The gender equity hall is home to students who do not want their housing to be limited by gender or sex. It is a place that houses roughly 25 residents and is located on the fourth floor of Carson Residence Hall.

All Pac-12 universities offer some form of gender-inclusive housing. Whether it be a floor in the dorms, apartment-style dorms or a separate dorm building, there are a variety of options for equal student housing at these large public schools.

Unlike the Pac-12 universities, smaller colleges don’t accommodate a diverse student population in the way we have grown familiar to here at the University of Oregon. George Fox University in Newburg, Ore. recently made national news for not allowing a transgender student to live in the all-male dorms. In other words, gender inclusive housing is not an option there.

Andrew Rogers, a residence hall assistant for the gender equity wing, explained that it is absolutely necessary for students to have this housing option.

“This is a place where you can start your first year of college and you can feel comfortable where you are living. I think that is really important,” Rogers said. “The gender equity hall is where you identify as you are and you live as you are. That’s what this is here for.”

In addition to the gender equity hall, the fourth floor of Carson also has two collegiate wings and a social justice wing. Gabe Gardiner, a resident of the male collegiate wing who identifies as a member of the LGBTQ* community, said that there is an overwhelming sense of community on this floor.

“Carson fourth floor has helped me prosper in my community,” Gardiner said. “I think it is a very positive experience for people and the residence halls in general should focus more on community-based groups because that is what helps students reach out in their communities.”

Kalie Solomon, a sophomore who identifies herself as part of the LGBTQ* community, did not live on the gender-equity floor. She describes her experience living on an all-girls floor optimistically.

“It was a very accepting and inclusive space — but at the same time, I felt I was the token queer person on the floor,” Solomon said. She added that not all LGBTQ* affiliated students have had the same positive housing situation that she did, so having the gender equity hall is still very important.

Claudia Sneathen, a resident of  the female collegiate hall of Carson fourth floor, explained that being on this floor reduces nervousness and stress LGBTQ* students might have about their sexualities.

“We are living in a heteronormative, straight and cis-gendered kind of world. We haven’t really reached that amount of diversity and inclusiveness,” Sneathen said. “Just knowing that there is a little place for (LGBTQ* students) makes a big difference.”