Tue 28 Feb 2017 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Gender-diverse students at AUT University now have access to appropriate bathroom facilities as the University welcomes in the new semester with the creation of 165 gender neutral toilets. New 'all gender' bathroom signage is now up around all AUT campuses In a bid to improve services for gender diverse students, the University has begun to install ‘all gender’ bathroom signs across campuses, reassigning a number of bathrooms that were previously restricted for use by either male or female identified students. “It's really important for education institutions to be leading the way in creating communities that are inclusive for trans students,” says transgender advocate and former AUT student Aych McArdle, who brought this issue to the attention of student services in 2012. McArdle notes a lack of appropriate facilities can have a detrimental impact on students who identify as gender diverse. “When a student is anxious about using the bathroom, they might limit their water intake over the course of the day which can lead to some scary health implications,” they say. “Getting to classes on time can be stressful enough with high volumes of students all moving in different directions. If a student has to make their way across campus between classes just to use a safe bathroom, that is extra stressful.” Working for change from within the University, AUT Rainbow Community Manager Audrey Hutcheson, lead the fight for gender neutral toilet facilities and says “It’s about human rights, safety, and equitable access to basic needs.” Hutcheson says improving the bathroom facilities will add to a number of changes made by the University in an effort to support gender diverse students.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 28th February 2017 - 5:37pm