Alexa Schwerha
Macalester College pledged to increase its all-gender housing options following student complaints in the student newspaper, Fox News reported.
Joe Linstroth, a Macalester College spokesperson, told Fox News that the college is “working in partnership” with students to “create living and learning environments that support the needs of our community.” The response comes on the heels of a string of complaints listed off by Macalester students in a November article published in the student newspaper The Mac Weekly.
Sophomores, juniors and seniors are currently permitted to live in the Minnesota college’s “All Gender Community” housing, which holds 10 residents, or can request to live on a dormitory floor that matches their “gender identity.” Macalester College also reserves one floor on Doty Hall for transgender and non-binary first-year students.
Priscilla Perez, a residential services manager, told The Mac Weekly she intends to spearhead increasing all-gender housing by the fall 2023 semester. Perez is working with the Department of Multicultural Life and Mads Clark, assistant director of diversity education, leadership and inclusion and chair of the All Gender Space Committee, to complete the project.
The “All Gender Community” was created in 2009 and “serves as a community space for trans, non-binary, intersex, gender nonconforming, those questioning their gender and/or those who would prefer a living space with an All Gender Restroom,” according to its website.
A school website called “Trans @ Mac” outlines the resources available to transgender and non-binary students at Macalester, which include a list of all-gender bathrooms and locker rooms, directions to change one’s name on documents which do not require a legal name and the contact of the Title IX coordinator to report bias incidents based on gender identity.
Transgender students are also permitted to compete on intercollegiate, club and intramural sports teams which match their gender identity.
Macalester College and its Department of Multicultural Life and Office of Resident Life and Clark did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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