UNE designates 57 restrooms ‘All-Gender,’ approves gender-inclusive housing proposal

Gender-inclusive rooms will be available in Featherman Hall for first-year students, while upper-class students may select a space in any of the suite style halls to designate as gender-inclusive, provided that all roommates agree to the designation.

Two policy proposals intended to increase access and inclusivity were recently approved by University administration. Fifty-seven single-occupancy restrooms in 26 buildings on the UNE Biddeford and Portland Campuses will receive new signage labelling them as “All-Gender Restrooms,” and students living in University residence halls will have the choice to select roommates of any gender. The proposals were authored by UNE’s gender inclusion committee, coordinated by the Division of Student Affairs and composed of staff and students.

“It is important for the University to continue to build a climate where everyone is both welcome and included,” said Richard Anderson-Martinez, director of the Office of Intercultural Student Engagement. “These changes support the institution’s core values and highlight our commitment to student success.”

The introduction of inclusive restrooms and student housing comes at the right time, as the U.S. Department of Education and the Maine Human Rights Commission have recently issued guidelines calling for the inclusion of transgender and gender non-conforming students. More than 200 colleges and universities allow for gender-inclusive housing, while more than 150 have gender-inclusive restrooms.

The restrooms receiving new signage were previously designated as men’s, women’s or unisex spaces. According to Anderson-Martinez, the changes were low-cost and able to be implemented in stages over the summer. Informational signage will also be placed at each restroom for the first few months after the change.

Students residing in campus housing can currently share a suite with persons of a different gender but not an individual room. The policy change will allow students in double- and triple-occupancy rooms more choice in their housing decisions. All students in a gender-inclusive room must agree to the arrangement, and staff will continue to discourage romantic partners from living together.

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