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Accessibility to clothing, and the Queer Closet

By Tavi Maas-Despain

INTRODUCTION

Clothes represent more than just necessity (which itself shouldn’t be understated). What we can wear in our day-to-day life subsequently represents a lot about us, whether that takes form in the shape, color, fabric, or just the fitting of clothing. All of the above represent style, which is how we choose to outwardly present ourselves. Most of us can afford the privilege of choice in this regard. For this reason, we as human beings tend to naturally place great social significance onto clothes. Clothing can provide and represent confidence and solidarity both in movements, and cultures. Somebody’s attire often represents our first impression of someone’s person. However, as much as anything can represent something positive, it can also speak on something negative. To speak on the social-construct shaped elephant in the room, we often associate dirty/tattered clothes with a person being poorer/impoverished.

This association isn’t for no reason either, it's a manifest of our materialistic system, but this association hasn’t stopped those who cannot afford new clothing (especially kids) to experience any less discrimination, or get the clothes they need.

UNITED STATES AND OREGON

2 in 5 children suffer from clothing scarcity, which amounts to 40% of children in the United States (6). According to an article by Craig Benson, the number of children under the poverty line in the United States ranges from 6.9% in New Hampshire at the lowest and 26.4% in Mississippi at the highest. The national percentage in the US is 16.3 (1). As of 2023 the child poverty rate in the State of Oregon was 13.34% (7), and during the pandemic this was at 18% (5 . The percentage of families under the poverty line increases as you look at communities which represent minorities in the State of Oregon.As of 2023 the top three ethnic groups with the highest poverty in Oregon are: Hispanic (16.4%), Native Americans (17.9%), and people of color (26%) (4).

Keep in mind that people who represent ethnic groups as well as the LGBTQIA2S+ have even higher rates of poverty in the US, but a percentage for this smaller demographic doesn’t exist for the State of Oregon at the time of submission. (3)

Teach NorthWest and the Clothing Questionnaire

Over the past two weeks we sent out a questionnaire to both students and teachers of TNW. The question we had leading into the making of the form were simple; how many students and teachers in the given sample size experience poverty and clothes shortages or don’t? The majority of TNW is financially middle class to upper class, with 85 percent of students and teachers ranking somewhere on that spectrum. Subsequently the majority of people who rank middle to upper class, can buy clothes more often, face less challenges with clothing needs,(such as sizing, and less clothing scarcity), some even report having an excess of clothes and were willing to donate. The other 15% experienced the exact opposite. Students who reported being lower middle class to lower class had higher chances of needing to buy clothes exclusively secondhand, having to wear clothes despite them not fitting, facing challenges in regards to their clothing needs, and generally experienced more clothes scarcity.

Queer Eugene and the Queerest Closet

Queer Eugene is a volunteer-run non-profit that operates as a partner to the Lavender Network, which is a larger group of other Queer non-profits. Queer Eugene's goal is “to support queer folks in Oregon with access to resources and community”. This is made possible by Queer Eugene’s project coordinators. The project coordinators manage various events; such as movie nights, arts and crafts, support resources, you name it.

Among one of these programs that's handled by Queer Eugene is the clothing closet (nicknamed the Queer Closet) This is located in the Lavender Network building on Maxwell Rd, Eugene. The closet acts as a donation center for clothing, consistently taking in clothes via donations, and giving out clothes through people coming into the closet and picking out the clothes they need for free. Any excess of clothes is donated to other organizations and schools.

"I don't see the people that these clothes go to, you know? But I know these clothes go to people," says Brie, who manages clothes sorting, “and I know those people really need clothes, because clothes are very important. And I don’t know, I just like it, it makes me feel all warm inside; feeling like I’m keeping the clothes closet running, I like that.” Brie has been a part of the queer closet for some time now. Having started when she saw a Queer Eugene paper slip at a comic store, she has been consistently managing the clothes sorting of donated clothes ever since. " I think what’s eye opening is how quickly these clothes come in and out, you know?” Brie said “I didn’t realize the need was so

high, and that there would be so much product being taken out and brought in.“

Conclusion

Clothing scarcity at its worst represents an invisible knife's edge, and poses a hard impasse for those who experience it. Families who experience clothing scarcity on average can face higher rates of sickness, physical imparities because of ill-fitting clothes, and both systemic and domestic discrimination. This isn't helped by the discussion around clothing scarcity being so hushed, and mute, or worse yet a taboo. Across my life and four different non-profits I have met hundreds if not a thousand people who experience some form of poverty, most of those I’ve met in this demographic have been incredibly nice and just want to be heard, many if not most are unhoused, and what was always consistent across all of my exposure was that scarcity in warm, clean clothing represented the rule and never the exception. This is made worse in the autumn and winter months when the cold bites especially hard.

Across a lot of my research a common sentiment I noticed was that clothing scarcity was categorized as an “invisible epidemic” which never quite made sense to me, I would argue that contradicts itself as a matter of fact. Clothing scarcity has to be one of the most visible epidemics I have personally ever seen. I mean for Pete’s sake it's quite literally in referral to what someone is wearing! Our very first impression of a person who’s poorer or unhoused is that they are unambiguously that! That's why I must ask, is this really something that is “invisible”, or are we just completely and utterly blind to it?

Resources

If you are in need of resources, Queer Eugene has a sheet list of several resources both in state and nationwide on their website. If you want to take or donate clothes, the Lavender Network and clothing closet is on 440 Maxwell Rd, Eugene, OR 97404. If you have any questions email me at maasdespaint@gmail.com

and lastly a massive thank you to Brie, Chloie and Maddi of the Queer Closet sorters, you people are awesome!

Works Cited

Transcript of Interview with Brie

Benson, Craig. “U.S. Poverty Rate Varies by Age Groups.” U.S. Census Bureau, 4 December 2023, https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/12/poverty-rate-varies-by-age-groups.html. Accessed 18 October 2025.

(2) Crisis Assistance Ministry. “National Clothing Insecurity Awareness Day Sheds Light on a Hidden Crisis.” crisisassistance.org, https://crisisassistance.org/2025/09/15/national-clothing-insecurity-awareness-day-sheds-light-on-a-hidden-crisis/. Accessed 10 10 2025.

(3) The Human Rights Campaign. “HRC | Understanding Poverty in the LGBTQ+ Community.” Human Rights Campaign, https://www.hrc.org/resources/understanding-poverty-in-the-lgbtq-community. Accessed 20 October 2025.

(4) KFF. “People in Poverty.” KFF.org, https://www.kff.org/state-health-policy-data/state-indicator/poverty-rate-by-raceethnicity/?currentTimeframe=0&selectedRows=%7B%22states%22:%7B%22oregon%22:%7B%7D%7D%7D&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D. Accessed 18 10 2025.

(5) Mechling, Audrey. “A Portrait of Poverty in Oregon.” Oregon Center For Public Policy, 7 8 2020, https://www.ocpp.org/2020/08/07/poverty-oregon/. Accessed 18 10 2025.

(6) Rai, Aadya. “Clothing Insecurity in America.” young voices for change, 24 12 2024, https://youngvoicesforchangefl.org/f/clothing-insecurity-in-america. Accessed 18 10 2025.

(7) world population review. “child poverty rate by state 2025.” world population review, 2025, https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/child-poverty-rate-by-state. Accessed 18 18 2025.

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