After receiving almost $100,000 in grant money from the city in June, the group Queer Youth Space has spent the summer deciding how to use those funds to activate the community. The group has been mostly in planning stages throughout the summer but members hope to amp it up for the end of the year, starting with the Saturday September 11th Big Queer Jumble Sale.
“One of the things we found problematic about the queer community is a lot of events take a lot of money,” said group spokesperson Kyle Croft.
Croft wasn’t joking when he noted drag costumes as being a particularly high cost for queer youth looking to explore other parts of the queer community. He’s right. That gear is expensive. Queer Youth Space hopes to use the sale as a way to offset costs for youth with little or no money.
If the group receives enough donated items, much of the rummaged clothing will be provided for free. Croft said they are only looking to cover costs; any additional proceeds will go toward the group’s project fund to put on more events in the future. They want the capital to return to the community.
“The more money we have [for future events], the lower prices we can charge people,” Croft said. “It’s meant to make events more accessible.”
The event is currently scheduled to be held at the People’s Parking Lot on Pine and Belmont but there have been some issues with securing permission from the lot’s owner, development company Murray Franklin.
Though the primary focus of the event will be a clothing rummage sale, there will also be food and maybe even live performance.
“The idea is that people will come and share their ideas and to make it more a speaking space and an open space, people can perform in it if they want to,” Croft said. “We want it to be a community event.”
Queer Youth Space still hasn’t finalized on a permanent space for the group’s headquarters but group representatives said they have almost completed talks about leasing a currently undisclosed Capitol Hill location to use as the permanent home for Three Wings, as was reported by Seattle Gay News.
Community members who want to contribute goods to the rummage sale are encouraged to either bring them to the sale or e-mail [email protected].
Old clothes are dirt cheap – see color tag sales at Goodwill and Value Village. Drag is one dress and some make – up , and a personna with routine, the hard part. Go for it.
This is a clothing bank sort of thing? Guess I will take a box and see.
That vacant lot is far less inviting that Cal Anderson Park, why there? Where do you take a leak at the vacant lot? Get a drink of water?
it’s a rummage sale where everything is free yet will somehow raise money? confusion.
This IS very confusing…is it a fundraiser or a swap meet or just donating old clothes to the kids so they can dress up in drag or what?
Drag has always been about creating something from nothing. If you’re poor, then get a part-time job in a fabric store, costume shop or Goodwill…or, volunteer to work for a tiny theater company or charity shop that has old clothes. Raid Grandma’s attic. Be CREATIVE! Pageant style drag CAN be expensive but it doesn’t have to be…and, crazy, punk, “Trannyshack” style drag is a lot more radical and easier to pull off anyway.