Affirming Gender Identity: The League of Extraordinary Genders at SAIC

The League of Extraordinary Genders is a student group that formed out of the desire to make SAIC a safer place for people of all genders.  We have a particular interest in supporting transgender (a term that describes people who do not identify with the gender they were assigned at birth) and gender nonconforming people through education and activism, both within the SAIC community and in the wider world. This past year the League, working with staff in Student Affairs and a variety of departments, has been instrumental in increasing the number of gender-neutral bathrooms on campus, rewriting the language on SAIC’s health insurance policy, and publishing an educational zine, Gender is Extraordinary.

Last semester, we organized a clothing drive at SAIC to support the Trans Life Center, a Chicago-based housing organization.  The Trans Life Center (TLC) is the only shelter in the city that specifically serves transgender people by offering opportunities for housing, healthcare, and employment assistance.  Trans people frequently face higher rates of employment and housing discrimination than our cisgender (a term that describes people who identify with the gender they were assigned at birth) peers.  When trans people face multiple forms of discrimination, as is the case with trans people of color, trans women or trans feminine individuals, and disabled trans people, they become even more vulnerable to facing homelessness.

This clothing drive was motivated by a desire to use our privileges to uplift people who don’t have the access that we have. Clothing is a powerful tool in expressing identity for everyone. There are many people who can’t get the clothes that they want and need, whether that is because of their size, their finances, or their gender. For trans people it is particularly vital to have clothes that you can live in authentically and comfortably.  It can make a monumental difference in your mental health to have clothes that affirm and express your gender identity 

At an art school like SAIC, you can see an incredible array of fashion tastes from the chic and trendy to the splendidly eccentric. You can tell that people care about what they wear, curating outfits to the most miniscule details. After paying a visit to the TLC, we wanted to contribute to the work they were doing.  Many people staying at the Center have to start their wardrobes from scratch, and many people at SAIC regularly purge their closets.  We saw a need, and we wanted to fulfill it with our access to abundant fashion resources. During our weeklong winter clothing drive we received boxes of donated clothes, shoes, and accessories from the SAIC community.  We plan to continue regular clothing drives to benefit trans organizations.

Ultimately, this event came about because of the need and desire to redistribute important resources. So many people are searching for clothes that make them feel good, and so many have closets that are overflowing. Connecting the two to benefit everyone seemed like an easy way to give more people the ability to get dressed and go out into the world with confidence.