PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Mars Sharrock can remember how afraid they were to come out as queer to their friends in high school.
“I didn't see it,” they said of the LGBTQ+ community of the time.
Now, after being one of the 100 most influential LGBTQ+ leaders in the country celebrated annually by Out Magazine, Sharrock said the growth in the community has been “staggering.”
They were named to Out’s 30th annual list because of their work as program director at The Wardrobe, a nonprofit with locations in Philadelphia, Delaware, and Chester counties that seeks to eliminate clothing insecurity by providing professional attire to any who may need it for a job interview or other endeavor.
When Sharrock came on its board, it only served women, but that too has seen exponential growth over the years.
“I'm really proud that in the time that I've been there, I've seen the organization grow exponentially into being able to serve all genders, being a really welcoming and open place for the trans community, for the LGBT community,” they said.
Sharrock is also on the board of the Independence Business Alliance, the region’s LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce, where they’ve found a passion working on its TransWork committee.
“The goal of trans work is really to get not just trans people jobs, but to make sure that those jobs are sustainable, to make sure that those jobs are welcoming and inviting,” Sharrock said.
They said they are happy to be honored on the Out 100, and said it’s been inspiring to see that people are able to be much more open, but that’s also come with a massive backlash.
“I think we're seeing a lot of that right now with you know, the bathroom bans and the book bans, and not allowing trans people to play sports and all of that stuff in my opinion, it's just a reaction to seeing people living happy lives,” they said.
This year's Out 100 list also includes actresses Jodie Foster and Cynthia Nixon, and comedian Margaret Cho, among others. The issue is on newsstands now. Read the full list, Sharrock’s feature, and a digital copy of the edition.