Gender-Inclusive Housing

Transgender students are more likely to feel accepted by society. It forces people to realize that there are many other areas in which people are treated differently just because of who they are(Dean). The bathroom will reduce bullying and discrimination against transgender students and students wouldn’t have to worry about what bathroom they would enter (yeira).

I currently live on campus at Florida International University, and I recently received an email in regards to the new policy introducing gender-inclusive housing. I am applying for housing for the 2016-2017 academic year, and I found out that the university is now allowing gender-neutral housing that “affords FIU students the option to live on campus in a single room suite or apartment with whomever they choose, regardless of biological sex, gender, or gender identity.” I have heard of this housing option as it is implemented in other universities, but now that it has come to FIU, I would like to research more on the pros and cons of gender-neutral housing as it pertains to campus living. The Gender-Inclusive

Most don’t explicitly look into the complexity of a transgender person’s life and all the questions or problems one might face: Do I use the men’s or the women’s bathroom? Is it appropriate to use this locker room? Those are only two of the many questions a transgender person might run into on a daily basis because of how others would see the situation, how the people who may have a sneaking suspicion that the woman they saw go into the ladies’ bathroom isn’t actually female by their definition, or how it could also seem strange to see that same person go into the mens’ bathroom. These all lead to dysphoria in any person’s situation in public places due to the fact that many choose to taunt or mock the person; however, with the help of Title IX these questions could start to vanish from the thoughts of many transgender students which Blad exemplifies with a quote in her article:

In recent years, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has received an increasing number of questions from parents and schools regarding civil rights protections for transgender students. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination in educational programs/activities based on gender, including discrimination based on a student’s gender identity or transgender status. This letter, while it does not add requirements to applicable law, provides significant guidance and encouragement regarding a school’s Title IX obligations for transgender students and how a school is evaluate for compliance with these obligations.

In “What Should “Diversity on Campus” Mean and Why?” various authors argue how it is difficult for women to get on a college campus, and to be comfortable on college campuses. In her article, “Trans Women at Smith,” Sarah Fraas, explains how difficult it is for transgender women to just apply to Women only universities: specifically, Smith’s. A study conducted by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force figured out that less than half of transgender students have been able to update their school information (Fraas). It has been stated that some of the students who tried were immediately rejected by their high school. Also, in another article “Muslim American Women in Campus Culture,” Shabana Mir argues how it is difficult for female Muslim American

One of the greatest features at The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush is that it is a very diverse school. At Rush there is many different cultures, lifestyles, religions and languages all merging together into one large community, which helps many students meet people who were raised and live differently than them. Some students could even relate or connect to a religion, way of life, or may even discover something about themselves that they never knew before upon meeting individuals that share that trait. A friend of mine who goes to Rush knew very little about what it meant to be Transgender, but now that he has met other people who are Trans at Rush, it has helped him discover that he had been Transgender his whole life, and had never realized

The purpose of the Commission is to improve the climate for diversity within Penn State by specifically addressing issues affecting the welfare of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) members of the University community. The Commission serves to improve the climate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender members of the Penn State community through examination of current policies and practices and through the initiation and promotion of programs which will result in a more equitable and supportive environment. This is accomplished through current standing committees and through the initiation of ad hoc committees for special

When I President of the Residence Hall Association at North Carolina Central University, there was a student that was transitioning from a male to a female that identified as, she. She felt that she could use the restrooms on the female floor. This was an issue because she was still identified as, he, on her driver’s license. She approached me and said “Can you help me I feel, hated, mistreated, alone, and scared”, the only thing I could tell her was, “ I can see if we have space available for a single room with a restroom included”. That hurt me because I was in this leadership position, representing residence life, and we didn’t even have a gender-neutral restroom for a soon to be transgender to take a shower in peacefully. Unfortunately, that student moved off campus, and had to pay a housing termination fee, and that was one less student in a room. I want to be that young student affairs professional that anybody can talk to; I also want to make sure we have facilities on campus that cater to the LGBTQ community. If there isn’t a lavender housing LLC on campus, lets start one. We can start by putting adapting a lavender housing floor LLC, then moving towards a lavender building that provides knowledge about the LGBTQA culture, and people who have contributed to the

Gender segregation;ie the separation of genders from bathrooms,dressing rooms etc; is a form of segregation that has been a hot topic recently. Since there is a big lgbtq movement

The housing subject focuses more of the safety and security of the inmate. According to jailhouselaw.org the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) of 2003 categorizes transgender individuals as “potentially vulnerable prisoners” (jailhouselaw.org). It has been shown that transgender individuals are more likely to be subjected to additional physical and sexual violence when placed into a non-gender identifying prison. This would warrant the need for additional personnel and resources to maintain more monitoring than is usually needed for inmates. This is needed to provide for the safety of the inmate which could sometimes result in the need for segregated housing. The need for extra housing within a segregated unit could end up costing more to the tax payers in the form of additional units needing to be constructed. Which in turn, would require additional support and security staff needed to effectively provide for a secure environment. There is an additional housing concern in which transgender inmates could be assigned to gender identifying prisons. If such a case were to present itself with females that were transgender being transferred to a female correctional facility further consideration would need to be addressed with a shortage of housing accommodations available in a female prison. As such, in Kansas there is only one female correctional facility with limited bed space, and the resulting onslaught of transfers could result in a need to expand the facility. This would have approximately the same financial impact as a male segregation unit, but could be more beneficial in the security of the transgender offender. While the costs associated with housing add to an already financially strained system, the issue of medical treatment also needs to be addressed. The medical cost associated with transgender offenders focuses on the aspects

She is currently a sophomore who fully supports transgender students being able to use whatever bathroom they feel comfortable in.

As we know housing is very important to our universities around the world today and to our very own Old Dominion University . Of course, it’s important to us first-year college students as well as upperclassmen but not as much,because we feel that it 's time to move out. But there are many more reasons why college housing is great and not so great. Living in on-campus housing has it’s perks but, here is the trick we are paying a fortune for it. And we share one room with two others and spacing is not equivalent. Housing rates are extremely high because we are paying for the things that we use. For example the water, lights, electricity, and custodial staff.

The biggest factor that needs to be understood, addressed, and dealt with is the rate of suicide of transgender students. Transgender students in high school and college are more likely to attempt suicide at a point in their life if they are not offered gender appropriate programming, housing, bathrooms and locker rooms, counseling, health care, and having name changes on records and documents. There have been countless times that I have gone into the women’s restroom, because I am not fully transitioned and I know that I do not pass as well as I would like to, and I get a mean look or someone tells me I’m in the wrong restroom. I have been at work cleaning the restrooms and a women asks me to leave so she may use the restroom, because she

Mixed gender rights have definitely come to the forefront in recent years for institutions in higher education. Long gone are the days of our parents and grandparents where gender identity and sexual preference were hush-hush. Students have pushed the boundaries of their respective school’s policies on transgender rights and have forced these institutions to institute policies to address these issues of equality on campus. My research will highlight the myriad of ways that higher education has addressed transgender rights on their campuses.

The Area Coordinator of Residence Life at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee provides leadership to the living learning communities program, academic initiatives, and social justice education within University Housing. In addition, this individual plans, executes, and analyzes instruments of assessment aimed at determining student’s progress towards life skills outlined in the University Housing mission statement. Lastly, this person oversees the development, training, and evaluations of the residence life professional staff members. Due to staff changes, Beth has assumed many of the responsibilities as the sole Area Coordinator. Instead of running away from the challenge, Beth has acknowledged the impact of her contributions to the department and continues to achieve each task given to her. One example is her addition to administration duty response. In Housing, crises response can be time consuming and anxiety producing, especially with higher level cases, but Beth has agreed to take on this task for the