All campuses could have at least one gender-neutral restroom
SAN JOSE >> Responding both to student demand and a change in state law, the San Jose Unified School District expects to designate at least one gender-neutral restroom at each of its campuses and offices by the end of the calendar year.
The district’s Lincoln High paved the way for the move, when in April 2016 the school created more restrooms available to all genders.
Since then, students elsewhere have lobbied for gender-neutral restrooms. In addition, the state Legislature passed a law requiring that this year, singleuser restrooms be designated as all-gender.
For the most part, the bathroom transformation simply requires a change in signage — as well as in users’ habits.
At Lincoln, two multistall bathrooms on the first floor of the school’s main bathroom were re-designated from being boys’ and girls’ bathrooms to both being open to anyone.
“When we first made the change, we got four or five calls from parents,” Principal Matthew Hewitson said. “Most were asking questions, like how we were going to supervise the restrooms and make sure they were safe.”
He said that he’s heard no objections nor any upset reactions. The changeover and operation of unisex bathrooms, he said, “has been super smooth.”
“For the kids, it is no big deal.”
In the 2015-16 school year, the school’s LBGTQ club had lobbied for more bathrooms open to all genders. Lincoln already had three, but that didn’t satisfy the demand for them, Hewitson said.
Students proposed creating a culture more inclusive to transgender and non-binary youth by offering gender-neutral facilities. While the idea had been mentioned for years, Hewitson said, it gained traction after Lincoln’s media arts class created an public-service video about gender-neutral bathrooms.
Locker rooms remain segregated by sex. If a student doesn’t feel comfortable using either, a separate changing area is available,
he said.
After the newly accessible restrooms debuted, initially administrators and security officers stepped up restroom monitoring. But Hewitson said he has not heard of any problems or untoward incidents involving the integrated bathrooms.
In addition to beefed-up supervision, Lincoln also posted signs in the restrooms with text numbers for students to report bullying, harassment or other inappropriate behavior. None has been reported about the bathrooms, Hewitson said.
The new school year begins Aug. 16 in San Jose Unified schools.