JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville woman wants to make sure members of our local LGBTQ+ community feel safe and supported when shopping. She operates a gender-affirming boutique on the Westside and says her mission is bigger than fashion.
Kamala’s Kloset offers all kinds of kicks, fits, prints and patterns. There’s something for everyone.
The boutique is a part of Williams’ nonprofit, The Lotus Flower Project. Her customers include LGBTQ+ teens and adults.
Williams says some of her clothing partners include Eddie Bauer at the St. Augustine Outlets, PSMJax, Uncut Drip as well as donations from the Jacksonville community.
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It is an all-inclusive shopping experience founder Kamala Williams, who is bisexual, says she created specifically with the LGBTQ+ community in mind. She especially wants to help ease the anxiety or dysphoria that those who are transgender, nonbinary or gender-nonconforming might experience in a traditional retail store.
Williams said, “I wanted to create a safe space for folks that would like to come in and just pick out whatever you like, not have to choose a gender, not have to worry about being outed or being treated a certain type of way by a sales clerk.”
The boutique is a part of Williams’ nonprofit, The Lotus Flower Project. Her customers include LGBTQ+ teens and adults.
“We assist with styling and helping you figure out what looks good on you. Then we encourage you to try it on and just come out and give it a twirl and let us see how it looks. And we just make it an entire experience,” Williams said.
It’s an experience, customer and local transgender man Chaun Cameron appreciates.
“It is sometimes difficult when there are traditional things,” Cameron said, “Transitioning or being a transgender is not traditional. So, you need something sometimes out-of-the-box or something different in order to make people feel different when they are different.”
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Williams says her goal is for customers to leave with items that not only reflect who they are, but impact how they show up in the world.
“Shopping is a form of therapy, and I believe our community should have that therapy,” Williams said, “It’s not just about clothes. When you look you feel good, when you feel good, you make good decisions. So this is bigger than clothing, this is a piece of the puzzle and it’s important to me.”
Williams is on a mission to hold space for others. Cameron hopes more people in our community will be inspired to do the same.
Cameron said, “Whether you agree, whether you understand, whether you have someone that’s in it, it’s about humans being comfortable. So in your mindset, just create more spaces or more places for people to be comfortable.”
For the safety and comfort of her customers, shopping at Kamala’s Kloset is by appointment only. Follow this link to get more information: https://thelotusflowerproject.org/services/kamalas-kloset/.
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