Gender Neutral Housing Shot Down

"School of Nursing: Relaxing in dorm," circa 1954. From Black and White Film Box 30, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Photographic Laboratory Collection, P0031.
“School of Nursing: Relaxing in dorm,” circa 1954. From Black and White Film Box 30, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Photographic Laboratory Collection, P0031.
"Dorm Life," 1999. News Services, Collection #40139.
“Dorm Life,” 1999. News Services, Collection #40139.

This morning, the University of North Carolina Board of Governors unanimously voted to reject gender neutral housing on the system’s sixteen campus. In light of our latest blog post on the gender and sexuality dialogue on our campus, this decision comes as an interesting development. See an article on the vote from WRAL here.

One argument against the move to institute gender neutral housing is that it is a “social experiment” and thus an inappropriate use of university funds. The arguments in favor of gender neutral housing focus around the desire to appropriately accommodate transgender students and others who may feel uncomfortable or who are bullied in traditional dorm environments because of their sexuality.

As you can see from the pictures to the right, dorm life within the university has changed over the years. What are your thoughts on the Board of Governors’ ban on gender neutral housing?

UNC Dorm Life, 1947

Think you’ve got it rough in your dorm? Check out these pictures of dorm rooms from 1947.

Don’t like your new roommate? What if you had two dozen new roommates? Here’s a room of twenty-four-or-so prison-grade beds.

Student Health Service of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Records #40127, University Archives, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

More after the jump.

Continue reading “UNC Dorm Life, 1947”