Support expressed for gender-neutral housing

In the recent forum held by Student Senate to discuss gender-neutral housing, the majority of students and staff in attendance expressed support for the proposal.

The forum began with remarks from PRIDE president Charles Banta (‘12) who assisted with writing the housing proposal. Banta stressed that there are many hurdles to face before the proposal, which would allow for students of any gender to choose to room together or in rooms next to each other on specified gender-neutral floors, to become a reality.

“There are many people who have to agree on this, including the Board of Regents and President Torgerson,” Banta said. “This will be a long process and we’re just in the preliminary stages.”

President of the Senate Student Life Committee Lindsay Weaver (‘12) and committee members Luke Hanson (‘14), Dominic Christofilis (‘15) and Emmanuel Avila (‘13) presented research they have conducted regarding gender-neutral housing options on campuses similar to Luther’s.

A number of other Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) offer a gender-neutral housing option, though Luther would be the first ELCA-affiliated college to do so.

Eleven schools with a gender-neutral housing option were surveyed, all of which reported high levels of student satisfaction and all of which would recommend that Luther adopt a similar option.

One school reported that in some instances, heterosexual couples had chosen to room together, an issue they did not classify as a problem but which was not the intent of gender-neutral floors.

“We wouldn’t be able to control whether heterosexual couples live together, but the point of a gender-neutral floor would be to create an accepting atmosphere for people of any gender or sexuality,” Weaver said. “Plus girls could choose to live next to their guy friends and vice-versa.”

Sophia Brown (‘13) presented next, expressing support for the proposal. Brown asked audience members to close their eyes and imagine having a bad day and not having a safe, welcoming dorm room to return to, suggesting that some students may feel this way and that gender-neutral housing could remedy the situation.

Ellen Pritchard (‘15) expressed her reservations about the proposal, stating that gender-neutral housing would not align with ELCA values.

“The ELCA values the intimacy of sex and believes in abstinence until a couple is in a fully committed relationship,” Pritchard said.

Pritchard was also concerned that gender-neutral floors would segregate a portion of the student population, discouraging students from mingling with others who have opinions and backgrounds different from their own.

“It would be like if there were athlete-only floors,” Pritchard said. “They have a unique background and wouldn’t have the opportunities to get to know non-athletes.”

The floor was then open for questions and comments. Jason Schmidt (‘12) took issue with Pritchard’s athlete-only floor analogy.

“Comparing a gender-neutral floor to an athlete-only floor is like comparing apples and oranges,” Schmidt said. “Athletes can choose to live together now, but people of the opposite gender cannot.”

Banta responded to a comment from Farwell Area Coordinator Kevin Bruins, who was concerned that first-years wouldn’t be allowed to choose this option, students who Bruins argued have many adjustments to make when adapting to college and may benefit the most from this housing option.

“There is space on housing applications where students can check a box saying that they would be comfortable living with an international student, but there is currently no box saying whether a person would be comfortable living with a member of the LGBT [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender] community,” Banta said. “This can lead to uncomfortable rooming situations.”

Assistant Professor of Mathematics and PRIDE advisor Mike Johnson proposed an intermediate option.

“Some schools have gone co-ed by floor before deciding whether or not to allow co-ed rooms,” Johnson said.

Assistant Professor of Social Work Ginger Meyette expressed support for the proposal and took issue with the claim that gender-neutral housing is endorsing sex.

“Why, when we talk about the LGBT community, do we immediately think about sex?” Meyette said. “We always need to be asking ourselves, ‘how can we work together to provide options for people who might be a little different from yourself?’”

The forum concluded with a final student comment.

“I’m a gay man and I chose Luther because it is ELCA-affiliated,” Sam Jones (‘14) said. “Lutherans and members of the LGBT community don’t have to be separate things.”