November 25, 2025 | By Danny Silva (MM '26)
Every semester, students walk into Spectrum Center with questions about identity, community, and support. They may also come with tangible needs like warm clothes for the winter, something to affirm their gender expression, or an interview outfit. From November 12-13, the clothing closet returned as one of the most direct ways the center meets essential needs.
Powered by generous donations from Ann Arbor community members, campus partners, and students, this two-day pop-up became a reminder of how meaningful these accessible and affirming resources can be for LGBTQIA2S+ students.
From idea to impact
The clothing closet began as a small initiative years ago, but student demand has grown rapidly. Many students face financial barriers, limited financial support, or discomfort shopping in gendered retail environments. Clothing can carry identity significance for trans and nonbinary students, and having that free, private space to explore personal style without judgment is transformative.
This fall’s event invited students to browse a gender-affirming collection of clothing for everyday wear and the winter ahead, plus basics and even some professional attire.
Spencer Hall, Spectrum Center’s support services and wellness advocate, spent the days prior organizing and preparing the closet with the help of staff and students.
“I think it’s important to be in spaces where you feel empowered, but also where you feel joy and safety,” Hall said. “Sometimes, going into your typical department store can feel very intimidating. We designed our clothing closet to be accessible.”
Racks organized by size were filled with a wide range of clothing. Throughout the event, the room buzzed with music, laughter, and conversation as students browsed, connected, and tried on clothes in a supportive environment.
"A basic need at a human level"
The clothing closet is more than a distribution event. It reflects Spectrum Center’s efforts to meet students’ essential needs. While many think of the center as a place for community building and identity-based programming, Hall emphasizes that addressing material needs is just as fundamental to well-being.
“Clothing for anybody is a basic need at a human level,” Hall explains. “When you think of how it shows up particularly in queer and trans communities, clothing can be absolutely life-saving.”
This reality is especially visible on campus, where LGBTQIA2S+ students disproportionately experience economic strain, and transgender and nonbinary students are more likely to lack access to gender-affirming clothing. These barriers don’t just affect comfort, they influence confidence, safety, and a student’s ability to fully participate in academic and social life.
Confidence and comfort
The center's clothing closet directly addresses these disparities by creating a low-barrier, high-dignity experience where students choose what feels right for them. For Associate Director Dawn Espy, the event resonated on a personal level.
"This brought up a lot of memories from my own gender-affirming journey. I recall trying to navigate various spaces, wondering what I should wear to a formal event, how a suit jacket fits, and learning about tailoring! To this day, it is still difficult to find affordable clothing that fits my body and gender expression."
Donating clothes to the closet made the experience even more meaningful: "I had the opportunity to see students take items that I previously loved and make them their own." Espy's reflection underscores how accessible resources allow students to explore and express their identities with confidence and comfort.
An affirming environment
For many students, walking into a space centered on identity and expression can feel intimidating, and undergraduate Daniel Chavez understands that feeling firsthand.
"For someone who might be nervous, I'd let them know it's okay because I was nervous too, and that they aren't the only ones. I feel like for those of us who didn't have these kinds of events or just didn't grow up with an open and accepting community, events like these are intimidating. And as much as they are intimidating, they are extremely freeing and loving."
Chavez's reflection highlights how the clothing closet not only provides material support but also creates an affirming environment where students can be themselves, sometimes for the very first time.
The power to flourish
Whether a student walked away with a warm coat, new top, or shoes that made them feel more like themselves, the clothing closet served as a powerful reminder. When students feel affirmed, supported, and seen, it gives them the power to flourish. It’s the collective care and compassion of our community that makes it possible.
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With your help, the impact extends far beyond the event itself. For many donors and community members who contributed, the clothing closet is a direct way to support students’ daily lives. Each jacket, binder, sweater, or pair of shoes represents someone’s choice to invest in the comfort, dignity, and success of LGBTQIA2S+ students.
We invite you to continue investing in this work.
- Starting February 16, 2026, donate clothing and accessories to our next clothing closet, scheduled for March 25-26, 2026.
- Any time of year, donations to the Trans Belonging Fund directly sustain programs like the clothing closet and ensure that students have access to the resources they need to thrive both academically and personally.
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