Z-Club at MoCo Pride Center
Not all of us have the luxury of being who we are out loud. This is a space for you.
Z-Club was created for transgender and gender-nonconforming folks to show up as themselves, even just for a few hours. Change your clothes, do your hair, and be who you are in safety and community with people that value you. This social club is hosted by trans community members that can empathize with your frustrations, encourage you in hard times, and share in your joys.
This is not our usual support group or social event; this is a private safe space. As such, we have special policies in place that everyone who registers must agree to before attending. Please read the following carefully, and register using the form to join us. We are here for you.
About Z
“Z-Club” was named for Zella Ziona, a transgender woman whose life was taken in Rockville, MD in October of 2015. The 10th anniversary of her death passed just after the opening of MoCo Pride Center.
Like all MoCo residents, Zella deserved to live as her authentic self without fear. We created Z-Club to be a safe landing place and to reduce stigma around transition.
What is the exchange process like?
When a clothing donation for the Gender-Affirming Wear Program is dropped off at MoCo Pride Center, we ask the donor (or our staff, if the donor is unable or unavailable) to fill out a special intake form about the item they’re donating. This printed form includes information about the clothing item’s material, size, condition, etc. with a signed certification that the item has been recently cleaned. This form and the clothing item are then sealed in a bag and placed in our donation bins.
When a Gender-Affirming Wear item is requested, our staff sort through our available items for an item that matches the request. If we find one, we notify the requester and they can come in for pick-up on their own schedule.
When a Gender-Affirming Wear item is picked up, the requester is also asked to fill out a printed form so that we can keep track of who receives services from MoCo Pride Center. This information is optional, anonymous, and not shared with anyone! Then we pass over the item, and all is well :)
For mending and alteration services, drop-off looks very similar: bring in your damaged item, fill out our intake form, seal up your item, and wait to be contacted for pick-up. On pick-up, review the changes made to your item and make sure it’s to your liking!
FAQs
Please consult our Frequently Asked Questions list before filling out any of our request forms!
If you have a question about any of our clothing exchange programs that isn’t reflected here, you can get in touch with our team at hello@mocopridecenter.org. Someone will get back to you as soon as they’re able!
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Our stock changes constantly according to community needs! We prioritize finding binders, sport and regular bras, compression shirts, and other gender-affirming garments. The best way to know what we have is to visit MoCo Pride Center in person at 4805 Edgemoor Lane!
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We’ll take anything you have! Community members have a wide range of needs and wants, and we are always happy to make sure a garment finds a home.
In particular, we especially want to collect gender-affirming clothing like bras, sports bras, compression shirts, binders, chest tape, top surgery shirts with drainage holes, or any other items that help with social transition.
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We do take used items! We prefer things that have been gently-used — would you pick this item up in a thrift store?
For safety reasons, we just ask that all items are washed BEFORE delivering them to MoCo Pride Center.
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We request that all clothing items donated to MoCo Pride Center are washed before donating, but this is an honor system! We encourage anyone receiving an item of clothing from one of our services to ALSO thoroughly wash the item when they get home.
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That’s ok! Many people receiving gender-affirming clothing for the first time don’t know their sizes. At MoCo Pride Center, we stock flexible measuring tapes for you to use in our genderless bathrooms. This way, you can measure yourself for an item before you commit to picking one up.
Because there can be health risks associated with using ill-fitting clothing, we want to make sure that everyone knows their measurements so our staff can select an item from our stocks that fits you best.
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Mending and alterations are usually completed within 2 weeks, but timelines may vary due to the season or complexity of the project. Sometimes it may be even faster!
For items requested as part of the Gender-Affirming Wear program, you can pick up your item as soon as you receive a confirmation email from our staff letting you know an item that suits you is in stock!
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No shoes, sorry! Not a cobbler ;)
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Yes, you have to fill out the form. We do not give donations away on a walk-in basis! This is how we keep track of how many donations we need and how many community members we help! Some questions on our forms are totally optional, and you don’t have to answer those if you don’t want to.
All of our information is kept private and made anonymous — we don’t give identifying information out to anybody. We only ask these questions to get a sense of who makes up our community so we can help you better.
Gender-Affirming Wear Request Form
Fill out the form below to request a gender-affirming wear item from MoCo Pride Center and Rainbow Youth Alliance! Once your submission is received, our staff will work on locating an item that fits you and seems suitable.
Mending and Alteration Form
Fill out the form below to request sewing assistance from the wonderful Mayes Makes! Once your submission is received, you are welcome to bring in your item at any time for drop-off. A staff member will walk you through the intake process, and then you will receive notification when your item is ready for pick-up again!
Want to make sure these services continue?