If you walk on the downtown mall past The Beautiful Idea on a hot summer day, you’ll see a cooler with the sign “Free Water” taped on the top. As you go inside, you’ll see flags and white string lights lining the ceilings and a friendly face at the counter to greet you.
The front of the store has many products, such as jewelry, art, and clothes. As you move into the store, bookshelves are lined with all types of books. There are sections on political beliefs, LGBTQ+ stories, both fiction and nonfiction, and books on all other types of niche topics.
The Beautiful Idea, a trans-owned, antifascist store, made its grand opening last September in the Downtown Mall. The owners of The Beautiful Idea are four friends: Senlin Means, Ellie Picard, Joan Kovatch, and Dylan West. This past year, they have worked together to create fun events and give aid to their community.
The Beautiful Idea is a market for many local queer business owners who in the past have sold their products only at events such as the Ix Park farmers market. “Not only do we sell primarily products from local artists, but we solve most of our needs with local help, like our incredible window display which was made by one of our Downtown Mall neighbors,” explains Senlin Means.
Beyond the store, The Beautiful Idea works to be a part of its local community by creating events and aid for the community. Some events are queer movie nights, clothing swaps, and various book clubs.
LGBTQ+ people do not always have a community or “Safe Space,” where they can feel authentically themselves and meet others like them. The Beautiful Idea has done a great job of creating opportunities for friendship and inclusivity among not only LGBTQ+ but anyone who comes to their store.
As a transgender and queer person herself, Means said, “It wasn’t really much work [creating a place for LGBTQ+ people]. We have built the kind of space that we always wanted to exist for us. Community building starts and ends with love and empathy, and we have those in abundance.”
Another way The Beautiful Idea works to help Charlottesville residents is with their local community fridge. “Simply put, because people in our community are hungry. As strange as it may sound, offering as much free things as we can is part of our business model. We exist to serve the needs of the community as much or more than we do to make money,” said Means.
Some advice Means has for other businesses looking to care for their community is “by having love and empathy and thinking of themselves as a part of that community, not something that exists in opposition to or exists to profit from that community.” Means added, “Also, and this is important, don’t ever choose profit over your morals.”
The future of The Beautiful Idea is bright, and they hope to continue being a welcoming place for all. ”We want to continue to expand our Mutual Aid work and our events. We’re still working on the look of the shop, which will probably never end,” said Means.
The Beautiful Idea is a one-of-a-kind shop that isn’t there for profit, but for the community it builds for all who come.
To learn more about The Beautiful Idea, check out their website: https://www.thebeautifulidea.gay/
