Next year, Ohio University will initiate a one-year trial of gender-neutral housing. If deemed successful, it will be a step in the right direction.
Within the past few years, gender-neutral housing programs have popped up at universities and colleges throughout the country. The main reason for the move is to accommodate those students who identify as transgender.
Transgender students are not the only group to benefit from the program, however. By allowing students to choose with whom they live, gender-neutral housing grants everyone a chance at a comfortable residence hall experience.
Gender-neutral housing is beneficial to every student, whether transgender or not. We are glad that OU is taking this progressive step, but we still have our doubts.
Much of the trouble will stem from an obvious abuser of the policy: couples. Although the application process does not specifically forbid couples' living together, it will most definitely be frowned upon.
Obviously, couples cannot be banned from living together, but their decision to do so would pull available rooms away from those who really need it: students unsure of their sexuality or gender.
Under the pilot program, mainly sophomores and above will be allowed to apply. Freshmen can apply, but only through special request. It is somewhat ironic to create a more inclusive housing policy but then exclude the group that would most likely take best advantage of it.
During college years, people often come to terms with their sexuality. By excluding freshmen, OU would be excluding those who need the policy most. It seems the most obvious reason freshmen must submit a special request is to prevent high school couples from rooming together.
This fear is not unfounded; however, it seems unlikely that enough couples will take advantage of the trial program. At most universities employing gender-neutral housing, only a small number of students uses the policy to its benefit. Usually, those students are the ones who need the policy most.
If OU were to allow freshmen the gender-neutral option, it would be much more attractive to prospective students - especially because of the two-year residence policy.
We commend Ohio University for moving in the right direction. However, we lambast the decision to create an exclusion in a policy that should be all inclusive.
Editorials represent the majority view of The Post's executive editors.
4 Opinion
Gender-neutral trial fails to include neediest group
