Georgetown University to offer 'gender-inclusive' housing

JARYN CROUSON

Georgetown University announced Monday that it will begin offering “gender-inclusive” housing for the 2023-24 academic year.

The traditionally Catholic university announced that students will now be able to share a room with the opposite sex if they “identify as transgender, non-binary or gender non-co(n)forming,” while those who are “welcoming and affirming” can opt in to be a potential roommate. The announcement follows a referendum proposed by the Georgetown University Student Union, influenced by campus LGBT groups and passed by students in April.

The referendum called on the university to disregard gender when making decisions about student housing and shared accommodation.

“Georgetown has added a question to its housing process to provide a gender-inclusive option. New students can indicate that they identify as transgender, nonbinary, or gender nonconforming individuals seeking gender-inclusive housing, or that they welcome and support LGBTQ individuals and would like to be considered as a potential roommate for students seeking gender-inclusive housing,” the university’s residence life webpage states.

The referendum cited more than 450 colleges and universities across the country that already have similar “inclusive” housing options as justification for the policy.

“It is not fair that, in their search for roommates, Georgetown freshmen and seniors looking for new roommates must choose between coming out to students they do not know or risking sharing a room with people who do not accept them. This places students in a situation of significant and unnecessary emotional stress and even physical danger,” the referendum states. “Transgender and gender nonconforming students are among the most vulnerable to discrimination, violence, and sexual assault, yet they are underprotected and undersupported on our campus.”

The April referendum passed with 91 percent of the vote and nearly a third of students voted, according to Georgetown’s student newspaper, The Hoya.

Georgetown joins Macalester College, Haverford College and many others in offering “inclusive” housing options. In 2023, Villanova University was forced to eliminate its “inclusive” housing options after facing backlash, according to the Daily Caller.

Georgetown University did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Main image photo credit: Laura Mitchell/Unsplash)

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