California became the first state to enact a law concerning transgender student rights on Jan. 1. As more universities strive to be more inclusive, UF’s policies for its transgender students are still developing.
The California law states that any public school programs and facilities for grades K-12 must be open to all students, meaning they may use any restroom or locker room they feel comfortable with, regardless of gender identity.
UF’s non-discrimination policy currently promotes equal opportunities for all of its students, including those of all gender identities and expressions.
“Policies and practices don’t always align as neatly as they could,” said LB Hannahs, UF director of LGBT affairs. “And I think often when we make big policies, the on-the-ground changes we need to make can be difficult.”
Some students say these changes, however minor, are necessary to promote a better campus environment for all students.
Andrew Sun, a 21-year-old UF political science senior and director for the pride mentor program for incoming LGBT students, said more unisex bathrooms on campus would be a start.
“If you don’t look male or female, you can get kicked out of the bathrooms,” he said, “and there are a lot of people that that happens to on a daily basis.”
Sun said that the lack of gender-neutral housing on campus can make transgender and other gender-affiliated students uncomfortable.
“In order for you to not live with an assigned sex, you have to have a medical condition,” he said.
Sun said he personally faced the challenge of living with a roommate whose gender he did not identify with during his sophomore year.
In an effort to combat situations like these, 22-year-old UF women’s studies senior Marla Munro, former president of Gators Coalition for an Inclusive Campus, worked last year to promote gender-neutral housing, which would allow students to choose roommates of any gender.
The coalition has since dissolved, but she said her team raised campus discussion and paved the way for a new committee called Open Housing to be created in UF’s Housing and Residence Education Department.
“Gender-neutral housing makes the environment a little more friendly and inclusive,” Munro said.
A version of this story ran on page 8 on 1/14/2014 under the headline "As California changes laws, UF transgender policies evolving
