hankycode magazine is a print and digital publication dedicated to sharing queer stories.

Blossoming LGBTQ+ communities can be found everywhere, including at the small business, Transfigure Print Co. Bailey Sell is a Grand Rapids, MI-based graphic designer and screenprinter, and he is the owner of Transfigure Print Co. The trans-owned store features Bailey's inclusive designs as well as collaborations with others. Transfigure is also fostering a growing queer and trans community online and in person. In fact, they give back to the community in so many ways, including their incredible Transfigure Trans Fund, a mutual aid that supports transgender folks in need. Via email, Bailey shared insights into his work, what's coming next for him, and offered advice for those who want to use their voices to speak out against injustice. Read the full Q&A below. 

Can you share the story of how you began Transfigure Print Co? 

Of course! I started Transfigure in 2017 while I was going to Kendall College of Art and Design. At the time, I was majoring in graphic design, with only a minor in printmaking. I was doing a lot of woodblock carvings at school and wanted to start doing my own at home. I carved a couple of blocks for myself and started printing them onto t-shirts. A couple of friends expressed an interest in owning their own tees, so I started printing and selling them to people I knew locally. I posted them online and gathered some more interest, which led me to open an Etsy store, and from there I started producing on a larger scale! Eventually, I taught myself how to screen print as it was an easier way to make a larger amount of the same design. I began printing more and more designs relating to being authentically myself, as this time lined up with when I was coming out as Trans, and that artwork reached an even wider audience. I’d say that’s when Transfigure became more of what it is today.

What is your biggest goal with Transfigure? 

I wasn’t sure I entirely had a goal when I started, other than to make cool things and express myself creatively, while also sharing my art with other people. It morphed into more than that very quickly, especially when I introduced mutual aid into my mission. I was finding ways to make a living screen printing, but I realized I also wanted to use the funds I was making to help others live as authentically and safely as possible as well. I’d say my goal now is similar. I want to be able to express myself creatively, share my art with others, and share the wealth. Connecting and helping other Trans people is the everyday goal.

We love what you're doing with the mutual aid 'Transfigure Trans Fund.' Can you talk about what influenced you to start that? 

Since 2019, I've always donated a chunk of our profit to non-profits, organizations, and collectives that help further Trans lives. In doing so, following more groups online, and meeting other Trans folks, I quickly came to the realization that:

1. We don't always see where this money is going.

2. Some folks just don't "qualify" for these funds.Often having to go through a rigorous process, just for the chance of getting some money. 

I wanted to offer a way around that. Our fund is a one-time monetary donation, no questions asked, and delivered directly to the folks who need it, through fundraising links, or sometimes even through Venmo, PayPal, or other platforms. To this day, we have raised over $120,000, with almost $30,000 donated directly from our Trans fund.

In this political climate, it's more important than ever to loudly stand for trans rights, and we admire the ways that you do that. Do you have any advice for others who may want to get involved and use their voices to speak out against injustice? 

Don't be afraid. If you're worried about losing people around you, those people don't deserve to be in your life anyway. You will find your people, or they will find you. I found my people by being vocal and getting my art out there. It doesn't come all at once, but it will come in time. I promise! Find your local LGBTQ+ center, show up to an event, and join some spaces online if that doesn't exist for you in person. If you aren't a member of the Queer community, be even LOUDER about your support for us. We need that now more than ever.

What do you love most about Transfigure and the community surrounding it? 

I think what makes Transfigure what it is today is the community/people surrounding it. Without the love and support from our community, not only locally but globally, I wouldn’t have been doing this for almost a decade now. Despite being a bit of a shy guy, my heart is constantly warmed by the number of folks who come up to me at events, and sometimes just casually out in public, to share how much it means to them to have us around. The stories I’ve heard, the people I’ve met, the places I’ve been able to see our designs out in the world, none of this would be possible without the vibrant Trans and Queer community that exists around us. Y’all are what I love most about Transfigure. 

Is there anything exciting upcoming for Transfigure? 

We  recently announced our fourth year of Transfuse, which is happening in late September on the 26th at the local Fulton St Farmer’s Market in Grand Rapids, MI. Transfuse is a collaborative event between the Grand Rapids Trans Foundation and us. What started out as a simple art market fundraiser has now morphed into not only an art market but an entire night celebration of Trans excellence. We have local music, drag, food vendors, a bar (with NA options too), and the market, of course. Last year, the market showcased 60 artists and 10 community organizations. It’s my baby for sure. So if you haven’t attended one before, don’t miss out this year!

Photos by Dylan Bowden, hankycode magazine Art Director