A gender neutral or family restroom is easily accomplished by creating a private, lockable bathroom. We converted two small gender-specific restrooms to gender neutral restrooms just by putting a lock on the outside door. It takes people awhile to get used to the change, but when a new crop of students comes in, some helpful signage should be all it takes.
Poll: Do you have gender neutral restrooms on campus?
in Forum > Diversity Affairs
One of our students is visibly a man, yet chooses to cross dress as a woman. He was seen entering the women's bathroom today and was "reported" to staff. Other female students were reluctant to enter and the men stood around and scratched their heads. No one knew what to do, if anything. We do not have gender neutral restrooms. What do you do at your campus for transgender/cross dressers/LGBT etc, if anything, in regards to restrooms/locker rooms? How is it different for disabled students who have an opposite gender attendent? What about parents and children? What is the legal statute for higher ed on this issue?
I am proposing at least one gender neutral restroom in every new facility built on campus. Is this reasonable?
Thanks,
jennifer
at San Jacinto Central Campus we have a unisex restroom in our student center, it has not caused any problems. and personally I see it as a good idea!! Why we are still trying to exclude people this day in age is beyond me!! Make it one or two stalls with full doors that are lockable and there ya go!!
Yes, we created a gender neutral / family bathroom after a request from transgendered students and a male quadriplegic student who had a female attendant.
With a lockable door, power door opener, and baby changing station, the new bathroom has been well received by the campus community.
I think it is incredibly reasonable.
BTW, Safe2Pee is a directory of gender neutral bathrooms all over the U.S.
http://safe2pee.org/beta/
We have a number of unisex restrooms on our campus. They are in our student union and various academic buildings. As a multi-campus institution, there are also unisex restrooms at the campuses. The LGBT Student Resource Center does an excellent job publicizing these restrooms, as well as educating the community about their necessity.
http://www.sa.psu.edu/lgbt/apps/unisex.aspx
