The Undergraduate Senate passed a resolution Sunday to explore creation of gender-neutral on-campus housing, in an effort to emphasize trans-gender issues. Gender-neutral housing would allow a student's roommate to be of any gender and the communal floor bathrooms to be coed.
Sponsored by Class of 2009 Senator Jillian Rubino, the Resolution for a More Identity-Inclusive AU also encouraged faculty members, Public Safety officers and the counseling and health center staffs to participate in "sensitivity training geared toward GLBT issues." The resolution passed with only four no votes and one abstention.
As a resolution instead of a bill, Rubino said she hopes it will send the administration the message that students are interested in transgender issues.
"This is a first step," Rubino said. "It gives legitimacy to trans issues."
Now that the resolution has passed, Housing and Dining will talk to students and assess whether there's enough interest to fill and maintain gender-neutral floors, according to Chris Moody, interim executive director of Housing and Dining.
"It's certainly on our radar," Moody said. "But we can't just say, 'The second floor of McDowell will be gender-neutral.' It's an issue of supply and demand."
Moody also said Housing and Dining needs to figure out how to assess the interests of incoming students, since first-year students make up the majority of on-campus residents.
"How do we do a focus group before they even get here?" he said.
Work on the resolution began when Rubino and the student group Queers and Allies dedicated this year to working on trans-gender issues. Rubino said trans-gender friends also motivated her to craft this resolution.
"It's ridiculous that every time you use the bathroom you have to choose which gender you identify with," Rubino said.
Rubino then turned to Housing and Dining services, the Gay, Lesbian, Trans-gender and Allies Resource Center, Public Safety and the Health Center to research the resolution.
Moody said Rubino came to him for his perspective and suggestions, and that they ended up talking for at least an hour.
"We had a really great dialogue," Moody said. "I've been really impressed with Jillian the entire time. She did a lot of research and edited the resolution without changing its mission."
Sara Bendoraitis, director of the GLBTA resource center, said this resolution is important for all students. She pointed to students who would prefer to live with their best friends of the opposite sex.
"It gives all students increased housing options," Bendoraitis said. "And it gives trans-gender students more inclusive housing options."
According to Bendoraitis, the current structure of housing based upon biological sex could create an uncomfortable environment for trans-gender students. For instance, women who identify as male would still have to live with women. Currently, Housing and Dining handles trans-gender living issues on a case-by-case basis, she said.
With the co-ed living option of Nebraska Hall only open to upperclassmen, creating gender-neutral floors would allow for inclusive living options for freshmen and transfer students, Bendoraitis said.
Richard Phillips, a freshman in the School of Public Affairs, said he was enthusiastic about the resolution.
"It doesn't make sense to me why we don't already have this on campus," he said.
Phillips said gender-neutral housing options would help students whose friends are of the opposite sex, as well as trans-gender students.
"If you don't identify with a specific gender, how can you be placed in a gender specific room?" he said.
Women also benefit from the resolution because it seeks to break down gender stereotypes that inhibit women, according to JoAnna Smith, director of Women's Initiative and a junior in the School of Public Affairs.
"So many people don't fit traditional gender roles," Smith said. "If we break these stereotypes it will help women and trans-gender students."
She pointed to how female politicians are criticized for being too masculine or aggressive as an example of how women are harassed because they aren't "feminine" enough.
"WI supports the resolution because while it doesn't deal specifically with women's issues, it deals with gender issues," she said.
