Doctoral students Alex Nik Pasqualini (right) and Morgan Irons browse shirts at the Life Transitions Closet. (Ryan Young / Cornell University) Students ‘Life Transitions Closet’ Offers Gender-Affirming Support Stories You May Like Celebrating Big Red Pride—in June, and All Year Long Student Project Brings ‘Healing and Honoring Garden’ to Akwe:kon NYC-based Historian Hugh Ryan ’00 Brings LGBTQ+ Stories to Life The new facility in the LGBT Resource Center provides both professional and casual clothing at no cost This story was condensed from a feature in the Cornell Chronicle. By Laura Gallup When Yue Zhang, a doctoral student in biophysics, arrived at Cornell in 2022, she was surprised to find that the University didn’t have a gender-affirming clothing stockroom like the one she frequented as an undergraduate at the University of Texas, Dallas. “That’s how I built up a lot of my feminine wardrobe,” says Zhang, who identifies as transgender. “I have all these things that I got thanks to the kindness of others, so I thought it’d be really nice if others could have that as well.” Zhang was ultimately inspired to help found Cornell’s Life Transitions Closet (LTC), a donation-based campus resource offering free, gender-affirming clothes to queer, trans, and nonbinary students going through a transitory period. These periods might include times of gender identity exploration, weight changes, pregnancy, or career stages that require certain types of clothing. The closet allows students to curate looks that align with their most authentic selves, without the financial burden and safety concerns that can come with conventional retail experiences. Pasqualini is a PhD candidate in music. “I’ve noticed how much mental energy goes to wondering how people are perceiving you, and feeling uncomfortable in your body,” says doctoral student Alex Nik Pasqualini, co-president of the LGBTQ+ graduate student organization QGrads. “So being able to wear things where I feel comfortable, and feel like I will be perceived the way I want to be, just frees up a lot of space for me to think about connecting with other people.” Last year, Pasqualini and QGrads co-president Gundeep Singh collaborated with Zhang on a proposal to fund a resource for students with no extra funds for clothes. They applied to the Belonging at Cornell Grant Program, which supports projects that are inclusive of, or directly address, concerns of one or more communities historically underrepresented on Cornell’s campus. In November 2022 the team, sponsored by the Trans Empowerment Program, was awarded $1,000 to purchase clothing racks, mirrors, storage bins, and lighting. They set up a temporary closet in the basement of 626 Thurston Avenue before eventually moving the LTC to its permanent home in a sunny room on the third floor, within the LGBT Resource Center. I’ve noticed how much mental energy goes to wondering how people are perceiving you, and feeling uncomfortable in your body. Doctoral student Alex Nik Pasqualini Donations are accepted from students and staff, and the closet contains both professional and casual attire. The room, lined with racks of clothing, bins of accessories, and full-length mirrors, is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and not monitored—allowing anonymity to those donating, browsing, or acquiring clothing. Stories You May Like Celebrating Big Red Pride—in June, and All Year Long Student Project Brings ‘Healing and Honoring Garden’ to Akwe:kon While the LTC primarily serves LGBTQ+ students, it’s open to everyone, including socioeconomically disadvantaged students from any community. Suitable clothing is critical to the physical health, comfort, and mental health of the wearer, according to Cortney Johnson, associate dean of students and director of the LGBT Resource Center, which is part of the Centers for Student Equity, Empowerment, and Belonging. “The Centers focus on work that promotes equity, empowerment, and belonging—this closet is a manifestation of all those ideals,” Johnson says. “The LTC is free and accessible to students and it’s full of clothing that hopefully helps someone feel more comfortable or more like themselves, located in a space that is open and affirming.” Irons tries on a jean jacket. Through the promotional efforts of QGrads, the LTC space has seen graduate student traffic—but Singh hopes to make more undergrads aware of the resource. “I would love this project to be a more self-sustaining thing where there is a whole community and a set of volunteers who want to make this available,” says Singh, a doctoral student in biophysics. “And I just want people to know that this exists for folks to utilize.” Morgan Irons, a doctoral student in soil and crop sciences, first used the closet to source items for drag performances—but then began wearing the clothes in her everyday life. I just want people to know that this exists for folks to utilize. Doctoral student Gundeep Singh “I thought, 'I want to wear this out somewhere in real life,' because I just felt so good in it and so confident,” says Irons, who came out publicly as asexual and nonbinary in 2019. Before graduate school, Irons says, she didn’t feel a sense of belonging within the queer community. Now she wears more masculine clothing and says support from Cornell’s queer community helped her find comfort and acceptance in herself. “When I’m in the Life Transitions Closet in the resource center, I feel no judgments,” Irons says. “I feel like I don’t have to hide anything. It’s a safe space for me and other people to explore and try new items of clothing on. It’s a space of exploration.” Top: Doctoral students Alex Nik Pasqualini (right) and Morgan Irons browse shirts at the Life Transitions Closet. (All photos by Ryan Young / Cornell University) Published October 16, 2023 Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. 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