Gender-neutral restrooms to promote accessibility, inclusivity

The Campus Accessibility Advisory Committee, a 15-member group appointed by the chancellor, recently recommended that students be able to use any gender restroom on campus to which they self-identify. In response, the Trans* Committee and the Office of Disability Services have partnered in a joint effort to establish accessible and gender-neutral restroom facilities in every academic building on campus.

“The addition of more accessible and gender-neutral spaces will make the campus more inclusive and safer for all its students, faculty and staff,” said Josh Burford, assistant director for sexual and gender diversity with the Multicultural Resource Center and chair of the Trans* Committee.

The University joins several other institutions, such as New York University and Northwestern University, which have already established gender-neutral restrooms facilities for students, faculty and staff.

The new restroom facilities are being referred to as Family Style Accessible Unisex Restrooms (FSAUR). The first one was created in the College of Health and Human Services this past fall semester.

Instead of constructing new restroom facilities in every building, some facilities on campus will designate existing restrooms as FSAURs, said University officials.

“The goal of the new FSAURs on campus is to provide greater restroom accessibility, privacy and safety for everyone on campus, regardless of gender or physical abilities,” said Burford. “Recently, many students have expressed concerns and issues with the current binary status of University restrooms.”

Having to choose between a male-only or female-only restroom can be a challenge for trans* students who are hesitant to use a public restroom associated with their identified gender, Burford added. This hesitation can be from difficulty in identifying personal gender or the result of fear of embarrassment or harassment from other individuals.

“It can be very difficult to choose between binary-gender restroom options when you do not personally identify with a binary gender,” stated University staff member Aeryn Jackson, a Web applications developer in the Student Union Activities and Recreation Department and member of the trans* community. “The decision often results in a no-win situation where students are forced to make what could be a very difficult and private decision in front of others.”

The University updated its anti-discrimination statement in November 2014 to include students with non-binary gender, replacing former “University Policy 504, Sexual Orientation” with “University Policy 501.2, Regulation Regarding Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Transgender Status.”