Students for Gender-Inclusive Housing at The University of Texas at Austin
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Support a gender-inclusive housing option for students at UT!
The University of Texas currently has housing that segregates students based on sex. While some dorms do feature co-ed halls, no students of different sexes share a room. Even students in suites that share a bathroom must all be of the same sex.
Why the current system is problematic:
The current system presumes that UT students cannot and should not make their own decisions about who they room with on campus, and that students are not able to control their own sexual behavior. It presumes that students do not form close friendships with students of other genders and never prefer to room with these friends.It also bases rooming assignments on whether or not an individual is male or female; this excludes students who identify as transgender, genderqueer, or a gender that does not match their sex. This creates issues with safety and comfort for these students, and the university does not have viable solutions to these issues.
Why UT needs gender inclusive housing:
Gender inclusive housing provides a more real-world alternative to traditional housing on campus; it allows students to room with whomever they want. Students are given the opportunity to make their own decision about what works for them in a living situation. It also provides a safer and more comfortable option for gender-nonconforming students that is absent of the assumption that one's gender and biological sex match.
Our proposal:
We believe that The University of Texas at Austin should implement gender inclusive housing in a hallway in the Jester dormitory. The application process should be simple and easy to access on the Housing website, and should be open to students of all demographics while providing priority to transgender students. Students should be discouraged from rooming with their romantic partners, but ultimately that conversation should be had between students and their parents without university involvement. Gender inclusive housing would be an option available to all students, but not forced on them. Students would be allowed to switch out of the program at any time if it does not work for them.
Sponsor
Texas StandOut
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