A new partnership event between the OU Gender and Equality Center and the OU Food Pantry debuted Friday and provides 2SLGBTQ+ students on campus with free, gender-confirming clothes and a safe space for them to experiment with their style.
Quan Phan, the GEC’s LGBTQ+ program coordinator, said the idea for the "Queer Closet” project was sparked by a commonly expressed need by 2SLGBTQ+ students on campus.
“Queer students have come to us and have asked where they can get gender-affirming clothes,” Phan said. “Our friends at the food pantry offer more than just food. I don’t know if students are aware of that.”
Matt Marks, the OU Food Pantry’s campus care coordinator and adviser, said the pantry was very open to the idea of the Queer Closet and said partnerships are what the food pantry is about.
Earlier this month, the pantry announced a partnership with OU Women’s Health Advocacy to supply free custom period product kits once a month to OU community members.
“I just love it. This is something different for us. We don’t have a whole lot of events where we open up just on a Friday,” Marks said. “I like when we can do something outside of our open hours.”
Marks said the pantry has a partnership with Sharing Tree, a nonprofit organization out of Moore. The organization distributes clothing donations, and the pantry has received some donations from them. However, the majority of the clothes they have for the Queer Closet are from the community, Marks said.
Phan said the timing of the event is important because he doesn’t want queer students to feel uncomfortable while looking for gender-confirming clothes.
“We work with them to open up a time where we will staff the pantry and queer and trans students can have a designated time for them to come try out clothes without fear of judgment,” Phan said.
The event featured multiple racks of clothes for students to try on and take home. An hour into the event, Marks said the pantry had nine or 10 students take clothes and he thinks that number will grow as they continue to publicize the project.
Phan said he hopes 2SLGBTQ+ students feel support from the entire OU community and not just organizations like the GEC and the LGBTQ+ Student Alliance, which is one of the reasons for partnering with an organization like the OU Food Pantry.
“I hope that we create an environment where we meet the needs of students,” Phan said.
Marks said he is glad the pantry had the opportunity to partner with the GEC and he appreciates all they do for the community. The Queer Closet will help the pantry continue to broaden their services from just food, Marks said.
“I think it's a positive thing that we're really trying to get out to the community the other aspects besides food that we offer here in the pantry,” Marks said.
This story was edited by Alexia Aston and Taylor Jones. Grace Rhodes and Mary Ann Livingood copy edited this story.
