As you may have been made aware, UL is now implementing 12 new gender-neutral toilets on campus to provide for the safety and comfort of trans and gender non-conforming students, staff, and campus visitors.
There appears to be a lot of confusion about these toilets, raising concerns for people and with this post we hope to clear that up. The first being the cost, many people are upset that this is where their fees are going to, building 12 new bathrooms that some deem unnecessary. These toilets are already in existence in the University of Limerick, no new toilets are being added. The sign on these toilets however are being amended to show that anyone of any gender, or gender expression are permitted to use these facilities, not creating an extreme cost by any means.
Another concern people are raising is about the safety of these facilities, many not feelings comfortable with sharing a communal toilet space with people of a different gender to their own. For clarification, these toilets are single stall, and are not a shared space, posing no threat to the safety of any potential user, only providing a safe facility for those in need of it.
If you have been affected by some of the comments on these posts you can contact us:
- @OutinUL on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram - on our Befrienders service through outinul@gmail.com -reach the ULSU Welfare Officer at SUWelare@ul.ie,
- or the counselling service at Counselling@ul.ie, 061-202327.
