At the beginning of last semester, it was announced that Elizabethtown College would be offering a new specialty housing option for the 2015-2016 school year. Gender Neutral Housing (GNH) allows for students to be housed with any Etown student, regardless of sex or gender identity. Located in Founders Hall, there were 32 student spots that were available to all interested students.
Sophomore Mo Kalmbacher, who identifies as a third gender called nonbinary (outside of male/female) believes that the new housing option is an exciting new addition to Etown because it adds a safe living space where people do not have to worry about which bathroom they use, whether or not their roommate or floor is accepting, while also creating a supportive community for those who identify within and outside of the Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transexual/Queer/Intersex/Asexual (LGBTQIA) community.
“I think as someone who identifies underneath the transgender umbrella, it is relieving to not have to worry about being pegged as someone I am not,” Kalmbacher said. “It allows people to connect with others who are experiencing similar situations, and is a space where those outside of the trans umbrella are able to broaden their knowledge about gender identity and figuring out how to be a good ally.”
Overall, the new floor aims to have an accepting environment for all students, regardless of how they identify. The floor also allows for an alternative living arrangement for people who would rather live with someone of the opposite sex, while also supporting couples of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
Kalmbacher wants students who may be interested in living in GNH to know that the floor is a pressure free zone. “There is no pressure on saying you have to identify beyond the gender identity you were designated at birth as,” Kalmbacher said. “It allows for people to experiment and reflect on how they identify, without having to fear retaliation if their identity changes or stays the same. It is a floor for personal growth, community, and safety.”
Stonewall Hall is the second gender-neutral floor which is part of the Living Learning Communities (LLCs) and is for any student wishing to learn more about the issues and laws surrounding the LGBTQIA community. Students on this floor have the opportunity to work with faculty in small group settings and attend fieldtrips related to gender studies.
“LLC’s are a great opportunity to experiment with something you are interested in, and allows students to broaden their knowledge on what the purpose of that LLC is, while creating meaningful connections to peers, staff and faculty,” Kalmbacher said.
The GNH floor was not the only new housing option added for this school year. The Nest, which is a new LLC, offers substance-free housing as well as extended opportunities for outdoor activities and healthy living.
Spots on the GNH floors are still available for students to choose to live in throughout the year to ensure everyone who is living there is on board with the mission.
For more information on the new GNH floors or LLCs, students can contact Residence Life at reslife@etown.edu.