression until they find something that starts to feel like home, and to continue to explore that for their whole lives."
Can you share the story behind the founding of Trans Closet of the Hudson Valley? What inspired its creation?
The Trans Closet of the Hudson Valley started back in 2019, the first version of it appearing as a final project in one of our organizer’s undergrad classes (Gender Utopias at SUNY New Paltz). The project was inspired by the readings in the course as well as that organizer’s growing experiences with trans community and other mutual aid organizations. As that version, TCHV popped up at a few local events with free clothes, finding immediately how pronounced the need for accessible clothing was and gathering new organizers and opportunities very quickly. Since then, the Trans Closet continued to expand—we grew steadily from two organizers with cars full of clothes to eight core organizers and an incredible network of other volunteers (and although our cars are still often full, we also have a storage space now). We’ve got a permanent physical space at the Dutchess County Pride Center, an email request service, and we pop up at events all over the Hudson Valley at least once a month, as well as host events of our own.
Beyond clothing, are there other resources or support services you offer to the community?
Yes definitely! We have a program where we mail out care packages to folks in the Hudson Valley that are undergoing gender affirming surgery. This program is really great because it helps get people the resources they need (based on our collective experience) to comfortably recover. We send things like neck pillows, cough drops, dry shampoo… the stuff your doctor won’t think to tell you about! But, the thing that we love the most about the care package program is how it connects people who are about to or just underwent surgery with people in their community who have been through it before. Surgery is really scary, and being disabled by surgery can create a lot of needs you may not have been able to anticipate, so while sometimes we send out care packages and there isn’t much interaction after, sometimes the program becomes a lifeline for a trans person going through a really difficult moment.
We also have a variety of resources available for free on our website! We have a series of three printable zines hand-written and drawn by one of our organizers—Binding 101, Tucking 101, and Packing 101. We’ve also compiled and linked a wide variety of local resources (like trans community organizations, housing resources, trans-competent doctors and lawyers and therapists, emergency funding sources, and more), and we started and maintain an ever-growing list of Trans Closets around the United States. Finally, we use our instagram page (@transclosethv) to boost local events that align with our organizational values as well as fundraisers for individual trans people.
"...we grew steadily from two organizers with cars full of clothes to eight core organizers and an incredible network of other volunteers (and although our cars are still often full, we also have a storage space now)."
For those reading this interview, how can they get involved with or support Trans Closet of the Hudson Valley? Are there opportunities for collaboration or remote involvement?
If you are in the Hudson Valley in New York, reach out to us and come say hello at an event! Attendance at our events, especially when you tell a friend, is a fantastic way to help us grow as an organization. And otherwise, the best way to support our work from near or far is to donate money. All of our organizers are unpaid volunteers, so all donations go directly to the work we are doing! We get a lot done on a small budget, so every dollar we raise goes a long way. Our website is www.transclosethv.org, and you can find a link to donate there.
We don’t have a lot of opportunities for remote involvement, but the really amazing thing about trans closets is that anyone can start one—no matter where you are, you can get some friends together and organize a T4T clothing swap. Maybe someone has a garage or a basement space where you can store some clothes, or you can collaborate with a local LGBTQ center to build out a permanent location. We really love the concept of trans closets because it’s an organizing model that is super adaptable depending on the organizers capacity and funding.
What advice would you give to other regions or communities looking to start a similar initiative?
There is an amazing zine called the Small Town Organizing for Anarchists - and we would recommend reading it because it addresses a lot of the concerns about organizing in rural areas. Among other things, it says to do some outreach and find people with a similar vision and then start doing stuff! A few of our organizers are also very fond of the books Emergent Strategy and Pleasure Activism by Adrienne Maree Brown, both of which have a ton of valuable insight about organizing and mutual aid.
We have two main pieces of advice. Firstly, keep it fun! If it feels like a job, re-evaluate. And secondly, spend some time understanding your own affinities/skills, and then make sure to invite people into the organization who have some very different ones.
"...the really amazing thing about trans closets is that anyone can start one—no matter where you are, you can get some friends together and organize a T4T clothing swap."
What has been the most rewarding aspect of running Trans Closet of the Hudson Valley?
For this question, we wanted to offer the insight of our organizers individually!
AO- Having a supportive community that helped me come out as trans and has been so supportive during my transition!
LJ- When I first interacted with the Trans Closet it was really welcoming and felt comfortable - probably the first time I had that experience picking out clothes. I also feel like it's really important for younger people to see someone who's almost 40 and trans out existing in the world.
RM- The community building aspect! Meeting other local trans folks and finding my people has definitely been the best part.
JE- Meeting new people and finding out there's a sizeable trans community in the Hudson Valley!
EE- The most rewarding part of organizing with TCHV for me is interacting with my community at events and seeing their tiny moments of joy and comfort—those happy, relieved sighs, those excited looks to a friend, the spins in the mirror and selfies, the sparks of conversations between new friends… Seeing trans people of all ages and backgrounds come together and enjoy themselves so special and rare.
ER- I like that I’m helping people local to where I grew up in situations very similar to mine find resources that I lacked growing up. Even just having space is an amazing addition, let alone the massive service we provide to young people in need.
How do you see the role of organizations like Trans Closet of the Hudson Valley in the broader fight for transgender rights and equality?
There are two main ways we see our organization connected to those bigger battles. Firstly, our visibility as trans people while we do this work is hugely important: by being recognizable to other trans people and amplifying the power of individuals in our community, we help to support and connect them so that they’re more able to build the coalitions that fight for trans justice. We also emphasize at our events that gender affirmation is for everyone—trans and cis—and the more cis people who can interact positively with us, the more likely they are to help spread care and acceptance for trans people and increase our safety as a community. Sometimes our organizers and volunteers are the first trans people that a cis person is interacting with knowingly, and maybe a good interaction with us means their next interaction with a trans person will go a little better. The second way that TCHV’s work relates to broader issues is very material—an enormous and pervasive issue for the trans community in our area (and in the broader world) is oppression under capitalism. TCHV works to alleviate the hefty cost of the gender-affirming accessories and new wardrobes that can be crucial not only for someone’s safety, but also for their joy and their comfort.
If you could share one message with the world about the importance of gender-affirming resources, what would it be?
Every person deserves to experience euphoria about their gender, to play in the space of gender expression until they find something that starts to feel like home, and to continue to explore that for their whole lives. Gender-affirming resources are an amazing turnkey for those experiences: they’re a part of healthcare, safety, community, and, crucially, fun.
At Urbody, we’re inspired by the vital work Trans Closet of the Hudson Valley is doing to support trans and gender non-conforming individuals. Their commitment to making gender-affirming resources available reflects the values we hold close. In honor of LGBTQ+ History Month, we’re supporting Trans Closet through our Buy One Give One initiative on October 20th. For every purchase made that day, we will donate a piece of clothing to Trans Closet, ensuring they can continue to provide much-needed items to the community.