News

Increasing access to gender neutral restrooms at McGill School of Social Work

Published: 4 December 2017

On Behalf of the Director:

A group of students at the McGill School of Social Work has recently brought to the School’s attention the importance of improving access to de-gendered restrooms in the School.  As the Director of the School of Social Work, I am committed to helping ensure safe and accessible restrooms for all students, faculty, staff, and visitors.  De-gendering restrooms is an important equity issue because many queer, trans, and gender non-binary persons face discrimination and harassment when they use or attempt to use gender-segregated restrooms.

In response the School will work with the McGill administration to improve signage, ensure that there are de-gendered restrooms on every floor of the School, and consider changing some of the multi-use gendered restrooms.  As renovation or rebuilding plans for Wilson Hall take shape, the School will request that all future restrooms in the School be single-user, gender-neutral restrooms.

Regardless of signage, all students, staff and visitors have the right to choose the restroom that they are most comfortable using. The School has been and continues to be committed to the principle that all should enjoy a safe, private restroom, free from harassment.

In the next few weeks, we will initiate a series of conversations to support safe and accessible restrooms for all. In that process, I encourage the School’s students, faculty and staff to work together in developing more accessible and equitable restrooms in Wilson Hall, as part of our efforts to create more accessible and welcoming spaces for everyone in our School community.

As we work on this important issue, I ask that all of us, as a community, stay open and non-reactive, and that we refrain from actions that might be or might be perceived as intimidating or non-responsive.

Thank you for your understanding and your collaboration.

 

Nico Trocmé

Director, School of Social Work

nico.trocme [at] mcgill.ca

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