Members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community may feel a little more at ease when using restrooms at Ohio University.
The Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Programs and Student Senate are working to provide more gender-neutral restrooms for the transgender community.
LGBT programs have worked to change single-stall restrooms from male or female only designated facilities to gender-neutral restrooms. The restrooms are intended to make the facilities more comfortable for all members to use, but particularly for transgender students, said Mickey Hart, coordinator of the LGBT Programs.
According to the Ohio University Athens Campus Student Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity and Gender report from Fall Quarter 1996 through Fall Quarter 2002, only male and female categories are included in student enrollment figures.
More than 30 gender-neutral restrooms exist on campus, with most located in residence halls. Hart, however, said more are needed in academic buildings and should be included in future building plans.
Paul Patton, Student Senate Commissioner of LGBT affairs, said officials from Senate and other OU organizations will evaluate current facilities throughout October. They will review restrooms for availability based on location, wheelchair accessibility, identification and safety.
We are revisiting where we've been before
as more and more transgender people are coming out. We are responding to their needs Hart said.
The assessment for clearly marked signs and the need for more restrooms are important to transgender students, he said.
Rusty, a fifth-year senior at OU, said gender-neutral restrooms are hard to find if one is not in the LGBT Programs or specifically looking for one. Rusty, a transgender student, asked that his full name not be used for fear of violence or harm towards him.
He said it would be more convenient to have more gender-neutral restrooms because those are the only restrooms he uses at OU.
I think it's really important not just to transgender students
but to any people who don't feel comfortable in the restrooms
he said. It's horrible
in Bentley
to have to run to Baker to go to the bathroom. I don't feel safe going into the male bathroom.
Gender-neutral restrooms are needed for safety and comfort reasons, said Christie Launius, visiting assistant professor of Women Studies.
There are documented instances where (transgender people) have been beaten up or harassed over entering what appeared to be the wrong bathroom
Launius said. Sometimes the instances are not necessarily harassment, but an uncomfortable situation.
I have women friends who have a masculine appearance and we'd go to the bathroom together. People said things like 'I think you're in the wrong bathroom
' she said. And once
a kid said 'Mommy
there is a boy in the bathroom.'
Women Studies Director Susan Burgess said society places people into two genders, which should not be the case.
The traditional way that people thought about gender was two: male and female. Recently
