Gender Open Housing Mac/Basic Facts

What is gender-open housing?: Currently, all campus housing at Macalester is “gendered” meaning that biological males must room with biological males, and biological females must room with biological females. The basic tenant of gender-open housing is that students could choose to live with individuals of any sex or gender.

Why do we need a gender-open housing option at Macalester?: Gender-open housing would increase the amount of choice Macalester students have in their living situation while on-campus. Gender-open housing can address the needs of current and prospective students who, for a variety of reasons, are not accommodated by the constraints of traditional same-sex housing. Concerns about acceptance, safety, and respect are very real for transgender, intersex, and queer students trying to navigate on-campus housing. By acknowledging and accommodating these needs, Macalester can remain an open and inviting campus for students while upholding the values of diversity and multiculturalism.

To whom would gender-open housing be available?: Ideally, this would be available to all students, although it is initially easier to implement for sophomores and upperclassmen who have the liberty of choosing their roommates. Residential Life would continue to work with incoming first-year students to address individual concerns. Students of all gender identities, biological sexes, and sexual orientations should have access to gender-open housing even as same-sex rooms and suites still represent the vast majority of housing situations on campus.

What institutions have already implemented gender-open housing?: Many of Macalester’s institutional peers currently have or are considering a gender-open housing option. First implemented at Wesleyan University, other institutions include Swarthmore, Sarah Lawrence, Ithaca College, Antioch College, Oberlin College, Tufts University, and several others. Each institution has seen success since implementation.

Who will benefit from a gender-open housing option?: All students would benefit by having more housing options available. Some specific examples include: queer students who would prefer to live with people of other genders, transgender students who do not subscribe to expectations of their biological sex, intersex students who do not wish to be assigned a sex and gender that may not describe them, and students who think gender should not play a role in housing assignments. Safety, respect, acceptance, and institutional accessibility are the main concerns of those advocating a gender-open housing option at Macalester.

Show your support for gender-open housing! Call Laurie B. Hamre, the Dean of Students at (651)696-6220, or Brian C. Rosenberg, the President, at (651)696-6207.

Created by the Gender Issues Committee, a self-appointed group of students. Contact us at qu@macalester.edu.