Out My Closet

Out My Closet (OMC) is a grassroots mobile organization that serves homeless and under-resourced LGBTQ+ youth, transgender women of color, and other marginalized groups. The LGBTQ+ community, especially homeless youth and transgender women of color, faces numerous challenges, including higher rates of HIV infection, homelessness, substance abuse, mental and physical health issues, and economic insecurity. Transgender women, in particular, are disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic, with rates significantly higher than the general population.

OMC has been addressing these challenges for nine years by providing specialized large-scale clothing donations, counseling services, vocational, medical, and mental health educational workshops, and maintaining a digital multimedia presence to educate and empower the communities we serve. OMC creates boutique-like shopping environments in homeless shelters and community spaces, offering free high-quality clothing, shoes, accessories, and toiletries in a dignified manner. These resources not only fulfill basic human necessities but also support mental health, reinforce gender identity and expression, and encourage engagement in additional health services.

OMC supplements specialized services and resources to other community organizations (45+) adding to their impact. 

Each event outputs over 700 articles at a time in an unparalleled dignifying manner.

Our social justice vison is one of change in so recognizing the systemic disparities that exist, identifying client-centered needs, and then offering individuals or organizations the supplemental support they require with tangible resources and training to promote self-autonomy and self-efficacy.

OMC South Florida chapter generously provided abundant resources to these following organizations:

Miami Bridge, PrideLines, SunServe, Empower U,

Chapman Partnership, Lotus House, Ariana Center, Girl Power Rocks,

The McKenzie Project, Trans Social, Safe School, Councilman's Scott Galvin District 1,

AQUA Foundation and Survivor's Pathway

Accomplishments:

• Donated 45k+ articles of clothing, shoes, accessories, toiletries, and cosmetics to marginalized and underserved clients
• OMC has dispersed over 100K safe sex kits that include STI contraceptive materials and educational literature of sexual and reproductive care
• Collaborated with over 45+ organizations offering our supportive services
• OMC has conducted high profile empowering interviews with RuPauls's Drag Race Queens on LGBTQ+ areas of coming out, substance abuse, mental health and overcoming other obstacles.
• Have received awards and acknowledgement from Stonewall Foundation, Gay City News and AMIDA Health for our impactful work.

QUEER MEN'S SUPPORT GROUPS:

OMC’S “EMPOWERMENT” monthly social support groups for queer men offers a vital lifeline in reducing the isolation and alienation. Our groups provide a safe and empathetic environment where individuals can openly share their experiences, emotions, and fears without judgment on a spectrum on many issues and entails fun filled engaging activities.

OMC has delivered safe sex contraceptive resources to many gay night clubs (Nathan's, Twist, Lit Bar) and throughout gayborhoods.

OMC is led by passionate young, POC, LGBTQ people! =] RAWRR