Living on campus with a roommate of the opposite sex may sound unusual, but gender-neutral housing is becoming an option at several universities.
At the University of Pennsylvania, students now can live in on-campus gender-neutral housing, which allows students of the opposite sex to room together. Penn’s new policy — approved by its administrators in December — initially was meant to serve the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students on campus. Students must complete a special application process to live in gender-neutral housing.
Northwestern’s Rainbow Alliance, an LGBT support group at NU, petitioned Associated Student Government to push for gender-neutral housing on campus last school year.
“There are a lot of changes regarding bills and policies that have to occur before gender-neutral housing at Northwestern takes place,” said Whitney Gretz, a Weinberg sophomore and Willard Residential College senator who petitioned for co-ed roommates. “I don’t think we will see it in the near future.”
Gender-neutral housing does not have to focus only on members of the LGBT community on campus, Gretz said. She petitioned last year because she wanted to live with a male friend.
“It’s not necessarily a gay rights issue,” Gretz said.
Leslie Stewart, a Weinberg senior and co-president of Rainbow Alliance, agreed.
“Although this would be one important step in addressing the needs of people in (the LGBT) community, I think many other people would benefit from allowing opposite sex roommates, not just transgender individuals,” she said.
Some students said they are in favor of gender-neutral housing as long as it is based on students choosing to live in such a community.
“I don’t think guys and girls should be randomly paired with each other in a housing situation, but if each party chooses to room with each other, then that’s cool,” said Parmede Vakil, a McCormick sophomore who lives in Bobb Hall. “We should respect their choices.”
Administrators say they haven’t heard much about gender-neutral housing, despite some student support and last year’s petition.
“It really hasn’t been a concern that has been brought to my attention,” said Mark D’Arienzo, associate director of undergraduate housing. “People have been interested in co-ed dorms and suites, not really co-ed dormmates.”
Having co-ed roommates is not unheard of at other colleges and universities. Among these is Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., which offers gender-neutral housing and maintains co-ed bathrooms within its dorms. Students who want co-ed roommates must submit a special permission slip, unless the room has a common living space.
Gender-neutral housing is not a big deal, students at Vassar said.
“You live with who you want to live with,” said Claire Taylor, a sophomore at Vassar. “I guess (the co-ed bathrooms) can be weird at first, but you get used to it.”
Some say both sexes can learning to live together in this unique approach to college life.
“I think (gender-neutral housing) is a great idea,” said Paris Smith, a Vassar sophomore who lives in a co-ed dorm. “When you think about it, most people don’t experience living and sharing a space with someone of the opposite sex until they’re involved in a serious relationship or get married. It’s a great exercise in tolerance.”
each Ann Tran at [email protected].
