Our View: Boren should put aside political concerns for the sake of students’ safety and support the creation of a gender-neutral housing option.
For the last two years, students have expressed a vital need that is not being met by the university, and the administration has taken no steps to address it. This need is for a safe and supportive environment within on-campus housing for students who fall outside the binary, male-female gender system or identify as something other than heterosexual.
These students seek a gender-neutral housing environment because of the very real threat of harassment, and even violence, they face in the traditional housing system. President David Boren has addressed these concerns by essentially telling students that they live in Oklahoma, so they may as well get used to it.
This is unacceptable. In order to make OU a truly safe and supportive campus, we need a gender-neutral housing option in on-campus housing. Gender-neutral housing would allow students to choose to live with roommates of any gender, as opposed to co-ed housing that merely mixes same-sex suites together on a floor.
This is an essential option because it protects students from awkward, and even dangerous, situations that can arise because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students, or those with “untraditional” gender identities, need an environment that does not force them to either hide who they are or risk harassment and discrimination.
A gender-neutral floor would create an accepting environment for these students, and the mere existence of this option would be a statement from OU that it supports the needs of all students. Not to mention that students of any gender or sexuality should be afforded the right to choose their roommates freely — OU’s students are all adults, after all.
Students have tried many times over the last two years to get these needs addressed, but while the administration has been more than willing to hear them out, nothing came of their efforts. This year, the push continues. Students for a Democratic Society and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Friends student group presented a gender-neutral housing proposal at the Housing Center Student Association meeting Monday. The HCSA General Council is “looking into [gender-neutral housing] further” and hopes to take action quickly, the council said in an email.
It’s good to see that the HCSA is willing to work with students to answer this need, but it’s going to take more than that. Administrators need to do more than attend these meetings and politely dismiss these concerns simply because of the state we live in.
GLBT students are Oklahomans, too, and their needs are just as important as the political views of the rest of the community. Yes, conservative attitudes dominate in this state, and where conservatives go, anti-gay opinions often — but not always — follow. But the majority should not be allowed to rule on issues of minority needs and security.
The safety and comfort of students is paramount, and if Boren has to risk angering the more conservative members of this community to ensure a safe and supportive environment for every student, then we call on him to make that difficult choice.
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mellittle 8 months, 1 week ago
To me it sounds like this would make all the efforts of the nontraditonal I.d. group go backwards to segregation. My view was that GLBT wanted to be integrated into society and viewed as no.different than others...why would you self segrigate...almost putting a target on the differences? I think its a good idea but I'm afraid it moves backwards...not evolving into acceptance but devolving.
oudaily99 8 months ago
Should this housing option be offered? Yes. Should it be advertised as a GLBT haven? No. melllittle has a good point. This is fighting the wrong battle. Unfortunately, I feel this is a common strategy for the GLBT movement. For instance, the "we were born this way" battle. It doesn't matter if you were born that way or not; you still deserve freedom.
It has been suggested to me that the only way to gain support and win battles for rights is to become a distinct group, in which case battles like this one for gender-neutral housing might be important.