Out of the Closet

Out of the Closet is a mission-driven nonprofit thrift-store chain operated by AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), a Los Angeles-based organization focused on HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention, education, research, and related patient support. Unlike a conventional resale retailer, Out of the Closet is structured as a fundraising and service-delivery channel: revenue from its stores helps finance medical care and associated services for people living with HIV/AIDS, including patients who may be unable to pay for treatment. The chain began in 1990, when AHF president Michael Weinstein opened its first store in Atwater Village, Los Angeles. Weinstein’s retail background came from his family’s furniture business on the East Coast, and the original concept connected the resale of donated goods with AHF’s healthcare mission. AHF federally trademarked the Out of the Closet name in 1997. Stores generally sell donated second-hand merchandise, including men’s and women’s clothing, furniture, dishes, home décor, books, albums, and other household or lifestyle goods. The retail assortment varies by location and is shaped by donations, but the stores are positioned as accessible resale outlets as well as visible community-service sites. According to AHF, 96 cents of each dollar taken in at an Out of the Closet thrift store goes toward providing HIV/AIDS care. The chain has expanded beyond its original Southern California base. Locations have operated in multiple U.S. states and metropolitan areas, including the Los Angeles area, the San Francisco Bay Area, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Texas, and New York City. A store opened in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood in 2014, a Houston location opened in 2019, and an Austin location opened in 2024. AHF has described the network as having 25 stores in nine states, while reference material also characterizes the chain more generally as having more than 20 locations. Some locations combine retail activity with direct health services. Depending on the store, visitors may be able to obtain free rapid HIV and sexually transmitted disease testing, counseling, medication pickup through AHF pharmacies, or connections to case managers and health-benefits counselors. These services support AHF’s broader goal of reducing barriers to treatment and helping patients achieve HIV suppression. The stores therefore function both as resale businesses and as community-access points for public-health information and care navigation. Out of the Closet has also participated in community support initiatives, including providing free clothing for transgender and gender-nonconforming students at colleges and universities such as Roanoke College in Virginia. Local recognition has included thrift and resale awards in South Florida, Houston, Dallas, and Columbus. Its operating model remains centered on converting donated goods and retail traffic into funding and access for HIV/AIDS services rather than distributing profits to private shareholders.

Out of the Closet emerged from AIDS Healthcare Foundation's effort to create a sustainable revenue stream for HIV/AIDS care while also making donated goods available to local communities. The first store opened in Atwater Village, Los Angeles, in 1990. Founder Michael Weinstein, who later served as AHF president, brought retail familiarity from his family's furniture business on the East Coast. The concept used thrift retail to transform donated merchandise into funding for medical and support services rather than treating resale as an ordinary commercial business. The name Out of the Closet was federally trademarked by AHF in 1997. Over time, the organization developed a broader network of stores in and beyond Southern California. Locations have been associated with the Los Angeles area, the San Francisco Bay Area, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Texas, and New York City. A Seattle Capitol Hill store opened in 2014, followed by a Houston store in 2019 and an Austin store in 2024. AHF has reported a network of 25 stores across nine states, although descriptions of the chain also use the less specific formulation of more than 20 locations. The stores sell donated clothing and household goods, with inventories that can include furniture, dishes, décor, books, albums, and other second-hand items. The range is location-dependent because it is based on donations and local demand. AHF describes the financial purpose of the chain as direct support for its healthcare mission, stating that 96 cents of every dollar generated at a thrift store goes toward HIV/AIDS care. This gives Out of the Closet a distinctive position within resale retail: store operations are intended to support clinical services and patient assistance rather than generate shareholder returns. In selected locations, the retail environment also incorporates or connects visitors with health services. These may include free rapid HIV testing, free sexually transmitted disease testing, counseling, and medication pickup through AHF pharmacies. AHF's related wraparound services can connect patients with case managers and health-benefits counselors, with the broader objective of reducing treatment barriers and supporting HIV suppression. The precise service mix differs by store. Out of the Closet has also used its retail and community presence for targeted support initiatives. Locations have provided free clothing to transgender and gender-nonconforming students at colleges and universities, including Roanoke College in Virginia. Local awards have recognized both the stores' resale offerings and their public-health services. In 2023 and 2024, the Wilton Manors store received Broward County thrift-store recognition; in 2024, the Houston location received a local resale award, Dallas-area recognition highlighted second-hand savings, and the Columbus store was recognized for free HIV testing. The chain remains an active U.S. nonprofit retail operation under AHF ownership. Its central model continues to combine donated-goods resale, community visibility, and the financing or delivery of HIV/AIDS-related healthcare and prevention services.

• 2024

  Austin location opens

  [1]Out of the Closeten.wikipedia.org

  The chain added an Austin, Texas, location.

• 2019

  Houston location opens

  [1]Out of the Closeten.wikipedia.org

  Out of the Closet opened a store in Houston, Texas.

• 2014

  Seattle Capitol Hill location opens

  [1]Out of the Closeten.wikipedia.org

  The chain expanded to Seattle with a store in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.

• 1997

  Out of the Closet name is federally trademarked

  [1]Out of the Closeten.wikipedia.org

  AIDS Healthcare Foundation federally trademarked the Out of the Closet name.

• 1990

  First Out of the Closet store opens

  [1]Out of the Closeten.wikipedia.org

  Michael Weinstein opened the first Out of the Closet location in Atwater Village, Los Angeles, establishing the thrift-store model linked to AIDS Healthcare Foundation services.

Accessible nonprofit resale retail linked directly to HIV/AIDS healthcare, prevention, testing, education, and patient-support services.

• Apparel resale · 1990

  Second-hand apparel

  Out of the Closet sells donated men's and women's clothing through its thrift-store network. The assortment is designed around affordable second-hand shopping and varies according to local donations, store capacity, and customer demand. Apparel sales are part of the revenue stream supporting AHF's HIV/AIDS healthcare mission.

• Home furnishings resale · 1990

  Furniture and home goods

  Selected stores offer donated furniture, dishes, household goods, and decorative items. These products extend the chain beyond clothing into general thrift retail, with inventory changing as goods are donated and sold. Proceeds contribute to AHF-funded medical and support services.

• Second-hand media and books · 1990

  Books, albums, and media

  Stores may carry donated books, albums, and other second-hand media alongside clothing and home goods. Availability is location-specific and dependent on donations, making these items part of the changing thrift assortment rather than a standardized product line.

• Healthcare access service

  Community HIV and STI services

  Certain Out of the Closet locations provide or connect visitors with free rapid HIV testing, sexually transmitted disease testing, counseling, and AHF pharmacy medication pickup. These services complement the retail operation and help connect communities with AHF's broader treatment and prevention resources.

• Free clothing support for transgender and gender-nonconforming students

  United States

  Out of the Closet locations have provided free clothing for transgender and gender-nonconforming students at colleges and universities, including Roanoke College in Virginia.

  Outcome. The initiative supplied clothing support to students while extending the chain's community-service role beyond conventional thrift retail.

  Source

• 2024

  Expand to AustinOther

  Background

  The chain continued its U.S. expansion while maintaining its nonprofit retail and healthcare-support model.

  Action taken

  Out of the Closet opened an Austin location.

  Aftermath

  The opening added another Texas market to the store network.

  Source

• 2019

  Expand to HoustonOther

  Background

  Out of the Closet continued adding locations in U.S. markets where thrift retail could support AHF's mission.

  Action taken

  The organization opened a Houston store.

  Aftermath

  The chain established a larger presence in Texas before adding Austin in 2024.

  Source

• 2014

  Expand to SeattleOther

  Background

  The chain sought to extend its retail and healthcare-support model beyond its established markets.

  Action taken

  Out of the Closet opened a location in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood.

  Aftermath

  The opening expanded the chain's U.S. geographic footprint.

  Source

• 1990

  Establish a thrift-retail funding model for HIV/AIDS careStrategy

  Background

  AIDS Healthcare Foundation needed sustainable support for medical services and created a retail model based on donated goods.

  Action taken

  Michael Weinstein opened the first Out of the Closet store in Atwater Village, Los Angeles, linking thrift-store revenue to AHF's healthcare mission.

  Aftermath

  The model developed into a multi-state nonprofit thrift-store network and, at selected locations, a point of access for HIV testing, counseling, and pharmacy services.

  Source

1. 1Out of the Closeten.wikipedia.org
2. 2Out of the Closet official websiteoutofthecloset.org