A student enters one of the all-gender restrooms on campus.
Doane officially designated various restrooms as gender-neutral. Signs for the gender-neutral, or all-gender, restrooms have been put up on a majority of single-user restrooms around campus. Doane has not made any changes to the restrooms or building themselves, but have changed the signs outside of single-person use restroom areas. Luis Sotelo, vice president of the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, said, “The restroom updates are a grassroots effort that are a result of listening to what our Doane community members have been asking for.”
According to Sotelo, the gender-neutral restrooms will be beneficial for many people within the community.
“The all-gender restrooms will provide a more inclusive experience for families with children, people with disabilities accompanied by a caregiver and transgender and non-binary community members,” Sotelo said.
The single-person restrooms becoming gender-neutral is more efficient when there is a wait for a gender-specific restroom. Additionally, it allows more options for those that need more space or privacy. The change in the signs has had little impact on cis-gendered students, as the restrooms remain the same and only the signs changed. Many students had not noticed the change in signs and did not have an opinion on the matter.
DEI Specialist and director of CAPE Project Suzannah Rogan commented on the addition. “Gender-inclusive bathrooms provide a space where people do not have to make a choice about their identity and expression to the world. Anyone can use them, that’s the beauty,” Rogan said. “Providing this space limits the negotiation a person who is non-binary or transgender has to make in terms of their personal safety.”
Junior Grace Su said that they liked the new restroom signs. “Whether these restrooms are used by people who are uncomfortable using gendered restrooms or by people who just want some privacy after eating a bean burrito, these restrooms are an improvement on Doane’s campus,” Su said.
Introducing gender-neutral spaces around campus will help to create a more welcoming environment for both current and incoming students and faculty. Few students have opposed the new signs around campus.
Senior Corbin Hubbell said he was neutral when it comes to the new all-gender restroom signs around campus. “I would feel uncomfortable if it was a large bathroom and they decided to make it an all-gender bathroom. I wouldn’t want a female to be in the same bathroom as I am while I’m doing my business and I don’t think they would want me in there while they were doing their business,” Hubbell said. “I think it is good to kinda be separate there. But when it’s just one bathroom, I don’t see any problem with that whatsoever.”
While Hubbell stated he has no problem with the new signs, he also said that he believes any larger changes to the restrooms would cause controversy. Hubbell said he would not be comfortable with gender-neutral restrooms with multiple stalls that are not for one person at a time.
Su said the restrooms will be beneficial to Doane’s culture, especially in relation to the LGBTQ+ population. “Aside from trans people that may use these restrooms, cis [gendered] people will hopefully use them as well, normalizing the existence of gender-neutral restrooms in their minds,” Su said. Sotelo gave thanks to those that helped to carry out the project.
“Other universities across the state of Nebraska made these changes years ago,” Sotelo said. “I’m thankful for the hard work of various students, staff, and faculty who led this initiative at Doane University and helped our community embrace and implement best practices on this matter.”
A majority of students and staff have shown general support for the new signs and the changes it may represent.
“I think that installing gender-neutral restrooms on Doane’s campus is a step in the right direction in helping people feel more comfortable at Doane,” Su said. “We have what currently appears to be a growing trans population and these accommodations will hopefully be made more frequently as we grow in number at Doane.”
