Gender-Inclusive Washrooms

What are gender-inclusive washrooms?

Gender-inclusive washrooms are toilet facilities that can be used by someone of any gender. They can be single-stall or multi-stall.¹ They can also be referred to as universal washrooms and are often designed to be accessible for a range of needs, including but not limited to people with disabilities or families.²

Why are they important?

Transgender, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming people frequently experience harassment, and discrimination when gendered (men and women) washrooms are the only option available. This results in a wide range of people avoiding certain activities or facilities because they don’t feel safe.^1,2,3

Safe and accessible washrooms for members of the McGill community and visitors to our facilities is a right that should be available to all. Improved access to gender-inclusive washrooms also helps set the tone for an inclusive campus. McGill is on course to further this aim.

Gender-inclusive washrooms at McGill

At McGill, the push for gender-inclusive washrooms dates back two decades. In 2004, a three-year project was initiated that grew out of recommendations made to the Joint Senate-Board Committee on Equity (JSBCE). This project resulted in designating nearly 40 existing washrooms gender-inclusive by June 2007.⁴ In 2012-13, a second push for gender-inclusive washrooms began. A recommendation that was approved by the JSBCE resulted in re-designating 200 single-stall washrooms as gender inclusive (see index below).⁴ Then in 2023, the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee (EDIC) approved the following amendment to the original resolution from 2007:

The University shall ensure that all single-stall washrooms in the university are gender inclusive, with according signage and interior door locks. The University must ensure that there is at least one multi-stall gender-inclusive washroom per building, and at least one gender-inclusive washroom (either single-stall or multi-stall) per floor. In new constructions, including new buildings and renovations of washrooms in existing buildings, the University must integrate the foregoing two points.⁵

Work is underway to increase the availability of gender-inclusive and accessible washrooms at McGill and improve signage for these facilities. The index in the next section identifies all gender-inclusive washrooms on both McGill campuses. For questions about gender-inclusive washrooms at McGill, please email equity [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Re%3A%20gender-inclusive%20washrooms%20at%20McGill) .

Index of Gender-Inclusive Washrooms at McGill

DOWNTOWN CAMPUS

BUILDING	ADDRESS	WASHROOMS [Bolded locations are physically accessible]
Adams Building	3450 rue University	7, 122, 304, 405
Armstrong Building	3420 rue McTavish	090, 192, 292, 392
Birks Building	3520 rue University	005A, 305A, 307A
Bronfman Building	1001 rue Sherbrooke ouest	1-WC2, 1-WC4, 030, 381, 382, 446, 486, 599A, 654D
Brown Student Service Building	3600 rue McTavish	442, 2004, 2005, 3005, 3006, 3014, 3-WC1, 3-WC2, 4002, 4003, 4011, 4013, 4510, 4511, 5007, 5008, 5010, 5013, 5015
Burnside Hall	805 rue Sherbrooke ouest	1B-WC1, 1B-WC2, 120C, 121B, 602
Charles Meredith House	1130 av des Pins ouest	B3
Currie Gymnasium	475 av des Pins Ouest	G-26, 2-WC1, 214, 305
Davis House	3654 promenade Sir William Osler	9, 9A
Dawson Hall	853 rue Sherbrooke ouest	316
Department of East Asian Studies	3434 rue McTavish	104, 307
Department of Family Medicine	517 av des Pins ouest	007, 103B, 210
Department of Jewish Studies	3438 rue McTavish	104, 107, 203
Department of Linguistics	1085 av du Docteur-Penfield	003, 103, 114, 122, 203, 211, 217, 225, 303, 311, 313, 323
Department of Oncology	546 av des Pins ouest	103, 204, 304
Department of Social Studies of Medicine	3647 rue Peel	110, 311, 311A
Duff Medical Building	3775 rue University	326, 327
Education Building	3700 rue McTavish	B 139
Elizabeth Wirth Music Building (Schulich School of Music)	527 rue Sherbrooke ouest	A003, A208, A302, A402, A502, A604, A704, A804
Faculty Club	3450 rue McTavish	1, 114, 303
Faculty of Medicine	3605 rue de la Montagne	120, 205, 206, 317, 318
Ferrier Building	840 av du Doctor-Penfield	102X, 102Y
First People’s House	3505 rue Peel	G4
Genome	740 av du Docteur-Penfield	2012, 2013, 3014, 4014, 5011, 6011, 7011
Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies	3487 rue Peel	204
James Administration Building	845 rue Sherbrooke ouest	154A, 255A, 321
Leacock, Stephen, Building	855 rue Sherbrooke ouest	505
Ludmer Building	1033 av des Pins ouest	129, 440
Maass Chemistry Building	801 rue Sherbrooke ouest	227, 329A, 434, 436
Macdonald Engineering	817 rue Sherbrooke ouest	111, 380, 568A, 568B
Macdonald Harrington Building	815 rue Sherbrooke ouest	510, 510A,
Martlet House	1430 rue Peel	107, 110
McCall MacBain Arts Building	853 rue Sherbrooke ouest	F, B-50A
McConnell Engineering Building	3480 rue University	350Y, 350Z, 634, 824
McGill Association of Continuing Education	3437 rue Peel	102, 201, 301, 401
McIntyre Medical Sciences Building	3655 promenade Sir William Osler	3-WC3, 3-WC4, 4C
McLennan Library Building	3459 rue McTavish	M1-12B, M1-12C, M6-37C
McTavish 3430	3430 rue McTavish	100, 200
Montreal Neurological Institute	3801 rue University	140
Morrice Hall	3485 rue McTavish	015, 317
New Chancellor Day Hall	3644 rue Peel	263, 303, 405, 410, 524, 610
Old Chancellor Day Hall	3644 rue Peel	41
Ombudsman	3610 rue McTavish	12-5
Peterson Hall	3460 rue McTavish	58, 68
Pine 515	515 av des Pins ouest	105, 005, 503
Peel 3459	3459 rue Peel	106, 309
Peel 3463	3463 rue Peel	106, 309
Peel 3479	3479 rue Peel	3A
Pulp and Paper Building	3420 rue University	016, 017, 025A, 025B, 114
Purvis Hall	1020 av des Pins ouest	35B
Redpath Library Building	3459 rue McTavish	RM-14, R3-07, R3-09
Rutherford Physics Building	3600 rue University	002B, 1-WC3
Saint Urbain 3626	626 rue Saint-Urbain	434, 235, 431, 231
School of Environment	3534 rue University	22, 32
School of Information Studies	3661 rue Peel	107, 209, 309
Schulich Library of Physical Sciences, Life Sciences	809 rue Sherbrooke ouest	1-WC1, 3-WC2, 4-WC1, 4-WC2, 5-WC2, 5-WC3, 6-WC1, 6-WC2, 6-WC3
Sherbrooke 680	680 rue Sherbrooke ouest	316, 416, 6-WC3, 1567, 1800B, 1918, 2020A
Sports Complex - McGill University Athletics		ground floor (near main entrance), 312 (with shower), 313 (with shower)
Strathcona Anatomy and Dentistry Building	3640 rue University	B/33B, 1/52, 318A, 318B
Strathcona Music Building	555 rue Sherbrooke ouest	C-115 (1st floor), E-328, E-329
Trottier Building	3630 rue University	1040, 2040, 3040, 4040, 5040
University 3550	3550 rue University	107, 50A, 208A
University 3641	3641 rue University	103
University Centre	3480 rue McTavish	203C (with changing table), 442, 446
Wilson Hall	3506 rue University	109, 213
Wong Building	3610 rue University	5060, 7060

MACDONALD CAMPUS

BUILDING	ADDRESS	WASHROOMS [Bolded locations are physically accessible]
Barton Building	21111 Lakeshore Road	211, 304
Centre for Indigenous Peoples' Nutrition and Environment (CINE)	21111 Lakeshore Road	103, 109
Clinical Nutrition Research Unit	21111 Lakeshore Road	1-WC1, 1-WC2, 1-WC3
Conservation Centre	21111 Lakeshore Road	102, 103
Facilities Management	21300 Lakeshore Road	205, 206
Harrison House	21111 Lakeshore Road	207, 305
Horticulture Services	21111 Lakeshore Road	3, 4
Macdonald-Stewart Building and Raymond Building	21111 Lakeshore Road	MS2-047, MS2-048
Marshal Radar Observatory	3 chemin des Pins	101
Nutrition Barn	21111 Lakeshore Road	10A
Parasitology Institute	21111 Lakeshore Road	P018
Plant Research Facility	21111 Lakeshore Road	B11, B12

References

1. Public Service Alliance of Canada / Alliance de la Foncion publique du Canada. (2018, March). Gender-Inclusive Washrooms in your Workplace: A Guide for Employees and Managers. PSAC/AFPC Website: Building Trans-Inclusive Workplaces. Link to document.

2. HCMA Architecture+Design. (2018). Designing for Inclusivity: Strategies for Universal Washrooms and Change Rooms in Community and Recreation Facilities. HCMA Architecture + Design News. Link to document.

3. Harwood-Jones, M., Martin, K., and Airton, Dr. L. (2021). Research and Recommendations on Gender-Inclusive Washrooms and Changerooms. Queen’s University Provost’s Action Group on Gender and Sexual Diversity. Link to document.

4. Clegg, A. (2023, September). A history of gender-inclusive washrooms. McGill Reporter. Link to document.

5. McGill University Joint-Board Senate Committee. (2023, March 22). D22-50 Report of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee Senate Meeting, Section I.4. McGill Senate Archives. Link to document.

Main navigation