Jump The Q – How LA’s ProjectQ salon provides a safe space for the LGBTQ community – Los Angeles Blade
By Susan Hornik | LOS ANGELES – In a world where trans hatred and Asian hate crimes are at an all time high, Leon Elias Wu, president/ceo of SharpeHaus (formerly Sharpe Suiting) is very, very tired.
“The recent news about attacks on AAPI people has been very emotional and exhausting,” acknowledged the trans activist/designer. “I go through emotions of feelings of extreme anger and wanting to retaliate, to wanting to bury these feelings for now and deal with them later.”
This hate is something that Wu has experienced his entire life.
“AAPI hate and disrespect have been a long-standing issue which I’ve felt and experienced since I was a kid, where people perceived me as a ‘woman’ and now as a visible Asian man. Being a trans and LGBTQ activist through all my work at Sharpe, I have not felt like I had the additional energy to manage another layer of activism to fight against AAPI hate, when a lot of the violence started breaking out during the pandemic and then more frequently this year.”
He continued: “A BIPOC person can feel like they have certain rulesets to live by to feel safe in our country. The ruleset is different, depending on your gender and ethnicity, whether you are seen as a black woman, black man, Asian woman or Asian man. Then being transgender or non-binary is another layer. It can be exhausting to break these rules and barriers down.”
Growing Up
Wu was born in a small town in Oklahoma and then subsequently, two LA valley cities, Northridge and Arcadia. “My parents immigrated from Taiwan before I was born. Ever since I can remember, I identified with masculinity. and wanted to play sports with boys and wear boy clothes. I used to sneak into my father’s closet and try on his massive dress shirts, blazers and try to finagle a necktie around my neck to make it look fairly like the crisply-tied neckties I’d watch him do in the mornings.”
Wu didn’t have trans folks around him growing up, which made him feel uncomfortable about speaking.
“I did not know how to express myself and often felt like I was hiding something that was wrong with me. I went along life thinking that I must make-up for this wrong by doing everything right. I tried my best to do stellar work in school and most importantly tried to fit in wherever possible.”
Wu came out at the tail end of college as lesbian, gay or queer.
“Upon graduating UCLA, activist at heart, I quickly attached myself to a group of dumpster-diving, rallying lesbian artists/activists who hung out on the eastside of Hollywood. At that time, I was the only visible trans-identified person within their class and within OutClass – a Stern NYU organization which advocates and creates a safe space for LGBTQ+ members within the Stern community.”
In Spring 2008, while traveling abroad with some fellow students to China as part of an NYU Stern international class trip, he conceptualized the idea of Sharpe Suiting.
“I felt uncomfortable wearing a women’s suit from Ann Taylor to my interviews. With the suggestion and support of my finance peers, I bought my first-ever custom suit from the world famous Sam’s Tailor in Hong Kong. For the first time, I felt like myself in clothing. I felt extraordinary. At that moment, I knew I wanted to bring that feeling to my community.”
Fashion Projects
To combat the darkness, Wu focuses on the light.
Back in April, the company rebranded as SharpeHaus and launched “The MixTape Capsule,” a series of 80s music videos on YouTube and cover songs on Spotify, Apple and iHeart Radio, which raises visibility in diverse music artists.
The project also supports Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors United, a non-profit organization in the fight against LGBTIQ+ youth homelessness around the world. The visual activist campaign was produced in lieu of the company’s activism on the runway, as both LA and NY Fashion Week were cancelled due to the pandemic.
“I focus on art that makes me feel positive, like our new initiative, ‘The Mixtape Capsule.’ By producing music and videos, I get to infuse modern identities into songs I grew up listening to as a child. It’s very healing. And then I hope my art can inspire and heal others too.”
The company is ready for action: Sharpe is a presenting designer for Women’s Freedom Festival held by L-Project LA. The fashion show segment of Women’s Freedom Festival is curated and produced by gender shoe and accessory designer NiK Kacy. This virtual fashion show will be the first fashion show they have participated in since the pandemic lockdown.
“We are excited to bring the audience 8 years of HERstory on the runway. Get your tickets today and tune in on June 19th,” he enthused.
SharpeHaus will be flying to South Carolina to help Greenville ring in and celebrate its first pride festival ever.
“This will be an all-town occasion produced by Erika Taylor, Terena Starks, Carolina Soma, Caroline Caldwell & David Hawkins. And you better believe we are doing it runway style! We are calling all non-binary, trans, queer femme and LGBTQ+ models to participate in the Greenville’s Gender Expansive fashion show.”
Tickets can be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/greenvilles-gender-expansive-fashion-show-tickets-156944642651 starting at $15. Nikki Eason (SharpeHaus Charlotte Designer) will be lead model on the runway.