Hofstra has dozens of gender-neutral bathrooms on campus, but the university doesn’t outline policy for transgender students who wish to use the restroom designated for the gender they identify with.
The faculty and administration have worked hard to accommodate the various needs students have regarding their identity. For transgender students, these accommodations are important due to the negative stigma that faces them.
Hofstra has gender-neutral bathrooms in every academic building and a mentor relationship called PRISM Mentors; Hofstra’s program that connects LGTBQ students with upper-class mentors got the university a rating of 4.5 out of 5 in the Campus Pride Index – an organization that rates LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities.
“I believe that every person should be able to navigate the world in a way that makes them feel comfortable and let’s them be who they are,” said Dean of Students Sofia Pertuz. “One of my favorite sayings is ‘the privilege of a lifetime is just being yourself’ by Joseph Campbell. And I think it is unfortunate what has happened especially in North Carolina because I think that takes away from each person’s individual decision making, and makes other people step in and decide who they are or not.”
“In Hofstra we try to build a community that is open and welcoming to all, and that includes transgender individuals and everyone. So, having gender-neutral bathrooms is ideal so that that is not even a decision anyone needs to make, they just go,” Pertuz said.
Danny Stafford, a theater-arts major that identifies as a genderqueer panromantic asexual, supports Hofstra’s progressive policies, but feels the University could take it another step.
“I do prefer to use gender neutral bathrooms, so it’s really nice that they have those especially in the academic side of campus,” they said. “As for the residential side of campus they don’t exactly have gender-neutral bathrooms. For the towers at least, they have a single stall bathroom on the thirteenth floor but it doesn’t have a shower, the full bathrooms are on the fourteenth floor but we have to climb a full flight of stairs just to take a shower,” Stafford said
Students believe that the bathroom policies are one of Hofstra’s best attributes, but many still think that the university can improve in other areas.
“One of the things we are working this year with the Fellows of Civic Engagement is we want to get gender-neutral rooming for next year,” said Adam Gustefson, a sophomore majoring in English and film.
Other measures such as the the ability to change names on Hofstra ID cards is helping transgender students feel more respected and comfortable at the university.
“I’m getting my name changed on my ID to be Adam. I think that is something very important that they just implemented, but I think that the next step of that is to add a space on the portal where we could add our preferred pronouns and name because now we are not allowed to do that, so now my email will still be my birth name,” Gustefson said. “Even though I’m comfortable being out as trans, that does not mean that I’m comfortable with people knowing my birth name. That is very sensitive thing for a lot of [trans people] and I’m comfortable talking about most things but that name is something that is associated to the systematical denial of who I was for 18 years and that’s not something I’m comfortable hearing when referring to me.”
“It’s nice that there are people in campus that are willing to help you and respect your pronouns and your preferred name,” Gustefson said.
Hofstra has become a safe haven for students that are comfortable with their identity, or still trying to find it.
Stafford said, “For queer and allied youth coming here some of them haven’t come out before, some of them are still questioning their identities, or may not have the most accepting home so they have somebody to talk to.”