It is no secret that in 2016, gender equality has been a prominent issue now more than ever. However, how would you feel if there were no gender specific bathrooms? Would you feel stripped of your privacy or would you feel liberated? So here's what's currently going on at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey:
As I walked downstairs to grab my mail from the dorm across the residential side of campus of Monmouth, I witnessed a custodial faculty member scraping what was left of a bathroom sign and replacing it with a "Gender Inclusive" sign. Since it was a single stall, I thought nothing much of it considering most single-toilet bathrooms tend to be open to both genders. From there, I proceeded to my journalism class on the academic side of campus to Plangere Center. I had an extra cup of coffee that morning, so I rushed to the bathroom before class began. I was then face-to-face with the most interesting decision of the day -- which bathroom do I use? There in front of me were two doors. The first door read, "Women" while the second read, "Gender Inclusive Restroom."
As a curious 20-year-old college student, I stepped into the (formerly known as the "Men's Room") Gender Inclusive restroom and turned around in a slow circle. I saw a few stalls and my first ever urinal. This is bizarre, I chuckled to myself. But then I wondered: Why is there a women's restroom AND a gender inclusive restroom? Is the men's room going extinct on Monmouth University's campus?
Although there are only a handful of these gender neutral bathrooms on campus, there has been talk about how there is more to come. At the student center where college students eat lunch and relax between classes, I asked my peers what they thought about this new change.
Jennifer Dougherty, a 22-year-old senior said, "I find it interesting; it's a double standard that they're taking away the men's room and leaving the women's. I think it really questions our culture. Does society find men more threatening when a man enters a woman's domain rather than vice versa? I don't think a two minute trip to the bathroom will totally affect campus, but it's just interesting."
Bryan McCrea, 20, and Connor Becker, 19, both in their sophomore year, agree with each other that the situation is different, and there should be a men's room included with the ladies and neutral restrooms.
Katie Sibley, a 19-year-old sophomore commented, "I don't think it's fair to men, they need their privacy as much as women do."
As a college community, there was no forewarning of this major change. All who attend and work at Monmouth University were sent this email today, March 21, 2016:
Thanks for the heads up!
As explained before, this change has only occurred in a handful bathrooms on campus (which you can find below), however it's going to take a lot of adjusting for some students, especially the male population. As a college student living in 2016, I believe in equal rights with all of my heart, but perhaps this is more of a privacy matter. What do you think?
