San Diego to Provide Gender Neutral Restrooms

Ben Cartwright
November 12, 2003
Reprinted with permission by San Diego State Uni | Visit Site

On November 12, 2003 the Associated Students of San Diego State University passed Council Bill F03-05 “Resolution in Support of Gender Neutral/Family Restrooms”. This resolution will provide for safe restrooms across the campus for transgender students. The concept was brought to life by LGBT Student Union president Ben Cartwright, and the resolution was backed by the LGBTSU and authored and brought to the A.S. Council by Scott Pietka, LGBTSU Liaison to the A.S. Council.

The United States Student Association, which is the nation’s largest student association, has urged all college and universities to provide single-stall gender neutral restrooms for transgender students to protect them from harassment and physical attacks. Reports have shown that the restroom can a very unsafe place for transgender students while at school. Also, the question of which restroom to use plagues many transgender students as well. Many public universities across the nation have designated “Gender Neutral” restrooms. The fact that San Diego State, being a very large university with 35,000+ students, did not provide this service was unacceptable to the LGBT Student Union, which brought about this resolution.

The first phase of the resolution will be to convert a set of male/female restrooms in SDSU’s student Union building, Aztec Center, to be be converted into gender neutral facilities. This will include changing the door signs to read Male/Female, placing locks on the doors, and adding diaper changing tables into the restrooms. The first part of the project, paid for by the Associated Students, will cost about $2400.00. Not only will these facilities be beneficial to transgender students, faculty/staff, and visitors, but also for parents with young, opposite-sex children.

The resolution also states that the location of all designated Gender Neutral Restrooms will be listed in the University’s General Catalog in the “Special Programs and Services” section.