What I want for Christmas

The University of Oregon’s student newspaper reported last week on the construction of single-occupancy changing rooms on the Eugene campus’ student rec center.

I have to admit a bit of jealousy towards students, faculty and staff at the U of O and Ohio State; both institutions offer these valuable resources. At most colleges and universities, including mine, the only changing and shower facilities available are large single-sex locker rooms– my institution has three large student athletic centers, including one with three women’s locker rooms, two locker rooms, but no single-occupant changing facilities.

It’s not just queer students wishing to avoid the discomfort of using gendered facilities (as well as steering clear of Barney Frank’s ire). There are a range of people, from folks with anxiety issues, to differently-abled persons requiring assistance, to people with children, that could use these facilities. It’s an old argument.

And while I’m not arguing with the idea of using student fees to fund activities that are targeted at subsets of campus communities, I think that recreational facilities should be accessible to all students, especially given that they’re frequently funded by mandatory fees– they’re intended to be recreation centers, not clubs for subsets of campus communities.

Also check out:

Suggested Steps to Make Campuses More Tran-Inclusive by Brett Beemyn et al.(.pdf file)
safe2pee.org