Don’t get me wrong. I support providing an environment in the residence halls that welcomes all students. Gender-neutral bathrooms are one way to further this.
I will absolutely back such a ?proposal.
However, the actions of the IU Student Association Congress in regards to gender-neutral bathrooms are a stunt, at best.
On Monday, IUSA voted to implement gender-neutral bathrooms on single gender residence hall floors.
Great, right? Not quite.
IUSA has no role in dictating how RPS facilities operate — it’s the job of the Residence Hall Association to pressure RPS administrators to do so. It’s as simple as that. If the Congress respected the governing student body in the residence halls they would bring the issue to RHA FIRST.
Moreover, think with me for a minute here — gender-selective floors having gender-neutral bathrooms. Wait, what? Individuals were FORCED to choose a gender for their housing, but we want to limit these neutral opportunities to a brief period of daily ?bathroom use.
It seems to me that IUSA has become more concerned with headlines than helping build a better campus.
But if this lunacy wasn’t enough, IUSA has no capacity to enforce this policy. This is, in fact, well beyond their reach.
Last, this does not take into account the great diversity of capacity among different residence centers both ?physically and financially.
So, in summary, they wasted their time and our money to pass a bill which doesn’t address the real issues at hand to press a policy without RHA’s initial consent to go about a program which they have no ability to enforce or see to action.
Weird, right?
Maybe it’s just me, or maybe IUSA hasn’t changed one bit. Short-sighted and ineffective.
Students deserve better.
Want to really fix the issue?
Work with RHA on long-term planning to provide gender neutral opportunities throughout the residential ?experience.
Andrew Ireland
ajirelan@umail.iu.edu
President of
Forest Residence Center and
Vice Chairman of
Student Transportation Board
