Gender Euphoria Closet Logo, courtesy of August Owens '26
By Jesse Hausknecht-Brown ’25
Staff Writer
After seeing the popularity of past binder drives, August Owens ’26 knew there was a need on campus for affordable gender-affirming products. Because of this, he got involved with what is now the Gender Euphoria Closet project towards the end of his first year at Mount Holyoke College.
The Gender Euphoria Closet opened its doors on Oct. 25 with an Instagram post announcing that the request form for products was open. For the first week, the order form was open exclusively to trans and gender-nonconforming — or TGNC — students of color. After Nov. 1, it opened to the rest of the student body.
A wide array of products are available, including Trans Tape, packers, packing underwear, binders, compression tops, bras, bra padding and tucking underwear. All of these products are free and, at this time, students are asked to order a maximum of two items due to limited supplies.
The Student Government Association has organized binder drives in the past and, last year, the Queer Action Collective — a student organization focused on queer liberation — offered pop-up shops with a wider variety of gender-affirming products.
Additionally, students are able to schedule a time to stop by and try on products at the Jeannette Marks House, a cultural center for LGBTQ+ students at Mount Holyoke. “If people want to try stuff on, we have a full range of sizes and different brands and stuff of the various products in the Marks House,” Owens, the community resource coordinator for the project, said. “So there’s another link, and you can click there to schedule an appointment, and someone will be there to help you, like, try different stuff on, see what brands, what size works best for you before you order.”
The Gender Euphoria Closet project is a subcommittee of SGA’s Lavender Committee, whose mission, as stated on the SGA Committee’s page, is “to celebrate and support the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans/Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual/Aromantic and other identities community on the Mount Holyoke campus.”
This is the first time the Lavender Committee has had a specific subcommittee. Owens described the project as a “trial run” with support from various campus organizations. Members from the Queer Action Collective are assisting in organizing the project. Owens also credited Lily Rood ’27, in her role as SGA Treasurer, with helping to support the project in its early stages.
Owens also stressed the importance of offering a wider variety of products, as historically, there have not been as many resources available to transfeminine students on campus.
“I think this is starting to shift a little bit, but I have heard from transfemme students that there is a really disparate gap between resources for transmasc people versus transfemme people on campus,” Owens said. Part of the GEC’s purpose is “also just expanding into [understanding that] binders are not the only gender affirming care item that students need.”
Organizers are currently working towards having an active advisory committee with members of different organizations on campus with a focus on representing TGNC students of color and meeting accessibility needs. Owens added to this, explaining that the purpose of an advisory committee would be to make sure that the project can “continually adapt and change to be the most helpful for filling need.”
“So if anyone has interest in being on the advisory committee, that is an open ask right now,” Owens said.
The goal is, depending on funding, to expand the Gender Euphoria Closet with makeup and clothing options. Owens hopes to be able to host clothing exchanges, events and workshops relevant to gender-affirming care, such as safe binding and tucking.
“I would love to get funded to a point where we can meet all of [the] student needs,” Owens said. “We’re in the process of figuring out ways to hopefully make that happen right now. And [I] would love to continue collaborating with various orgs on campus to make sure we’re reaching as many people as possible and meeting different students’ needs as well as possible.”
Leah Dutcher ’28 contributed fact-checking.