UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As the fall semester came to a close and students packed up their rooms to head home, the LGBTQA Student Resource Center was unpacking 25 boxes of clothes donated by the NFL’s Affinity Group, Pride.
In October, an article was published by NBC about a wave of clothing transits that were opening on campuses across the country to serve trans and gender diverse student communities. Penn State’s Clothing Transit was featured and Brian Patchcoski says that is where it all began.
Patchcoski, the director of the LGBTQA Student Resource Center, a unit of Penn State Student Affairs, said that the NFL contacted them after seeing the article and wanted to know how they could help Penn State students thrive. Patchcoski said they accepted the NFL’s offer to facilitate a winter clothing drive and the rest was history.
Penn State’s Clothing Transit provides free clothing and accessories to trans and gender diverse students with the goal of providing a comfortable space to find clothing that reflects their identity.
Donations included items such as clothing, shoes, jewelry, ties and more — giving the transit even more free options to provide.
“These items and the Clothing Transit allow our Penn State students to navigate and persist at Penn State as their whole selves – truly a testament to the greater Penn State community and the support we endeavor to provide,” said Patchcoski.
According to Shelagh Byrne, an NFL Pride ambassador, Pride was established to, “heighten the visibility of the LGBTQ community in the NFL offices so that employees of all sexual orientations can feel comfortable being themselves in the workplace.”
Byrne said the employees, families and friends of NFL Films in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, were eager to help.
Penn State’s Clothing Transit was formed in partnership with 3rd Way Collective and Lutheran Campus Ministry with monetary support from the Philip N. Knuston Endowment and gift in memory of former Penn State student Eli (Miriam) Roe.
“Our hope is that Eli (Miriam) Roe’s gift continues to grow and have a positive effect in the world,” Byrne said.
The Clothing Transit is located in 24 Ritenour Building on campus and has open hours during the semester, but individual appointments can also be requested. Donations can be dropped off at the LGBTQA Student Resource Center in 101 Boucke Building during normal business hours.