Guilford College: a different twist
There's a whole other angle to the issue of opposite-sex roommates at Guilford College that I didn't address in my column yesterday.
"One of the main reasons this policy change was initially discussed was in support of transgendered students," a Guilford student named Jessica posted on yesterday's blog entry.
Other private responses I received from people in the Guilford College community spoke to similar issues.
"I read with great interest your editorial in today's paper," a faculty member wrote. "One question for you: how do you know that George (nevermind Georgette!) is heterosexual?"
She added in a second email: "Actually I was quite serious when I asked about the students' sexual orientation. There is a vibrant community of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered students and faculty at Guilford College, and I dare say at many colleges, much less our community at large. More and more students are open about their sexuality, and whether or not you approve of non-heterosexual relationships, your article was ignorant of its reality."
From a male student at GC: "I was very disappointed by your treatment of the issue, which clearly shows a profound lack of understanding of some of the main reasons the idea is coming up at college campuses across the US. ... What if that young man, or woman, is homosexual, bisexual or unsure about their sexual orientation and their attraction to their roommate causes all the problems you flippantly applied to heterosexual people?"
And from a woman who is a graduate of Guilford College: "I think Kent Chabotar would be correct in trying out rooming situations with a female and male. If you think about it, would you rather have your son or daughter experimenting with sex with someone of the same gender or of different gender? As long as I could trust my child and know that they were on some type of contraceptive, I would rather they room with a person of the opposite sex than the same sex."
Does this change the equation? Is there no harm in having a male and female room together if one is homosexual and therefore not sexually interested in the other?
I still don't think so. After all, a gay man is not the same as a woman.
What about "transgendered" students? Should a student who is physically male but prefers to live as a woman be assigned to room with a guy or a girl?
Maybe colleges should offer single rooms for everyone.
Comments (3)
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It may be helpful to think about the experience of siblings of opposite sexes. At some point, the vast majority of parents do what they can to give their sons and daughters separate bedrooms.
Why? Privacy and modesty. If you're a gay male 15-year-old, you still don't want to room with your sister.
Posted on February 9, 2006 9:49 AM
Diego,
Really interesting issue, isn't it? I guess things have changed since we were in school, though the changes are for the greater good, as schools accommodate students who are gay, transgendered or simply questioning their sexuality.
Let's face it, gay, trans or questioning kids need support as they come to terms with their sexuality, rather than forced to stay in the closet. So creating a living environment for them is reasonable, just as it is heterosexual students.
Did they have coed dorms when we were in school? Sadly, I can't recall.
Johann
Posted on February 9, 2006 10:57 AM
Johann,
The high rises were co-ed, some wing by wing I believe.
Posted on February 9, 2006 11:14 AM