Yale may offer gender-neutral housing

Students say Penn's policy, in place since '05, is a good start, but could be improved
Rachel Baye

The Ivy League as a whole is moving toward gender-neutral housing with Yale University's recent consideration of the policy.

Penn has offered gender-neutral housing since fall 2005, after a gay male student who wanted to live with his female best friend raised the issue. Even if Yale chooses to offer the program, it will not be an option until at least fall 2009.

If the policy is implemented, Princeton University will be the only remaining Ivy not to provide that option.

Last semester, Yale sophomore and former LGBT Cooperative Queer Resource Center director Edward Chang drafted a proposal ­- based largely on other schools' policies - requesting gender-neutral housing at Yale."Last year, Yale included gender identity as part of its non-discrimination policy," said Chang, adding that gender-neutral housing seemed like a natural extension of that policy.

But when Chang's proposal was rejected, he asked the Yale College Council - Yale's student governing body - to look into the issue.

Yale Dean of Administrative Affairs John Meeske said he worries that gender-neutral housing would allow heterosexual couples to live together, possibly destroying "some good social fabric."

Yale sophomore and chairwoman of the YCC's committee on gender-neutral housing Katrina Landeta said Yale was looking into a new housing policy because other schools have done so.
Read more: