The evolution of social interaction is one of life’s most challenging jigsaw puzzles. Each uniquely-edged piece is as essential and enigmatic as the social dynamic it represents. With time and deliberation, tiny pieces form together to create bigger images that merge into a grander depiction. At Ohio University we have our own sector of the puzzle. In the past, we’ve seen pieces like racial integration and in-dorm gender integration redefine our image of social interaction. Today, we’re placing the gender-neutral housing piece.
The challenge of placing gender-neutral housing (GNH) has inspired conversations and debates all over OU’s campus. In fact, it isn’t all that new of a concept to other colleges and universities around the United States. About 55 schools nationwide, including Miami University, Stanford University, Harvard University, Yale University and Oberlin College, have already nestled GNH into their own social realms.
Amelia Shaw, a straight ally and vice commissioner for LGBT affairs on Student Senate, brought up the idea of GNH at OU after attending an LGBT leadership camp.
“I wanted to do something bigger than what OU already had because we are already pretty advanced,” Amelia explains.
During 2010’s fall quarter, Student Senate conducted a survey of 1,176 students.
Eighty-seven percent of students that took the survey favored GNH and 56% indicated interest in actually participating in the program.
Over the past few years, OU has been rated 4 1/2 out of five stars for being LGBT friendly by www.campusclimateindex.org. GNH will be one more advancement that makes Athens a diverse and welcoming college city for many students.
After less than a quarter, Student Senate, Residential Housing and the OU administration created a one-year pilot program for 50 upper-class students, says Dr. Kent J. Smith Jr., vice president of Student Affairs. Participants will have to fill out a separate application during the housing process before being considered. South and West greens, in the buildings of Smith House, Mackinnon Hall and Treudley Hall, is where GNH will be tested out in the fall of 2011.
The concept of GNH originally grew out of transgender issues, and it makes sense. Remember marking male or female when filling out applications for Residential Housing? That is one of the most important components that Housing considers during the application process. It seems like a no-brainer for most incoming students—unless they are transgender: a person who identifies with, or expresses the identity of a gender that is opposite of his or her sex at birth, or doesn’t feel categorized solely as a male or female.
A transgender student may not automatically know which box to mark, and “I prefer not to answer” or “Other” aren’t options. Gender is key to most housing placements at schools throughout the country. Residential Housing places transgender students into single rooms, which are more expensive to the student and usually resemble more of a broom closet rather than an actual living space.
The part of the residential housing puzzle that didn’t fit was its inability to provide options for everyone. In this puzzle, the start of this plan came out of concern for those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.
Kris Grey/Justin Credible is one of the many that would benefit from GNH. Kris is a second year student of a three-year Master of Fine Arts program in ceramics, an active member of OU’s LGBT and a participant in “Ask A Tranny”—an ongoing, interactive, public performance on transgender issues.* Unfortunately, according to Kris/Justin, housing isn’t the only area of concern, but GNH is a step in the right direction for the campus in general.
“Gender gets constructed in many ways and it gets policed in places like public bathrooms and school housing,” Kris explains. “When I was identifying as a masculine woman, I had innumerable uncomfortable public bathroom experiences including being asked to leave women’s rooms.”
GNH strives to be a program that focuses on creating an inclusive environment where students have the option of living with another student of any sex. “Any sex” refers to any gender, gender identity or expression of sexual orientation. However, contrary to many beliefs, GNH isn’t solely about transgender issues—students who want to live outside of the traditional dorm setting might find that GNH suits them well.
The GNH founders struggled to establish a clear, new image for Residential Housing, one that provided more choices for LGBT and others, such as heterosexual couples or best friends of the opposite sex. Although the proposed vision has connected gaps, many students still express that pieces may still be missing.
Along the way, many people stayed focused on the obvious problems, the distinctly marked pieces or the ones with the speared corners. Couples? Yes, couples are going to be able to live together. What about fights and break-ups in relationships?
“It is no different than two female students [who are roommates] who get into an argument and want to move to different rooms,” Smith says.
To Smith and many other students and administrators, the benefits of the program will outweigh the discussion against it. This kind of living arrangement might not exactly be one thing about college that your parents are looking forward to either. But isn’t college about making your own decisions anyway?
Nevertheless, the arguments against GNH seem like a flashback to many other changes in living situations from the past.
“Some of the arguments that people are putting forth against GNH are the same arguments that people had many years ago when African-American students were living with white students for the first time,” Smith explains. “It is also the same arguments like when men and women were first living in the same residence halls.”
Although LGBT is the catalyzing piece of the puzzle, much like racial and gender integration, the ultimate outcome is about everyone, including allies and straight students. It will foster an environment where there is open discussion about gender and sexuality, which Smith says OU owes to its students.
“The real story for me is that this is about inclusion,” Smith says. “It merely creates an option.”
With more inclusion—more connected pieces—the scope of OU’s social interactions will grow and, ideally, spawn new edges for the unplaced pieces. Just how many of those pieces remain may be the greatest part of our challenge. |
