Question:

What have schools done to provide bathroom access to gender-variant students?

Answer:

Overview

Because gender-variant people are often subject to harassment and violence when using male- or female-specific campus restrooms, some colleges are creating gender-free  or gender-neutral  bathrooms typically single-stall, lockable restrooms available to people of all genders in campus buildings most frequented by students. For example, the student association at San Diego State University passed a resolution in 2003 calling for the implementation of safe restrooms across campus for transgender students. As a first step, the group approved funds to change door signs and install door locks to convert a set of male/female bathrooms in the student union into unisex  facilities. The location of all gender-neutral restrooms will also be listed in the university s general catalog. At the University of Chicago, a Queer Action Campaign led to the creation of gender-free bathrooms in two major campus buildings earlier this year.

A number of college groups list gender-free restrooms on their websites, including:

New York University: www.nyu.edu/lgbt/restroom.htm
Ohio State University: multiculturalcenter.osu.edu/glbtss
Ohio University: www.ohiou.edu/lgbt/programs/projects.html
UCLA: www.saonet.ucla.edu/lgbt/unibathucla.html
UC San Diego: blink.ucsd.edu/Blink/External/Topics

Resources

1. People in Search of Safe Restrooms (PSSR): www.pissr.org
2. Sylvia Rivera Law Project: www.srlp.org/documents.html#bath
3. University of California Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex Association web page on gender-free restrooms: www.uclgbtia.org/restrooms.html
4. University of Chicago s Gender-Neutral Bathrooms Campaign: queeraction.uchicago.edu/bathroomindex.html

Developed by Brett Beemyn, GLBT Student Services, Ohio State University: beemyn.1@osu.edu

FAQ Updated December 2004.