The national theatre honor society, Alpha Psi Omega (APO), opened the first gender-affirming closet at Arkansas State University as a resource dedicated to helping people who struggle to express their gender identity outwardly.

The closet opened in the fall semester of 2023, allowing students to trade one article of unwanted clothing for two items from the gender-affirming closet or take three to five articles of clothing with no charge.

“I hope to bring that ease to others as they embark on their journeys toward gender expression that aligns with their self-image,” Michael Joseph, president of APO, said.

Joseph, a senior theatre arts major from Sikeston, Missouri, started the project after hearing about a similar organization at Illinois State University.

Joseph said the experience of struggling to reorganize their wardrobe and figure out their gender identity motivated them to propose a project where students can experiment with their gender expression. 

Joseph was previously the secretary and communicated to the former president of APO, Kori Denison, about creating the gender-affirming closet. Joseph said they saw this as a need and wanted students to experiment safely, getting the clothes they need without worrying about cost or fees. 

Claire Abernathy, associate professor of theatre and faculty representative for APO, supported the proposal from the students.

“On a personal level, it was exciting to me because our students saw it as a need,” Abernathy said. “Finding a way of being able to support students and say, ‘we see you, we want to help you on this journey, we want you to be who you are and we want to celebrate that.’”

APO collected items from a clothing drive they began in the spring semester of 2023. After washing and sorting them, the gender-affirming closet opened for A-State students who needed the resource to come and choose the items they needed.

Eret Ledbetter, a junior non-binary history major from Stuttgart, Arkansas, never attended the newly opened gender-affirming closet but praised its work. 

Ledbetter said proper clothing makes a world of difference for transgender people, so having a resource like the gender-affirming closet is incredibly important for those who never had access to explore their gender expression and style as they transition.

“I remember being closeted in high school and the genuine misery that comes with being required to wear dresses or skirts to certain events because it was not my choice,” Ledbetter said. “It’s not just a simple piece of cloth that brings discomfort or happiness, but what wearing the specific thing means and how you choose to do it.”

The theatre department’s faculty helpers and members of APO help donate and wash clothes for the gender-affirming closet, as well as staffing for the rounds when the closet opens.

“I remember how gender dysphoria was a source of anxiety to me and how lucky I was to have friends that supported me and gave me their hand-me-downs when I needed them,” Joseph said. “That’s what I want this closet to be, just a little store for hand-me-downs that people can use to quiet that anxiety and dysphoria.”

The gender-affirming closet opens on the first and third Friday of each month at 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the Grand Hall of the Fowler Center, in front of Riceland Hall.

Categories: Life