Across the nation, gender-neutral restrooms are popping up on college campuses, promoting an environment that encourages equality and safe spaces for students who do not identify with their biological gender.
The University of Memphis is no exception after the establishment in 2015 placed gender-neutral restrooms in 11 different locations across the campus. The move is getting high praise from the transgender community on campus.
“Having gender neutral restrooms definitely has affected my college experience in a positive manner,†said Lane Emory, 21, a junior communications major at the U of M who identifies as a non-binary gender, which means he has both masculine and feminine gender identity. He finds comfort in having gender neutral restrooms on campus.
“I experience gender dysphoria when I have to use a male bathroom, and I think using a female restroom would cause an issue for some people if they saw me,†Emory said. “For most people, using the restroom is not a daily worry, but for me, it is.â€
Emory is biologically a male and is built like one, but he enjoys to dress femininely, and it is a great relief having locations across campus that allow him to use the restroom with no hesitation.
“They are incredibly helpful,†Emory said. “However, they are quite scarce if one doesn’t have a list of the locations. Having them on campus though helps make me feel less stressed and afraid to use the restroom since my gender expression does not match my biological sex.â€
Currently, the U of M campus has gender-neutral restrooms in Jones Hall, Johnson Hall, McCord Hall, Manning Hall, Campus School, J.M. Smith Hall, Music Building, Meeman Journalism Building, Fogelman Executive Center, Panhellenic Building and Community Health Building.
Joshua Taylor, president of Stonewall Tigers Gay-Straight Alliance, is enthused to have gender-neutral restrooms at the U of M.
“For me, having gender neutral restrooms as an option makes me feel more included,†Taylor said.  “Although I don't use them on a regular basis, I know students who do, and it feels awesome to be able to tell someone we have bathrooms where they can express their gender without fear of harassment.â€
Taylor said that having these restrooms on campus provides a positive environment from whatever a student could be dealing with at home or any other outside stress. These restrooms provide a security to students who experience these issues.
“Gender/sexual minority students have many issues outside of the classroom to deal with, be that homophobic roommates, parents or students. This gives them hope that this campus is a safe place,†Taylor said.
Stonewall Tigers Gay-Straight Alliance has done its own research with concerns over the gender neutral restrooms.
“Regarding gender neutral bathrooms, we actually looked into it,†Taylor said. “We have students in our organization who identify outside of the gender binary or as transgender who would prefer to at least use single stalled gender-neutral restrooms. After searching through campus, a student found most, if not all, the single stalled gender-neutral restrooms on campus.â€
From there, the Stonewall Tigers Gay-Straight Alliance created a map of where each restroom is located.
“In a student advisory council meeting, I showed it to President Rudd,†Emory said. “President Rudd said that it was very doable to add an icon to the official U of M map to allow students who identify as gender/sexual minorities to find restrooms that they can be themselves without fear of harassment.â€
Katelyn Chambers, 20, a sorority woman at the U of M, who came out a year ago as a lesbian to her friends and family understands that gender-neutral restrooms cause concern for some who are afraid that people will take advantage of them. But she knows that the LBGTQ community is primarily concerned with their safety when it comes to this particular issue.
“I don’t think it’s a safety issue,†Chambers said. “I understand where people are coming from, but it’s as much of a safety concern for the LGBTQ community mentally and emotionally. If they’re forced to go into a restroom that they don’t identify with, it’s just one more thing for them to deal with and adds to suicide rates and mental health problems.â€
Chambers’ ex-girlfriend goes to the University of Wales-Trinity St. David, a university in Europe that just now began the process of implementing gender-neutral restrooms.
“Gender-neutral restrooms give people who identify as gender fluid or transgender one less stress and helps make them feel less isolated during their daily routine,†Chambers said.
Chambers is pleased at how the U of M is starting to implement these gender-neutral restrooms and forming groups that are acknowledging the basic human rights of transgender and gender-fluid people.
“I think with Stonewall Tigers becoming an organization and the different policies coming on campus about LBGTQ+ inclusion is promising and comforting,†Chambers said. “We’re in the South and seeing a progressive movement and giving the community a sense of acceptance and safety is really nice to see, and I hope the university continues to foster that and realize that LBGTQ people are people and are fighting for their human rights.â€
From a 2016 post on the Education Advisory Board  website, Ann Forman, senior consultant on the Facilities Forum with the board wrote an expert insight explaining why campuses should create gender-neutral restrooms and how many are located on campuses across the nation.
“To this date, over 150 colleges and universities have created gender-inclusive restrooms on campus, and more are preparing for the move,†Forman wrote.
The U of M is only one of many colleges taking this initiative. However, some campuses are moving drastically in favor of gender-neutral restrooms. According to the “Inside Higher Edâ€by Josh Logue, Cooper Union, a college in New York City is implementing every restroom to be gender-neutral by replacing the signs designating men or women’s restroom with “Restroom with Urinals and Stalls,†“Restrooms with Only Stalls†or “Restroom Single Occupancy.â€
The president of Cooper Union said in a campus email that it is important for those in positions of power to take a stand for people who sometimes do not feel safe in campus buildings.
“I cannot change the outside world and how it treats transgender and gender-nonconforming people, but I can change the Cooper Union environment to help everyone feel safe when they are inside our buildings,†Mea wrote.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly said the Stonewall Tigers Gay-Straight Alliance was founded in 2015. We apologize for the error.Â
