Princeton to add gender neutral campus housing option next year

Via Emily Rutherford at Campus Progress:

It’s a pilot program which designates Spelman Hall, an apartment-style housing option for upperclass students (in which, significantly, every student gets their own bedroom), as gender-neutral. Instead of having to draw in groups of four students of the same gender, there will be no gender requirement on groups entering the Spelman draw…Depending on interest, they may choose to expand gender-neutral housing to other upperclass dorms, or to keep it restricted to Spelman.

My alma mater, Swarthmore College, actually drew attention and controversy right before my freshman year (about 6 years ago) for offering gender neutral housing options in one dorm off campus. In our situation you can actually choose to share a room, in Princeton’s case it’s just an apartment.
This is of course a big step forward for trans and gender non-conforming students, who won’t be forced into single gender housing that might conflict with their identities. It’s also important for any person who wants more choice in who they live with, regardless of gender. Hopefully they can quickly expand the option to more buildings so it isn’t restricted to this one group of upperclass students.
Congrats to the students at Princeton who got this passed.