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EDITORIAL: Gender-blind housing needed
Editorial | 3/4/08
Posted online at 1:43 AM EST on 3/4/08
All students deserve to feel safe and comfortable in their living environments. That's the message of the National Student Genderblind Campaign, a student movement that advocates for gender-neutral housing on college campuses. Institutions across the country, approximately 30, have responded to those students who say the traditional residence life policy that mandates only students of the same sex be roommates is antiquated and unfair. These universities have made gender-blind housing available to accommodate those students-many of whom are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning or intersex-who feel more comfortable rooming with someone with no gender or someone of the opposite sex or gender.
Transgender students who come to Brandeis or undergo the transition while at Brandeis may prefer to live with a roommate who's comfortable with their identity or who is gender-variant as well.
In adjusting the heteronormative housing policy, Brandeis has the opportunity to be more alert and sensitive to the needs of gender-variant students.
We support the students of Triskelion, TransBrandeis and the Social Justice Committee in their effort to bring gender-inclusive housing options to Brandeis. This sort of housing would be optional. We encourage the Department of Residence Life to work with students to reach a compromise regarding this issue as soon as possible.
No student should be forced into a living situation that causes undue anxiety and discomfort. That also goes for students, many with religious concerns, who frequently request more single-gender floors, suites and buildings to be available. These students should have the housing that best suits their identities as well. It's difficult for ResLife to balance these competing needs, but that's why we need a greater variety of housing options.
An inclusive rooming option, maybe starting with one dorm, would make for a good test run. ResLife and Trisk discussed the possibility of opening gender-neutral housing in a Thematic Learning Community. This is a great idea, but ResLife has to revamp the TLC program first, as it's currently on hold.
Transgender students who come to Brandeis or undergo the transition while at Brandeis may prefer to live with a roommate who's comfortable with their identity or who is gender-variant as well.
In adjusting the heteronormative housing policy, Brandeis has the opportunity to be more alert and sensitive to the needs of gender-variant students.
We support the students of Triskelion, TransBrandeis and the Social Justice Committee in their effort to bring gender-inclusive housing options to Brandeis. This sort of housing would be optional. We encourage the Department of Residence Life to work with students to reach a compromise regarding this issue as soon as possible.
No student should be forced into a living situation that causes undue anxiety and discomfort. That also goes for students, many with religious concerns, who frequently request more single-gender floors, suites and buildings to be available. These students should have the housing that best suits their identities as well. It's difficult for ResLife to balance these competing needs, but that's why we need a greater variety of housing options.
An inclusive rooming option, maybe starting with one dorm, would make for a good test run. ResLife and Trisk discussed the possibility of opening gender-neutral housing in a Thematic Learning Community. This is a great idea, but ResLife has to revamp the TLC program first, as it's currently on hold.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
James Sanders
posted 3/04/08 @ 11:41 AM EST
When I lived on campus, I always bitched how Res Life doesn't respect my unique needs to live in a Single. Those bastards.
ah geez
posted 3/04/08 @ 12:56 PM EST
there has got to be something better going on at brandeis to whine about. i like your poll, as it is the same as the other campus papers poll too.
nathan
posted 3/07/08 @ 3:20 AM EST
Pardon me if I'm off-track, but doesn't creating a gender-neutral dorm, and thereby sequestering those who would make use of it, only exacerbate the problem? Shouldn't they just deal with people's unique needs on a case by case basis, maybe implementing a formal policy and procedure for doing so? Hell I donno. (Continued…)
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