Blogging Assignment Week 13

Grinnell College in Iowa has adopted a new gender neutral policy that provides students with an option to select a gender neutral locker room. Students can now "share a dormitory room, bathroom, shower room or locker room" with other "male, female, straight, gay, lesbian, or transgender" students. Grinnell is one of the leading colleges in Iowa in terms of gender neutrality, as it was the first of the state to offer gender neutral dormitories three years ago. Over fifty-four colleges across the nation provide gender neutral housing. Experts believe that a college usually implements such policies when a demand for it arises. At Grinnell, the main reason gender neutral housing was instated was to provide a safe haven for people of all types, not to allow couples to live together. Yet, on the other hand, Catholic University in Washington is reverting back to single-sex dorms, thinking that it will cut back on drinking and sex.

What do you think about the gender neutral policy? Is it acceptable to a certain extent (i.e. dormitories but not locker rooms)? Do you ever think USC would implement similar policies, and what would it take to do so?

Though I think that this can foster a more accepting space for students of different sexual orientations, I don't think that it is ultimately a good idea. I believe that there are some people that would take advantage of the policy. For example, straight guys could want to use the gender-neutral locker room just to creep on girls. Instead, I think that interest floors or other such facilities would be more helpful. This way, individuals outside the norm could be around similar students so there would be a support system, but outsiders would not be able to intrude.

The article can be found at: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-11-09/gender-neutral-college/51134546/1