University of Central Florida hosts ‘Trans Week of Visibility Clothing Drive’
The event provided attendees with ‘clothes that go along with their different identity,’ according to one event organizer.
The event was just one of multiple others for the school’s ‘Transgender Week of Visibility.’
On March 26th, the LGBTQ+ Student Support Services and Lavender Council at the University of Central Florida (UCF) held a “Trans Week of Visibility Clothing Drive.”
The web page advertising the vent, which noted that the it was “[f]unded by Student Government,” asked attendees to “[p]lease bring any unused, clean clothes that you want to donate.”
[RELATED: University of South Florida hosts ‘gender affirming clothes swap’]
The Lavender Council is “a student advisory board that serves as a liaison between students, faculty, and staff and LGBTQ+ Services,” and the LGBTQ+ Student Support Services is “an entry point for anyone looking for resources relating to sexual orientation or gender identity.”
Describing the purpose of the event, one of the organizers from the Lavender Council said: “It is for everyone. Especially for those who maybe don’t have clothes that make them feel comfortable, clothes that go along with their different identity, or they’ve just maybe needing [sic] to get new clothes and they can’t,” according to NSM Today.
“Clothing drives can make or break the difference in how happy you are this semester, whether or not you can be the person you want to be, because not all of us have the money to buy a whole new wardrobe . . . It could save someone’s life potentially,” another participant said.
In a Facebook post advertising the event, the UCF LGBTQ+ Student Support Services invited students to “[j]oin us this Trans Week of Visibility by coming to get gender-affirming clothes and expressing your authentic selves through style” and also stated that “LGBTQ+ Student Support Services is funded through Activity and Service Fee as allocated by Student Government.”
[RELATED: NYU invites students to find new ‘vision of themselves’ at ‘Queer Pride Clothing and Book Swap’]
The clothing drive was one of several events held during the Transgender Week of Visibility at UCF, with other events including “Trans Awareness: Trans Allyship at UCF and Beyond” and “Making Sports a Safer Place,” according to another Facebook post from the LGBTQ+ Student Support Services.
Campus Reform has reached out to UCF, the LGBTQ+ Student Support Services, the Lavender Council, and UCF’s Student Government for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
