Community Highlights: Meet Kyle Rhodes of Queer America Clothing

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kyle Rhodes.

Kyle, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born and raised in central Florida before moving to Colorado in 2016. It wasn’t until I moved to Colorado that actually got involved in the LGBTQ+ community and wanted to really make a difference. Queer America Clothing was originally started by my friend Julie and was built over a weekend in 2016 after being upset about something our then-president said. That burst of anger was funneled into creating cute t-shirts! 🏳️‍🌈 Since then, we have grown into a recognizable brand of clothing across Colorado and are hoping to expand into new markets where people can really show off the pride in their area!

We are a team of friends that met while volunteering at The Center on Colfax, Julie built the shop and has been designing the shirts. Kyle is the marketing master and manages the messaging. The reason for Queer America is to help empower the LGBTQ+ community, and learn how we give back to our community here.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For my personal experience, being gay has been a smooth road for me. Parents and family have always been so accepting of me and want the absolute best for me! I did not come out until I was in college when I was about 22 years old and I think that really helped me with my identity because it allowed me to take time and understand what I truly wanted. And because I was more mature, it allowed me to be the most confident when coming out to my friends, family, and peers.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Queer America Clothing is known for having bright, vibrant styles and designs that represent the true pride of a city. We take iconic landmarks from cities or places and turn them into a beautiful rainbow of colors. We started in Colorado so most of our designs speak to the Colorado lifestyle but are slowly expanding to more places across the vast land of #QueerAmerica. Besides just boasting rainbow colors year-round, we also partner with organizations across the community to help give back to them through giving campaigns. And on a personal level, both partners in the business are volunteers for The Center on Colfax (lgbtqcolorado.org). You can learn more about our giving partners and how we give back to the community at queeramerica.co/give

We offer shirts, stickers, flags, kids, youth, towels and so many products for you to show of your pride in the place you live!

What were you like growing up?
I think the #1 thing I remember about growing up was being the one kid in elementary school that loved office supplies and would bring a briefcase instead of a backpack into class. I always knew I would want to be in an office and be organizing things for people. Outside of Queer America Clothing, I also work at DaVita in IT.

Pricing:

• Shirts $28
• Stickers starting at $3

Contact Info:

• Website: https://queeramerica.co/give
• Instagram: instagram.com/shopqueeramerica
• Facebook: facebook.com/shopqueeramerica
• Twitter: twitter.com/shopqueer