“We want to be an organization that makes people feel safe, no matter who they are. We want the campus to know that we are here and we will do whatever it takes to help those who are in need”, Alex Griffin, the Gay-Straight Alliance’s president spoke about what the GSA is all about and how they plan to make a change on campus. That change has started with their latest project, the OUT!Fit Project.
The OUT!Fit Project was created by ABAC’s GSA recently started the project to help those who are in need, whether they are a part of the club or not. The GSA has provided a closet and other informational resources for transgender and gender non-conforming individuals to use. It contains donated clothes and accessories to help LGBT students who may not have access to clothes for various reasons.
The closet has various categories like clothes, shoes and accessories. There are all listed on the website. The clothes are categorized as unisex, masculine and feminine. Anyone is welcome to visit the closet and get what they need. No questions will be asked.
Discretion and confidentiality is something that GSA prides on. The officers and members are not here to judge anyone because of their preferred gender or what they might need. The closet is on campus in a secret place, so students can feel safe and secure if and when they need to visit.
The GSA got the idea from other LGBT orientated groups who started something similar, such as clothing drives, where people could come and get clothes that would fit better with their presentation.
“We decided that we would do something similar and we looked at other groups that have done stuff like this. We asked how they got started, how we could avoid any issues and we really looked into it,” Percy Brown, GSA’s secretary, explained, “We made sure we weren’t making any mistakes. One thing we wanted to make sure was that this project continued even after we were gone.”
This closet is not only for students on ABAC or anyone in Tifton, but the GSA wants to be available for anyone who needs it.
“We’re trying to make it so anyone can get clothes. We’re going to add in the option for shipping, which would be free. We’re starting with just ABAC at the moment but plan to expand,” Griffin said.
You can see a list and pictures of the clothes that are already donated on the OUT!Fit Project’s website. You can find the link on the Gay-Straight Alliance’s Facebook: ABAC Gay-Straight Alliance. You can also follow the GSA on Twitter, @AbacGsa, or on Instagram, @abacgsa. If you have any questions about the OUT!Fit Project, you can contact the GSA on any of their social media platforms or their president and vice president, Alex Griffin and Ari Penne. If you or anyone you know has any questions or would like to join the GSA, you can contact the president or vice president.
