True Colors partnered with Rowan After Hours to hold a clothing swap Thursday night, April 11.
The event, which took place in the Chamberlain Student Center, was held to help students, especially LGBTQIA+ students, get new clothes without having to spend money.
“It’s a safe space mainly for the LGBTQ community, but then also for anybody who doesn’t have the money or just doesn’t have the ability to get what they need,” said Jardin Cassell, one of the True Colors coordinators and a senior history major.
The event ran from 7 p.m. until the end of the coinciding RAH program, “Prof Transformation: Take Pride in your Look,” which focused on self-care.
The first hour of the event was designated for those who were transgender or non-binary, providing them with a safe environment to find clothes in which they would be comfortable.
“There aren’t a lot of safe spaces for students who are in the [LGBTQIA+] community,” Cassell said about the importance of the event. “Some people don’t come from the safest backgrounds, and when they come to school, it’s a place for them to be safe when they meet new people and create their own families and so this is just a nice place for them to feel comfortable with their friends.”
After the first hour, all students could look through the clothes available and try them on in one of the Student Center bathrooms.
Items including shirts, pants, bathing suits and jewelry were spread out on tables and separated into masculine and feminine piles for students to sift through.
Hanna Dietrich, a senior biomedical engineering student, said they attended to see all the free clothes available.
“Honestly, looking at the funny graphic tees [has been fun] because there’s some pretty good ones,” Dietrich said. “There’s things like aliens on them… and t-shirts from other random colleges.”
True Colors is part of the Office of Social Justice, Inclusion and Conflict Resolution and promotes a safe space for people who identify as LGBTQIA+.
The club holds a clothing swap each semester, but this is the first time it is working with RAH to put on the event. Though swaps only happen once a semester, the club collects donations throughout the year.
Olivia Dellston, a senior liberal studies major and a True Colors coordinator, emphasized the impact she has seen from the club’s clothing swaps.
“We seem to have new people every semester, so we’re clearly reaching the right people and just seeing people leave happy with stuff they want to wear is really nice,” she said.
Many students who are apart of the LGBTQIA+ community are very appreciative of the clothing swaps.
Monica Higgins, a junior mechanical engineer, expressed her appreciation for the event.
“I think it’s a really great idea that I hadn’t thought of before,” Higgins said.
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