IDSNews.com – By Chip Cutter
14 residence hall bathrooms now ‘gender neutral’
Some single-stall restrooms on campus have gotten a name change — from “male” or “female” to “gender neutral.”
The signage switch is designed to make the restrooms more inclusive to transgender students, said Barry Magee, assistant director of diversity education for Residential Programs and Services.
RPS spearheaded the effort.
“We want to be accommodating to people who have various gender identities,” Magee said. “Some people, whether they identify as transgender or not, don’t feel as comfortable with that (male or female) label.”
Outside a gender-neutral bathroom at the Wright Place food court, most students said they had never heard of the new restrooms.
“I didn’t even know that was there,” said Mandy Scott, a freshman exploratory major who lives in the building. “I guess it’s good because whenever I have to go (use the restroom) all I can really find is the men’s room, so now we’re set.”