When I got a Facebook invite to sign the petition for gender-neutral housing. my first question was: what exactly is gender-neutral housing? Upon a little more exploration, I learned that the policy allows a student to room with someone of the opposite sex. This could help transgender and gay students live more comfortably.
While my only real knowledge of these struggles comes from what I learned in Northwestern’s Human Sexuality course, it’s impossible not to sympathize with those who feel trapped in a housing situation that makes them uncomfortable.
On the surface, the initiative sounded great. It would take a quick minute to sign the petition and I would feel like I had helped make NU history, should the initiative go through.
So I went and read through the actual document I was potentially signing. The Gender Protection Initiative is requesting “one wing, floor, or suite of an on-campus dormitory be gender-inclusive.” That sounds reasonable. So far, so good.
The next part of the proposal clarifies that consent is needed for a student to live in this space. In other words, no one would get put into a gender-neutral room without knowing previously.
The proposal also hopes to open this housing option up to incoming freshmen. “A prospective resident would apply by checking a box on the housing form and writing a brief statement of interest, similar to those required for Residential Colleges.”
Here’s my concern: I’m not sure how I feel about freshmen having this option in its pilot year. If this proposal goes through, we should run it for a year or two, see how it works, and then eventually offer it to prospective students. Additionally, offering this housing option to incoming students its pilot year could raise questions about prospies and overnight stays, something the proposal doesn’t currently address.
Other universities offering gender-neutral housing do not extend the invitation to freshmen – or, at least, not yet. The University of Michigan and Brown University currently offer this option only to sophomores, juniors and seniors. University of Southern Maine’s policy states gender-neutral housing is available on a first-come, first served basis. Interested freshmen have to submit more information than upperclassmen.
This seems like a feasible plan for NU down the road. Currently, if a freshman feels uncomfortable living with a same-sex roommate, they have an option. The university housing application allows them to apply for a single room.
The petition, which is posted on ASG’s website, will go to a university housing committee and then to the Office of Student Affairs when it has 800 signatures or during the eighth week of the quarter.
As I finish this column, I am the 449 person to sign the petition. I am curious to see which comes first – 800 signatures or the eighth week of the quarter. I just wonder if the inclusion of incoming students will cost the otherwise solid initiative some support.
