The LSU Student Senate passed a resolution during its Wednesday meeting urging LSU Facility Services to change the signs on single-stall restrooms to “gender neutral.” The resolution also asks that renovations and new buildings include these facilities.
The legislation, Student Government Resolution No. 15, was proposed by senator Jacob Phagan and passed with 94 percent of the Senate’s support. Phagan said LSU would be the first SEC school to have designated gender neutral bathrooms.
Spectrum representative Ethan Guerra spoke in favor of the legislation during the meeting. Spectrum is an LSU organization that supports the LGBT community.
“It is your responsibility as Student Government to set the precedent for what the campus climate is supposed to be like,” Guerra said.
The resolution references the LSU’s Flagship 2020 agenda, stating LSU has a duty to strengthen the academic environment by broadening the campus’ cultural horizons. The legislation outlines LSU’s commitment to provide equal opportunity stated in Policy Statement 01.
“What it would do is create safe spaces for transgender people to pee. It’s really simple,” Guerra said. “It’s not a big issue that really should have a lot of debate, yet it does. They’re not trying to make a statement, they’re just trying to use the bathroom.”
Similar legislation was pitched to the Senate last school year, Guerra said, but was pulled because anti-transgender legislation gained ground in Florida, which would prevent transgender people from entering bathrooms that did not align with their gender. Guerra said they did not want to push the legislation in case a Louisiana legislator filed a similar bill during the legislative session.
Guerra said the bathrooms would also benefit students with disabilities. LSU has a negative reputation for serving disabled students, he said.
This year has been record-breaking in terms of violence against transgender people, Guerra said, and the bathrooms would create a safe haven to prevent it from happening on campus.
“The transgender community is very prone to having violent behavior targeted against them,” Guerra said. “It could possibly happen [on campus]. It’s inclusive, but it’s also preventative.”
Phagan said he met with Tammy Millican, assistant director of the Office of Facility Services, and they determined “gender neutral” would be the most inclusive term for the restrooms. While speaking about the resolution, both Phagan and Guerra stressed the bathrooms would be open to anyone.
Senator Joanie Lyons said the UREC expansion will include gender neutral bathrooms to cater to anyone who needed privacy, not just transgender students.
Senator Jessica Simpson asked if it was wise to push forward with the legislation at the time and wanted to know about the possibility of doing a survey before the Senate acts. She said she was worried about the “counter-reaction.”
“That’s why we used gender neutral. This is not something that’s going to say, ‘Transgender People Only,’” Phagan said. “It’s inclusive. This is not something to react to.”
Senator Willie Jones also spoke in favor of the bill. Jones said the South has always been known for persecuting minority group.
“Me being an African-American, just 50 years ago I couldn’t use a restroom unless it said ‘Black Only,’” Jones said. “I feel like these gender neutral restrooms are something necessary for our students on this campus to feel comfortable.”