Originally published in the December 10th, 2021 edition.
Blakely Dishman
Features Editor
Emilie Eustace
Features Editor
Micah Morrow
Contributing Writer
The Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI), more specifically the office of Sexuality and Gender Inclusion (SGI), recently hosted a Queer Clothing Find and Take. This school-wide event took place on Thursday, Dec. 2 and Friday, Dec. 3. During the two-day event, students could choose to either donate or take any articles of clothing that they felt affirmed their gender. The CDI held this event in the Q-Space, as this is an area that LGBTQ+ students are encouraged to use in order to find a community on campus. Within the Q-Space, there were clothing bins containing a myriad of clothing from chest binders to skirts. All of this clothing came from students across campus who no longer felt attached to these items and thought they would be better off in the hands of someone who needs them in order to feel more secure in their gender identity. Throughout the semester, SGI will be “organizing, sorting and displaying” gender affirming clothing in the Q-Space. To help deal with this barrage of clothing, the CDI encouraged students to come into the space and take anything that brought them joy. They also asked for suggestions about how to improve the space, including what items are needed or should not be in the Q-Space.
College is a time when many students begin to find themselves and figure out their sexual and gender identities. The journey to do so can often look like a style change, where one wants to wear clothing that they would not normally find in their own closet. This stylistic shift is sometimes inaccessible to students, whether it is due to financial struggles or values held by their family. One’s ability to find themselves should not be limited because of their ability to afford new clothing or accessories, and the Queer Clothing Find and Take is an initiative that tries to make that process accessible.
For me, Micah, as a low-income, transgender student, the clothing within this space has certainly helped me find clothing that affirms my identity. I had never had the opportunity to purchase clothing that validated my gender and having access to this space made my journey of self-discovery much easier. Of course, there are so many ways in which gender affirmation should be made available and something like this initiative is just the tip of the iceberg, but it is needed and appreciated. There are so many students who just want to feel validated, and clothing is a seemingly simple solution. However, clothing is not an accessible path for everyone. The CDI’s recent push to bring this resource to the forefront is an amazing step in making gender affirmation accessible for the LGBTQ+ students of Wooster.
If you need gender affirming clothing, the Q-Space’s free clothing bins are an amazing resource. If you have clothing that no longer sparks joy, consider dropping it off to the Q-Space, located in the Compton basement, to help someone else along their journey of self-discovery. Email Melissa Chesanko, at mchesanko@wooster.edu, to gain access to the space. Follow the CDI instagram @woostercdi for information on future events.