“I hope I don’t get a messy roommate.” “I hope my roommate likes the same music as me.” “My roommate better not be loud and annoying.” “What if my roommate snores? Or has her boyfriend over every day?”
These are just a few concerns racing through the minds of anxious, excited, and possibly terrified incoming college freshman everywhere. Housing is a huge part of college: you will be sharing a mere two hundred square feet of space with one or two people whom you have never met before in your life. You will be sharing things, sleeping, studying, and living with this significant other for at least the first two semesters of your college career.
At many colleges and universities you have minimal opportunities to select a roommate of your choice. Some will give each student a questionnaire with basic questions to match up people with certain similarities; however there is still no guarantee that you will end up with a roommate with whom you are completely comfortable.
Certain schools however, such as New York University, may give you a unique option in choosing what kind of housing you would prefer. This is called gender-neutral housing.
This fall all students at NYU are able to opt into a gender-neutral housing process. This will allow students to select room spaces and groups of fellow students to live with, without regard to legal sex. This means all students living in a room or suite in one of the residents halls must indicate a preference that the room will be designated based upon legal sex.
In other words, if this is to the students’ preference, a female may be assigned to a dorm with a male roommate and vice versa. Technically.
If the phrase “legal sex” seems odd when referring to gender, it may be because many people assume that there are only two clear genders: male and female. However NYU and schools who have the same idea are including those who may not identify as either of these. Some students may not identify as their biological sex, or they may be transgender. NYU believes allowing for gender-neutral housing, as opposed to co-ed, “shows more inclusiveness and room for diverse identities.”
Gender-neutral housing does not mean it is strictly for those who identify as something other than their legal gender only. Students who do identify as their legal sex are able to take part in this housing process as well. Upon requesting this kind of housing, a group of students may register to live together with the same special interest housing preference of “gender neutral.” For this reason, students may find gender-neutral housing to be a popular option, as it is a way at NYU to request to live with your friends regardless of their sex, even live with your boyfriend or girlfriend.
Over 100 other universities across the United States offer gender neutral housing options on their campuses. Some of these schools include Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, Rutgers, Stanford, and the University of California.
Opinions on gender neutral housing are varied. Some parents are opposed to their child living with someone of the opposite sex, while some students are excited to have a somewhat co-ed opportunity for their living space.
“I was surprised to hear about this because I’ve never heard of it before. It just seemed to be an interesting concept to me because society seems to be evolving and now this is actually a thing. It’s pretty cool,” commented VHS senior Gabby Discafani on NYU’s gender-neutral housing option.
Whether you are freaked out by the idea of it or eager to explore this new kind of college rooming, gender neutral housing is simply an option and would never be required of any student. So hey all you open minded people out there, why not try something new?