“In any school, a gay presence should be seen. It doesn’t have to be overly flamboyant. It should show different types of gay people. Feminine, in-between, and masculine men and lesbian students should be accepted and will be accepted,” said Jermar Franklin, commonly known as Zuri Z. Zandar. Franklin is a second-year fashion student who would like to see a more unified gay presence on campus. The counseling center sponsors the group Beyond the Rainbow which allows LGBT students and allies to discuss their sexuality and broader concerns and seek support in a nurturing environment. “Support is there. Everyone is comfortable, but everyone is doing their own thing. We need a stronger LGBT club that puts on bigger events for the whole school,” said Franklin.
Originally from Atlanta, Franklin discovered his passion for fashion at a young age, “Me and my auntie would go shopping every weekend and then she would let me style her. I can’t call it passion because passion is a choice to me. I feel like I was born to make clothes.” As a gay man entering the world of fashion, Franklin said he believes that gay designers have a responsibility to serve as role models for future gay designers.
“Even in the fashion community, there is a whisper. Zac Posen, John Galliano, and Karl Lagerfeld have never come out and said ‘I support the gay community.’ Being gay is not something they advertise and they don’t have to to be successful. I do think that having more positive and ‘out’ gay people in the world will make young gay people want to become a better gay person.” Franklin takes this idea of mentorship to heart and demonstrates this in his personal life.
“I am a gay activist. I volunteer for Youth Pride which is a safe place where gay teens can go and talk. I’ve been a part of the community since my sophomore year in high school. It’s for teens 13-24 and when you turn 25 you become a volunteer,” Franklin said he hopes to continue this support for gay teens even when he has finished SCAD and is well into his career.
“I want to open a grand boutique in Atlanta and in Savannah. I want to give back to SCAD so I only want SCAD students working in my boutique. My business will also support gay teens,” said Franklin.” He also aspires to work with top designers like Karl Lagerfeld, “I want to work with Karl Lagerfeld’s House of Chanel. If I could get an internship there or work there for a year, I would go insane. It’s my dream.” As a boutique owner or working in an established company, Franklin will design women’s clothing, “I love women’s clothing the most. I want women to feel like the greatest goddesses they have have ever seen. A woman should always feel beyond beauty.”