By Ryan Knight//Students’ right to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity in public schools has been taken all the way to the Supreme Court.
But since changes were made at Hood College, using the same bathroom as their transgender and gender-nonconforming peers hasn’t been an issue for anyone on campus. Safety and comfort while using the bathrooms were primary reasons members of the Queer Student Union wanted all-gender bathrooms o campus.
During the spring 2016 semester, QSU members met with President Andrea Chapdelaine and Dean Olivia White during an open forum in which they discussed the possibility of making some restrooms on campus all-gender.
According to the Rev. Beth O’ Malley, other institutions had restroom accommodations for transgender students and Hood College wanted to adhere to those same standards because transgender students needed this change to feel safe in the bathroom. However, overall, she feels that safety and comfort of all students is important because many students call this campus home.