Education & Youth | LGBTQ | Arts & Culture | New Haven Pride | New Haven Pride Center | Ninth Square | Arts & Anti-racism
Hazel and Mia Rivera. Abiba Biao Photos.
After making it through the first day of school last week, Cooperative Arts & Humanities High School students Hazel and Mia Rivera wanted some fresh new fits. So they went to the best place they knew for a serious back-to-school haul: the New Haven Pride Center. In the end, they left with bags full of plushies, shoes, jackets, and dresses, ready to make the school their runway this year.
Saturday afternoon, the two were attendees at thePride Center’s second annual Gender Affirming Back to School Shopping Spree, or GABSSS, an event offering clothing and school supplies for students and families alike. It doubled as a soft kick off to New Haven Pride, which continues with a drag queen story hour at Mitchell Library this Wednesday and Pride block party this Saturday. More information about those is available here.
After a successful event last year, GABSSS returned by popular demand—and fielded a crowd throughout the afternoon. For event co-organizers Ta’LannaMonique “T’Mo” Lawson-Dickerson and Orion Arena, it was a way to fill a growing need among queer and trans youth for gender-affirming clothing items like bras, ties, binders, skirts and dresses, as well as standard school supplies like folders and backpacks.
Event organizers Ta’LannaMonique “T’Mo” Lawson-Dickerson and Orion Arena.
It’s not just that the cost of clothes adds up, both explained: some young people don’t have reliable access to clothes that make them feel fully themselves. According to the Trevor Project’s 2020 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, LGBTQ+ youth with at least one gender-affirming space were 35 percent less likely to experience self-harm or suicidality.
“Nobody does a back-to-school event for queer young people, and that could look very different, especially if their parents don't support who they are,” Lawson-Dickerson said. “If you don't have that support, this is a place that's a safe place for folks to go so they can buy —well, get, for free, really—any clothes that they want that affirms who they are, their gender, how they represent.”
For Arena, the Pride Center is not only a place where people can be themselves through fashion—it’s also a site where people can form lasting connections, with opportunities for camaraderie and community building. Throughout the event, Arena served as a stylist, guiding people towards statement pieces and chatting with attendees about their unique aesthetics.
“I just feel like it's really nice to connect with people in the community that do come here to get the clothes and stuff and just like affirming queer youth and their identities and just making them feel like they matter, and that they're seen,” he said.
The amount of supplies and goods took about a month to accrue, and came largely by donation. Laptop cases, bookbags, and folders were all in popular demand, as were clothing items.
In its second year, GABSSS grew exponentially, with more capacity for goods and people than it did last year. Lawson-Dickerson said part of that is owing to the Center’s new location: last year at this time, it was still in a basement office at 54 Orange St. And yet, “we still don't have enough space,” Lawson-Dickerson added.
Thanks to Lawson-Dickerson and Arena, this year also included personalized stylists, giving it the feel of a spunky and curated shopping event.
With GABSSS a week before New Haven Pride in early September, Lawson-Dickerson envisions the school giveaway as a “mini Pride event” next year and precursor to their September festivities. They hope to include local artists and tables down the block.
Top: Stylist Naomi Jones. Bottom: Darnell Ray.
As Darnell Ray inspected the array of ties on the table, Naomi Jones was there to lend a helping hand. Jones has had a longstanding interest in fashion since middle school and has been modeling since she was 15. When she heard about GABSSS, she decided to volunteer as a stylist to kill some time and help people.
“I like helping people feel their best and look stylish,” she said. “When you feel your best, you look your best.”
For Ray, a self-described “tie person,” feeling his best meant having multiple pairs of ties. Opting for casual outfits, Ray selected a few pairs of ties and t-shirts to take home. With this being his first GABSSS, Ray encouraged others to attend as well.
“Come in, check it out and see what they have to offer,” he said.
Newly minted New Haven Public Schools students Nataliah, Sofia, and Mayah.
Perusing the notebook section was mom Katherine Pastrana with her three daughters Nataliah, Sofia, and Mayah. The mother of four learned about GRABSSS through her sister in law, prompting her visit to the Pride Center for the first time.
Pastrana and her family more recently moved to New Haven from West Haven, and she is now enrolling her children in New Haven Public Schools. While the transition is exciting, Pastrana said she still worries, hoping that her kids are acclimated and feel comfortable at their new schools.
“I’m hoping it goes well for them,” she said. “Kids could be rough.”
In the meantime, her daughters ran through the aisles selecting their supplies and toys to venture into their classrooms.
“Last year I didn't have a lot of stuff, and I kept losing Sharpies and highlighters, so I decided to come here to get more stuff,” Mayah said. Now a fourth grader, Mayah said she was “nervous” starting school because she doesn’t know her multiplication tables.
Her sister Nataliah, on the other hand, had no fears about entering the second grade. Her plan: be prepared with lots of toys.
“I came here for the fidget [toys] and the stickers!” Nataliah exclaimed, holding up a purple slinky.
Not only did the event serve as a way for Pastrana to get supplies for her daughters: she also found an outlet to donate old supplies and clothes for next year. That's a secondary part of GABSSS' mission and the Center's year-round clothing closet: secondhand finds are better for the planet.
“They’re growing out of stuff, I’m getting rid of stuff, and I hate to throw things away,” she said. “I don’t know a lot of people out here to give it to, so I mean, it would be awesome to be able to donate.”
Hazel showing off her flower necklace which she immediately wore after finding and Mia showing their newfound burgundy Rolodex wallet.
Hazel and Mia, both 15, are frequent faces at the Pride Center. The two Co-Op students come there not just to hang out, but also to volunteer and get community service hours. A junior and sophomore respectively, they’re now getting into thrifting and sustainable fashion: Mia’s favorite thrift store is Plato’s Closet.
The two also have very different fashion tastes. Hazel cycles through goth, alternative, Y2K fashion, and other styles, constantly experimenting with new ways to present herself. In comparison, Mia tailors their outfits based on their gender expression, gauging how masculine or feminine they feel.
“Fashion is just a really good way to express emotions for me,” Hazel said.
For Mia, the Pride Center has also been an important and gender-affirming space. After “scrapping up [the] money” to buy a binder off Amazon, they continuously encountered difficulties with size and price. It wasn’t until their second visit to the Pride Center that they found a binder that matched their size and was made of comfortable material.
Throughout their journey of discovering their gender identity, they emphasized the importance of having support structure and familial help.
“I personally am lucky enough to have like, especially people in my household [who] are understanding,” they said. “…It's really all just about like picking and choosing, your chosen family and who you want to surround yourself with.”