Words and Photos by Marley DeRosia
I walked into the Equal Grounds cafe for GV2’s Trans Day of Visibility clothing swap wearing an outfit that I can only describe as “me.” Gradually, and in leaps and bounds, the Flower City has become a safer place for people of all identities to celebrate their individuality. And on this year’s Trans Day of Visibility, GV2 (Genesee Valley Gender Variants) member Samson Weinberg (he/him, they/theirs) told me it’s one of the reasons he moved here from the Midwest in the first place.
Observed on March 31, this annual day of awareness is dedicated to celebrating the lives and joy of trans people while raising awareness about the discrimination experienced by trans folks across the world. Samson was the powerhouse behind the Equal Grounds’ first clothing swap in honor of the day.
With clothing rod and hangers in hand, GV2 set up donation piles across the tables of Equal Grounds, along the walls, in bins on the ground. This social group gets together weekly to chat about their lives and struggles with others living “outside of the binary.”
“I hoped for maybe our usual GV² Thursday night meetup numbers, so, maybe a dozen or so people?” Samson guessed. “Instead, we got enough donations that the clothing rack I brought to hang donations on collapsed TWICE from the weight.”
MARLEY: LET’S START WITH AN INTRODUCTION
SW: Hi, there! I’m Samson, he/him or they/ them, I like a mix of both. I’m 26, I’m an artist and aspiring writer, and I also sometimes help organize the occasional community event here and there.
HOW’D YOU GET INVOLVED WITH GV2?
I discovered GV² through word of mouth! This seems to be the case for how most of us have come to meet the group. GV² had been meeting at Equal Grounds regularly for years, so they invited me to the next upcoming meeting, and the rest is history.
WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS AS YOU PREPARED THE EVENT?
In all seriousness, I did NOT think this event would be this much of a success, and I’m thrilled with how it turned out! I knew several other organizations had planned events for that day, so I figured this would be lower on the food chain. Instead, we got enough donations that the clothing rack for donations collapsed TWICE from the weight. I’m still floored with how the community really came together for this.
WHY ARE EVENTS LIKE THIS IMPORTANT FOR THE ROCHESTER COMMUNITY (AND BEYOND)?
I’ll spare you the dissertation here and try to pick just a few reasons!
Rochester has, statistically speaking, a huge LGBT+ population, including trans and gender non-conforming folks. Generally, it’s safer here than in a lot of other communities nationwide, but we still encounter some common shared struggles, and one of those is clothing access. While not every trans/non-binary/gender non- conforming person updates their wardrobe or aesthetic as part of their gender expression, a lot of us do, and that’s not a cheap or easy process. Purchasing new items that affirm your gender is, sadly, a privilege that large amount of the trans community can’t afford, ESPECIALLY when you consider how many of us fall below the poverty line due to hiring and pay discrimination (along with an infinite number of other factors). It’s also hard for many of us, especially my transfemme1 sisters, to feel safe/comfortable shopping at traditional stores when gender binaries are so socially reinforced through clothing racks, dressing rooms, and more.
ANY FINAL THOUGHTS?
I just want to take a moment to say a sincere THANK YOU to anyone and everyone who was involved with this. I know I’m the guy being interviewed here, but I did very little; one man does not a clothing swap make, or at least, it’d be a real boring one. Every single person who showed up has my gratitude, regardless of whether you brought clothes to donate.
A bonus thank you to my GV² comrades, especially Maur, who worked their ass off to get this off the ground (am I allowed to say ass in this?).2 Also thank you to Equal Grounds for letting us use the space—the event came together on short notice and they’ve always been lovely to us every time we’re there (tip the baristas when you visit, please. They work HARD).
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANTED TO TALK ABOUT?
If you or a loved one are going through the process of reckoning with your gender/sexuality/other aspects of your identity: please, please know you are not alone. This stuff often gets VERY hard, and VERY messy, but you are so far from alone in this. There are people who want you to be able to be you, who will stand by you. And sometimes those people run clothing swaps and coffee hangouts, among other things. You’ve got this. Hang in there.
Interviewing Samson and attending the GV² event was an important reminder that not everyone has the privileges that cis/het3 people often take for granted, but it was even more inspiring to witness the joy of community in the four walls of that coffee shop.
Countless people came to try on clothing, make new friends, and indulge in a sweet or two from Equal Grounds. Along with the scent of coffee, countless laughs, cheers, and shouts of greeting permeated the air on March 31.
Our outfits do more than just protect our bodies from the cold. Fashion is one of the primary ways we present ourselves to the world: our likes, dislikes, status, cultural influences, gender identity. When we don’t have clothing that makes us feel good, our confidence, relationships, and sense of self can suffer as a result. It’s thanks to events like these and because of the caring people who run them that Rochester will continue to grow into a safer space for people of all identities.
If you want to get in touch with GV², attend one of their weekly Thursday meetings at Equal Grounds on South Ave. They look forward to seeing you there.
