Trans* Fashion Show
Last Friday the fashion show I had been planning for two months happened. It was at the University of Cincinnati and highlighted transgender, gender non-conforming, and non binary students on campus. I did this event to show off the clothing the UC LGBTQ Center's Closet has collected for the students, and also to celebrate these students in their own bodies wearing gender-affirming clothing.
The result was incredible. Over 50 people came, the models had a great time, and we will hopefully continue this for years to come. I've personally never felt so affirmed and celebrated, and I know the models shared in my feelings.
The organization that took control of the whole thing (with me at the head) was a UC organization called Out in Business. They are a part of the Lindner Business School and aims to provide advocacy and representation for the LGBTQ Community in the business school. When I was asked to be a part of the executive board of Out in Business, I had no idea this would be the direction my time on the board would go in. I suggested this idea at one meeting, and it took off from there.
The idea for this fashion show was born last semester, when the LGBTQ center was receiving a plethora of donations but did not have enough trans students taking clothing. Many of the students wanted to put together a fashion show of the clothing as a way to get trans students to start taking some of the donated clothing, as well as show off the transgender community at the university.
The team of Out in Business all worked together to pull together the models, the marketing, and the logistics. It required required a lot of hard work and scrambling to make sure the room was actually booked, we had enough fliers, and figuring out just how to set up a fashion show stage.
The most rewarding part of the process for me was seeing how excited the models got to be celebrated in their bodies as transgender students.
The News Record (The UC Newspaper) covered the event: http://www.newsrecord.org/college_life/uc-s-lgbtq-center-hosts-trans-fashion-show/article_882be342-cdf6-11e7-bfc9-4f2751845225.html
“We came together to celebrate the transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary students on this campus in their own bodies and clothing that affirms who they are. ”
