My freshman year roommate was a girl who was the complete opposite of me. We would leave our dorm, one dressed entirely in black (me), the other entirely in white or pastels (her). I was going through a Pantera/Rob Zombie phase, she loved cheery show tunes. I had the Led Zeppelin poster, she had Raphael’s classic cherubs. It was a recipe for disaster! as the narrator of a bad trailer for a Hollywood comedy would say. But it didn’t matter, we were girls! We felt safe together. We burped in front of each other, pigged out shamelessly with each other, and survived having to share one bathroom with 2 other girls in the suite. But…would I have traded it all with the chance to live with someone more like me, except – a guy? Good question!
Some universities are giving gender-neutral housing a shot. According to Jeffrey Chang of the National Student Genderblind Campaign, there are about 50 campuses throughout the country giving mixed-gender housing a change. This movement initially began to give gay, lesbian and transgendered students a chance to find a roommate they would truly feel comfortable with, which might mean living with someone of the opposite gender. Now some straight students would like the same freedom to choose as well.
Denise Darrigrand, the dean of students at Clark University, believes the new housing arrangements on her campus are just part of a new generation’s different attitudes toward gender: “It’s a new world, and gender has taken on all kinds of new definitions. It’s about being more inclusive, and it’s about keeping pace with the times.”
At Yale, feedback about the new dorms seems a little mixed. Some are worried about potential discord between students and their own parents, others think it’s unfair that the choice is only offered to upperclassmen, and quite a few people say it’s just the way the times are moving.
What do you think? Would you like the chance to choose the gender of your roommate? If you’re out of school, would you have liked that option back then?
It’s a bit like the unisex stall in Ally McBeal, innit?
Photo via CollegeJolt
