BGLSTA Bathroom Study Released

Harvard’s lack of gender non-specific bathrooms has caused transgender and gender-variant students to alter eating and drinking habits and suffer severe cases of dehydration, according to a report released yesterday by the Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, and Supporters Alliance (BGLTSA).

The study, which encompassed first-year dormitories, upperclass houses, major classroom buildings and libraries, identified 38 gender non-specific bathrooms and 24 single-occupancy bathrooms assigned to either men or women.

Members of BGLTSA issued four major requests in connection with the study: the neutralization of all gender-specific, single occupancy bathrooms; proper labeling and designation of all bathrooms; inclusion of at least one acceptable gender non-specific bathroom in any future buildings; and immunity from disciplinary action for using a bathroom that a student deems appropriate for his or her gender.

BGLTSA Co-Chair Stephanie M. Skier ’05. who is also a Crimson editor, said that these recommendations are necessary to ensure the safety and rights of transgender members of the Harvard community.

“There are transgender students at Harvard,” Skier said. “It would be a much safer and more welcoming place for students, staff and faculty if bathrooms were accessible, gender non-specific and marked as such, and if people know they are not going to be taken to the Ad Board or fired from their job for just using the bathroom as they normally do.”

While there are 38 gender neutral bathrooms at Harvard already, the study found that these bathrooms are mostly located in the River Houses, ignoring the needs of students who are in class.

“There are basically no options in classroom buildings for transgender or gender variant people who need to use the bathroom,” said Jordan B. Woods ’06, the organizer of the study and BGLTSA political chair.

“In terms of Harvard, I don’t think we are doing as good of a job as we could,” Woods said.

Skier said that the dearth of gender non-specific bathrooms near classrooms forces transgender students to avoid using the bathroom for extended periods of time, leading to severe health consequences.

“There have been studies done that show that transgender people are at a higher risk for bladder infections and dehydration as a result of not using the bathroom,” Skier said.

Skier said that many of these students simply cannot use public restrooms for fear of harassment or even arrest.

“There have been a lot of cases where people have been arrested for using the bathroom,” Skier said.

While BGLTSA spokespeople said there were no documented cases or studies of such harassment at Harvard, Woods said that he is aware of students who have run into trouble.

“Even if they are not documented, I know people who have bad experiences in bathrooms here,” Woods said.

BGLTSA Co-Chair M. C.D. Barusch ’06 said that her organization is not yet calling for multiple-stall, gender non-specific bathrooms.

“The BGLTSA would not support that,” Barusch said. “Right now we are just dealing with single-stall bathrooms.”

While the BGLTSA officers admitted that the number of students who require gender non-specific bathrooms is relatively small, they stressed the fact that basic civil rights are at stake.

“Even if it is a small number of people that this affects, it is important to recognize that this is something that is central to these peoples’ daily lives,” Woods said.

Undergraduate Council President Matthew W. Mahan ’05 agreed with Woods’ statement.

“When something has to do with fundamental rights and needs, it doesn’t really matter how many people it affects,” Mahan said. “I don’t think I would be representing the student body if I wasn’t interested in the issue.”

The BGLTSA has submitted a position paper to the council, and hopes to receive the council’s endorsement. Mahan said the paper will go before the council’s student affairs committee next week.

BGLTSA members will also seek the support of House Masters in creating at least one gender non-specific bathroom in each house.

Skier said that she does not believe costs are a major obstacle to the BGLTSA’s goals.

“People made the same argument about putting in wheelchair ramps,” Skier said. “We are asking for some simple, low-cost mechanisms that will help students now.”

Skier said that much of the opposition to gender non-specific bathrooms is a result of bigotry.

“I think that most objections to this very reasonable modest proposal are blatant transphobia,” Skier said. “Saying that people don’t deserve to go to the bathroom which is a basic student life or workplace issue is equivalent to saying that transgender people shouldn’t be at Harvard and that is just wrong.”