An American University is responding to the suicide of a
homosexual freshman last year by piloting mixed accommodation. A limited number
of students at Rutgers University (New Jersey) can apply to choose a room-mate
regardless of gender in the next school year.
Officials hope that the “gender neutral” policy will make
the university more inclusive, reports
CNN.
“This has been under discussion for a long time,”
university officials said in a statement. “In the aftermath of the
Clementi tragedy, members of the university’s LGBTQ community told the
administration that gender-neutral housing would help create an even more
inclusive environment. Since then, the university has been exploring this in
greater detail.”
Note the number of “genders” indicted by LBGTQ: lesbian, bisexual,
gay, transgender and queer (I think). And you thought mixing girls and boys was
a problem! No wonder student accommodation has become so challenging.
It’s the LBG etc movement that is pushing for the change:
Rutgers’ pilot program is a part of a national trend for
colleges, said Jeffrey Chang, the co-founder of the National Student
Genderblind Campaign, a nonprofit organization that works with college students
to develop LGBT policies. Chang estimates that there are 55 universities across
the United States that have implemented gender-neutral rooming initiatives.
Just how this policy, which is based on sexual (activity)
preferences, will prevent sexual mayhem and prevent more suicides is not clear.
Surely single rooms are the only safe and dignified option in these confused
times.
