Editor's note: Jeff Woods is a resident advisor who lives in Polis House. As a trans individual, he is directly affected by this change.
By: Jeff Woods
As of February 25th, the department of Residence Life on campus replaced all gender-neutral restrooms that were not single-use to facilities bearing the words "male" or "female." While this didn't impact all students campus-wide, it significantly impacted the small community of Polis House, Wittenberg’s designated gender-neutral/ Tiger pride housing.
In other words, what was once a dorm created to validate gender non-nonconforming identities has become no different than any other campus restroom.
This change was a result of the passage of a law that restricts bathroom use in public and private K-12 schools and colleges to members of the same “biological sex.” It was signed into law by Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine in November.
"To put it simply, it sucks," said Polis resident Ren Tillman, a trans man. "I don't like using the restrooms during classes anymore. I just hold it. Though I was born as a woman, just seeing that I'm walking into a women's restroom, feels wrong."
"I still love Polis. I have no intention of leaving this building," he continued. "However, the whole purpose was to make everyone feel safe in their gender. To make everyone feel safe with who they are. Taking away gender-inclusive bathrooms goes against that. I honestly believe it's stupid.”
Cat Ramirez, the director of Residence Life, said the changed restroom designation to single-sex spaces came about because of Ohio Senate Bill 104.
"While we must comply with all federal and state laws, we recognize that these changes have a significant impact on our transgender and non-binary community members," Ramirez said. "As part of our ongoing commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive living environment, we are working to establish single-use, all-gender restrooms in Polis Hall. Our goal is to ensure that all students feel safe, respected, and at home while living in our residential communities.”
