Their House: A Trans Sanctuary in Aurora
Their House, Inc. knows that gender affirming care doesn’t start and end with mental health and medical care. For the nearly 21,000 people in Colorado that identify as transgender, finding safe spaces in their day-to-day life is a constant challenge. Their House hopes to bring more normalcy to everyday life for transgender Coloradans by providing them what so many of us take for granted: a supportive and gender-affirming space to find fashion, to help them feel more themselves with hair styling and makeovers, and to guide them to find resources and community.
Bianca, Vicky, and Amayas are the power team running Their House Inc., Aurora’s newest transgender support home. As a new BIPOC and queer led nonprofit, they have done amazing work over the past three months since they launched.
In November, Bianca and Vicky spoke with OFM over some of their struggles and successes creating Their House Inc. When Talking about why she started Their House , Bianca saya, “Amayas (her child) is (transfemme), and my daughter is transgender. So, growing up, they’ve always had friends in the LGBTQ+ community and … my (home) became a safe space for them.” Bianca, Vicky, and Amayas knew that trans and nonbinary youth in Aurora ages 14-25 needed a place where they were able to feel safe; there were not a lot of resources for trans individuals there and wanted to help fill this gap.
One of Their House’s services they provide is the trans closet. The trans closet provides nonbinary and trans people access to clothing, hygiene products, and gender affirming items that are free and in a judgement-free space. Their House Inc.’s leadership is primed to create this space and personalize each person’s experience.
“We (had) the idea of giving makeovers, Vicky notes. Bianca adds that, “ It helps that we all do hair (and) makeup. Their House understands how important small ways to express personal gender identity mitigates gender dysphoria. Vicky pointed out that, “ I know from experience and from … friends that a piece of clothing, a lipstick, or any garment can … save somebody’s life … Gender dysphoria and not feeling in their gender (can greatly affect mental health.) I feel like it’s something that (everyone) should have access to.”
This is why Their House creates specialized clothing that is tailored to each person who comes to them. Instead of giving only second-hand clothing, they want to make curated pieces for someone’s vision or tailor the trans closet to the season. Bianca adds, “I (am) very blessed to have an amazing friend, (Lexi), that I have done fashion shows with for years now … She has offered her time to (make) tucking garments for (Their House.)”
Their House is putting that extra ounce of love, care, and detail of the type of clothing they provide. In addition to their individual donations of time, talent, and resources, they ask for donations that are high quality to cover the needs of the trans community. To satisfy the daily needs of gender-affirming care Their House Inc. will also be providing other self-care items.. Bianca adds that, “We also … have a skin care line … lotions and bars of soap that …(will) soon be on (our) shelves, so that when people do come in, they’re able to pick stuff that they need.” Lots of these plans are still in the works since they are a new organization, but they are hoping to implement many of these plans in the coming year. with the continued support from the community as they gain more funding.
In addition to the Trans Closet, they also provide gender-affirming services in a safe, inclusive environment. Some of their services include a trans alter, community zine space, and name change navigation.
Vicky discusses how she originally came up with the idea of the altar from families reaching out and her traditions celebrating Dia de los Muertos. Inspired by her traditions, Vicky developed the altar to honor trans and two-spirit individuals who had passed away or been murdered by anti-trans violence.
She shares, “Being a space for loved ones to commemorate and celebrate lives (is) incredibly emotional and beautiful. The altar remains a permanent fixture at Their House’s office, offering a year-round space for remembrance and reflection. Navigating the legal hurdles of a name change can be daunting, but Their House simplifies the process by partnering with Unicorn Drug Testing, owned by Bianca, to offer fingerprinting services. Additionally, their community zine and resource wall serve as hubs of information and creativity, showcasing work from local artists who craft resource packets and zines tailored to the community’s needs.
They also have plans to open a community living house with multiple beds open and available for use. Their House wants to support those who walk in their door to be healthy, happy, and successful people. Bianca says, “Trans life still means facing additional obstacles … (and we) will be there for them every step of the way. ” Bianca and Vicky are inspiring as they discuss trying to build up people using their own experiences. They do a lot of great work to uplift the community both at Their House and beyond.
In addition to providing community living, phase two of Their House involves more esthetician equipment to help trans folks feel more comfortable in their bodies, such as laser hair removal, tattoo removal, injectables, and fillers. However, being a new nonprofit, Bianca also speaks to how difficult it has been to receive enough grant funding for a lot of services and support they want to offer to the community. Their House does not have a ton of existing operational information to apply for government grants. For example, they do not have the community living house open because “all of (the grants) want you to be up and running” before applying for funds.
Want to get involved? In addition to donations, Their House needs volunteers for fundraising, operations, and organizing. People-facing skills like makeup and sewing, or more behind the scenes like grant writing and website creation, are all very helpful. The whole team at Their House is determined to make their aspirations and dreams a success. Vicky adds, “Their house is open and will continue to be open until the moment (everyone) stops coming out (or needing help). Which will probably never be the case.”
Their House is opening for a soft launch and fundraising event on January 5 from 12p.m. – 6p.m. They will post more information on their Instagram with event details.
Want to be notified of the event details, need support, or want to donate or get involved? You can reach Their House on Instagram (@theirhouseinc), by email (theirhouse.inc@gmail.com), or phone (303-317-8463).
