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At 17 years old, Carmalie Payne is already a “Countess.” Countess of the Small Town Goth Club, that is!
Payne founded the Small Town Goth Club in May of 2025. “I am homeschooled and I wanted to meet more people who are like me and share some of the same interests as me, but I was having a really hard time finding my kind of people,” she said. So, she started a club. About 15 teenagers and their parents showed up to the first meeting.
To Payne, the Club is “an outlet where other teens who were in the same boat as me can find people who share their interests and accept them for who they are.” She added that “a good majority” of the club’s members are also homeschooled, “so it’s become a great place to meet new people,” she said. The Club meets once or twice a month – in homes, parks, stores, the beach, or even graveyards. “We sometimes will ‘adopt’ abandoned graves at local cemeteries,” Payne explained. And the Club isn’t just for goths; “metalheads, emos, and other people under the alternative umbrella” are welcome as well.
While the group is limited to those between the ages of 14 and 19, they have not forgotten about the youngsters who show an interest in all things goth. In fact, they are hosting a “Baby Bat Day” event this Sunday, August 30. “I have had many people tell me that their kids want to join the goth club, but they don’t meet our age requirement. So for this one meeting we’re allowing those who don’t meet our age requirement and parents to come be involved,” Payne said, “We will be going over things the Goth Club does, what being goth is about, going over how to be confident in yourself and in your style, and making kindness cards.”
But what is being goth all about? To Payne, it’s about “the music and the politics” and “going against the social norms.” Payne explained that this leads many goth or alternative people to be involved in activism, hence a handful of Small Town Goth Club members participating in the recent protests against a potential data center in Federalsburg. “There are quite a few members who are passionate about different things that are going on in the world… it is encouraged to stand up for what you believe in in the Goth Club!”
The Club has gotten both negative and positive reactions from the larger local community. “Not everyone likes the way we look and that’s okay, but kindness goes a very long way,” Payne said, “We have had a lot of support online and in person. We get lots of compliments and lots of adults saying they wish the goth club existed when they were younger.” Payne teased that an adult version of the Small Town Goth Club is in the works for next summer.
Payne said she is grateful for all of the support that the Club has received, especially from her mom, Miranda Furstoss , and local supporter Sandra Battersby, who Payne said lets the Club use her home from time to time for meetings and events. For those ages 14 to 19 who are interested in joining the Small Town Goth Club, Payne said the easiest thing to do is follow their social media pages and show up to a meeting – or attend Sunday’s Baby Bat Day.
“We promise we don’t bite!” Payne quipped.
