Columbia Board of Education tables grant for gender-affirming closet

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Board of Education pulled a grant application for a gender-affirming closet Monday night, so students can revise the proposal.

When the proposal is revised the board will consider a grant application to pay for a gender-affirming closet at Rock Bridge High School.

The board thought it would be best to give the students more time to work together with the district administration to perfect the application.

The closet would include clothing for LGBTQ+ students who might not feel comfortable wearing those clothes at home.

The Rock Bridge High School Gay Straight Alliance is applying for $10,000 from the It Gets Better Project to pay for the closet.

Members of GSA said that they are wary of pushback from parents and are hopeful if approved, the closet would be stationed at Rock Bridge and not at the district's administration building, which has happened in the past with the school's "Cinderella closet" used for prom dresses.

The long-term goal is to open the closets in each of the four Columbia Public Schools high schools.

GSA said that the closet is a way to make sure that every high school student has access to resources that can make them feel confident and secure.