Queer Closet

Queer Closet: A Brief History

The UA Queer Closet was first designed by graduate student Bridgette Nobbe, who drew from her studies of existing LGBTQ+ centered clothing spaces on college campuses throughout the U.S. She observed that other spaces on the UA campus that provided free clothing were not particularly affirming for students’ diverse gender identities, and thus wanted to create a space that offered a more inclusive experience! The first iteration of the Queer Closet began with the Trans* Clothing Swap -- a free, inclusive pop-up clothing exchange centering Trans*-identified folx in the Tucson community. Many attendees of the swap wanted to know if there would be ongoing opportunities to get clothing. Beginning with the clothing leftover from the Trans* Clothing Swap, and partnering with the Institute for LGBT Studies, Brigdette and Angela Labistre Champion launched the Queer Closet in Spring 2019 at iLGBTS headquarters --- the fifth floor of the Marshall Building on Park Ave. Through the Queer Closet was alive in the Marshall Building, it wasn’t thriving and needed a little help to create a more central and accessible space for students. In Fall 2019, the Women and Gender Resource Center & LGBTQ+ Affairs offered  to house the Queer Closet, and students/leaders of the QTPOC affinity group worked hard to construct the beautiful and thriving space you see today.