Hannah Winter, sophomore at Ball State, says the lack of unisex bathrooms on Ball State’s campus causes her to live in a state of constant discomfort. Winter identifies as non-binary, an umbrella term meaning she does not identify specifically as female or male.
“I get weird looks daily going to the bathroom. It’s something I deal with. Sometimes people do a double take and walk out to make sure they’re in the right bathroom,” Winter said.
Winter said she proposed legislation to the Student Government Association to get a unisex bathroom on every floor of every building at Ball State, but doesn’t expect to see changes until after she graduates.
Bailey Loughlin is an at-large senator for SGA and co-authored the bill concerning gender-neutral bathrooms. This year, SGA plans to revamp the original legislation proposed to focus on new buildings going up.
“Our biggest focus is in new buildings that are being remodeled or rebuilt, so for example the new Johnson. We’re really encouraging them to put gender-neutral bathrooms in the lobby,” Loughlin said.
Loughlin added that the new dorm rooms are changing to private bathrooms, which will eliminate the gender identity ones.
SGA is working closely with the Council of Diversity and Inclusion on campus to make these changes.
Ro Anne Royer-Engle, the director of Ball State's Multicultural Center, said the bathroom issue is a priority for the council and is currently being explored.
“An audit of public restrooms was conducted and the results will be shared with administrators and the council in the upcoming weeks. The council will work with Facilities and Planning Management to create an action plan to address any issues identified after the audit is reviewed,” Royer-Engle said.
Despite their best efforts, Loughlin added that SGA does expect the full changes to take a few years because of the building of new facilities.
Royer-Engle said the short-term changes that can be made include signage for all designated restrooms and an online map of unisex bathroom locations on campus that students can view.
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