Christina VarvisNon-binary students may not have to deal with the stress of disclosing gender in university documentation for much longer.
The Students’ Union passed their new gender policy at the Students’ Council forum on Tuesday, Sept. 15, which advocates for a more inclusive space for LGBT individuals.
The new policy, motioned by SU Vice-President (Operations and Finance) Cody Bondarchuk, acknowledges non-binary students and the barriers they may face as a result of not identifying as male or female. The policy means the SU now advocates for gender-neutral documentation, confidentiality and the creation of all-gendered washrooms on campus, where possible. It also advocates that the Government of Alberta take similar measures — in policy and in washroom.
The policy also advocates for the U of A to include all-gender washrooms in any new building constructed on campus, and to implement them into existing buildings when cost effective. The SU extended this encouragement to the Alberta Building Code, which currently doesn’t acknowledge gender, Bondarchuk said.
“The building codes fall silent when it turns to gender neutral washrooms,” he said.
Signage on all-gender washrooms are advocated to change as well. Most all-gender washrooms on campus illustrate the figures of a man and a woman, but this isn’t necessarily gender-neutral Bondarchuk said.
Having the Government of Alberta acknowledge there are more than two genders would be the first step in further changes to gender policy, Bondarchuk added.
The City of Edmonton’s Council has already passed a motion to use gender-neutral signage and include all-gender washrooms in any new facility built — along with traditional male and female washrooms. Other institutions, such as MacEwan University, have also started to implement gender neutral signage and washrooms.
The Landing’s Program Manager, Parker Leflar said the new gender policy is an exciting step forward. The Landing is a student space to offer gender and sexual diversity support and also advocates for acceptance of all genders on campus.
“I think it’s an amazing direction the SU is going in and they’re the perfect organization to take on that kind of advocacy work within the university,” Leflar said. “I’m incredibly proud of our elected student representatives to take on this work.”
