Becoming who you are ā and showing people your true self ā is essential for queer people, ābut itās also fun!ā says Mars Sharrock, program director for The Wardrobe, a Philadelphia nonprofit combating clothing insecurity. Whether you need clothes for a job interview or to affirm your gender transition, The Wardrobe makes sure that you are kitted from head to toe.
āFashion ā feeling good in what you wear ā is an expression of self. Self-determination goes beyond basic needs and is about creativity, expression, and freedom,ā Sharrock says. And itās self-determination that they want everyone to have access to, regardless of income, race, religion, or even criminal record.
The organization launched a program called āReturning Wardrobe,ā which focuses on clothing and education services for formerly incarcerated people. And Sharrock has helped the program increase its services to transgender and queer community members by over 50 percent in just the past few years. āClothing is a basic need, so I see the work The Wardrobe does as helping people get their basic needs met,ā Sharrock says. @_sharrockin_
