Gender-neutral housing and public unisex restrooms will be housing options at the University of Missouri this fall.
MU's newest residence hall, Gateway Hall, will have unisex bathrooms on all of its floors. The first floor of College Avenue Hall will have completely gender-neutral housing.
Students living in College Avenue Hall's gender-neutral housing have to first sign an agreement saying they understand their suitemate or roommate could be of a different gender.
Frankie Minor, director of MU Residential Life, says the push for gender-neutral environments at MU began in 2013. But it wasn't until last summer that it was approved, after the University of Missouri System added gender expression and gender identity to its non-discrimination statement.
"What we're trying to do is create a safe space for a group of students who reported the highest level of unsafety or are feeling less safe on our campus," Minor says. "And again, we're not requiring any student to live there."
The group Minor is referring to includes transgender or gender-nonconforming students. In the past, Minor says housing agreements let students note if they needed accommodations for gender identity or exploration. And transgender students said they were harassed and intimidated while using bathrooms that were either designated "male" or "female."
Minor says the new unisex bathrooms don't have to be a big deal.
"If you've gone to the mall or to the movie theater or other places, you've seen unisex restrooms," he says. "When you're in this public unisex restroom, that space is yours until you're done with it, and then somebody else uses it."
Incoming MU student Shelby Jones says she chose to live at Gateway Hall so she could participate in a Freshman Interest Group, a program in which students who live together take some of the same classes, for her major. She was unaware Gateway had gender-neutral bathrooms when she signed a contract to live there for the 2015-2016 school year.
"I'm still super excited to live there," Jones says. "I wouldn't change where I'm going to live because of (gender-neutral bathrooms)."
Jones says it is different from what she's used to and makes her feel slightly uneasy. But since she has a gay family member, Jones says she's no stranger to gay rights issues. However, upon hearing about it for the first time, her dad expressed concerns about the living arrangement.
"He was like 'What? You're going to be sharing a bathroom with guys?'" Jones says.
Missouri lawmakers are concerned, too.
Two bills opposing gender-neutral environments have been introduced in the Missouri House of Representatives. Rep. Jeff Pogue, R-Salem, who sponsors both bills, said in a news release:
"The culture… of the United States as a society, since implementation of public restrooms, has been that men (males) and women (females) have separate public restroom facilities."
The news release said House Bill 1338 suggests this status quo should be maintained. And Pogue's second bill, House Bill 1339, "prohibits the appropriation or expenditure of state revenues for the purpose of creating a gender-neutral environment, unless required by federal or state court order."
In the release, Pogue references Amnesty International, an international human rights organization, recommending "gender segregated toilet facilities" to protect safety.
While he cannot comment on pending legislation, Minor addresses safety concerns, as well.
"Safety and security is one of the issues that we feel is important for us," Minor says. "I want students to enjoy living here. I want them to form friendships. I want them to do well academically."
Minor stresses that the unisex bathrooms are not what people think of when they picture community-style bathrooms. Gateway Hall's bathrooms do not have stalls. Instead, they are private rooms with locking wooden doors and have toilets and showers.
As for College Avenue Hall's gender-neutral housing, students of all genders or who are gender-nonconforming will have the option to live together in the same room or suite.
Minor says, as of right now, only two out of a maximum of 16 residents have signed up to live on the gender-neutral floor, but students can sign up until July. If there is a greater need, he says Residential Life will reevaluate and add more suites in the future.
This housing option, Minor says, will not only benefit the LGBT community but also relatives or best friends who want to live together.
And those are not the only potential roommate combinations.
"We knew that there was the possibility that a heterosexual couple might sign up for this," Minor says. "That's why, in the statement, we say we're not saying you can't do that."
Minor says MU Residential Life will not ask students why they want to live in the gender-neutral housing or ask them to disclose their gender identity.
