Swedes and Students (Civic Issues 2)

“What a country needs to do is be fair to all its citizens – whether people are of a different ethnicity or gender.”
– Chinua Achebe, “patriarch of the African novel”
(Seen here)

At first glance, most of us would likely agree whole-heartedly with this statement put forth by Mr. Achebe. Equality is good, right? Therefore, we should all have it. No one deserves to be treated unfairly.

This is America – the land of the free, home of the brave.

But let’s take a minute and really think about what this “simple” quote entails.

Let’s break it apart. For something to be fair, it is to be free of injustice: to be completely nonbiased and equal. So therefore, in order to fulfil the ideals of this statement, a country – including its government and its people – is to treat every single person exactly the same in every single way.

When stripped to bare-bones like this, the statement begins to seem incredibly idealistic, even improbable. But it does well to bear in mind that our nation has grown very much, especially as of late, when it comes to equal rights for its people.

Our nation’s attitude with regards to gender neutrality have definitely began to blossom into a small bud on an even smaller stem. People are becoming aware of the problem, and some are beginning to take steps to fix it. The dream of total equality is very slowly morphing into a more realistic form through policy changes and shifts in personal attitude.

For instance, the University of Vermont has formally acknowledged there to be a third gender beyond males and females.

“After nearly a decade of on-campus lobbying and internal review, the University of Vermont has officially adopted a policy of recognizing a third, neutral gender, in order to make the school a more welcoming safe space for genderqueer students.”
-Jenny Kutner, writer, Salon.com
(Seen here)

In addition to this, The University of Missouri has just enacted a policy that will create 4 suites specifically for gender-neutral housing. And they aren’t the only ones! In fact, as shown on the map below, they have joined 140 other universities all across the U.S. in respecting the demand for a safe, non-judgmental, and understanding space for LBGTQ individuals, as well as for the gender neutral.


(Seen here)

However, as on the road to any form of change, there are bound to be road blocks and hindrances littered all along the pathway.

At the University of Indiana, plans are underway for a potential change gearing toward gender-neutral housing.

This plan is going to be beneficial for… students who may be transgendered, or do not really have a gender to identify with. The school is planning on being gender-flexible.

ISU is only trying the coed dorm room plan with the upperclassmen… because parents are already worried about the dorms on campus that have coed floors.

“Students may be OK with that, but parents are not. There [are] a lot of parents [who] are concerned about the fact that we have co-gender floors… many of them don’t agree or like that.”
-Makyla Thompson, Reporter, Indiana Statesman
(Seen here)

Of course, it is understandable that parents may be concerned about their children rooming with the opposite sex for obvious reasons. However, if the housing were specifically geared toward the LGBTQ community, would there be a problem? If rights are to be equal and fair for all individuals, do we really have a right to impose, or to say no?
If you were to ask that question in Sweden, it’s very likely that their answer would be no.

“…for many Swedes, gender equality is not enough. Many are pushing for the Nordic nation to be not simply gender-equal but gender-neutral. The idea is that the government and society should tolerate no distinctions at all between the sexes. This means… that society should show sensitivity to people who don’t identify themselves as either male or female, including allowing any type of couple to marry. But that’s the least radical part of the project. What many gender-neutral activists are after is a society that entirely erases traditional gender roles and stereotypes at even the most mundane levels.”

And they mean serious business. As seen in this article, there are plans in place to neutralize gender differences in all sorts of places, from restrooms, to toy stores, to bowling alleys, and more. The people want their nation to be a gender-free place.

Is there potential for this in the U.S. as well? Only time will tell. But in the mean time, I believe we all need to make our best efforts to have people understand that these issues are truly important and require both stance and action. Otherwise, the problems will never be solved, and we’ll never be a truly equal nation.

This entry was posted in Civic Issues. Bookmark the permalink.

One Response to Swedes and Students (Civic Issues 2)

  1. Gabrielle Faith Romeo says:

    I definitely think creating gender-neutral housing is a step in the right direction. While I do not identify in that way, it is essential for a free and “equal” country such as America to provide accommodations for all students. While I see this as a benefit, I personally am uncomfortable with the idea of making all aspects of society gender-neutral. While I sympathize for the struggle of those who do not care to identify with a specific gender, I feel as though certain areas should remain separated. Mainly, the issue of restrooms.
    I visited France a few years ago, and had a very awkward experience using a public restroom. This may not be the case for the entire country of France, but where I visited there was not a designated “female” or “male” bathroom, but simply one bathroom for both genders. This was not a single-stall room but an entire restroom, meaning that both males and females could use the bathroom at the same time, right next to each other. Call me old-fashioned, but this made me incredibly uncomfortable. If I had grown up in this environment, I probably would not see this as strange, and there is something to be said for raising the next generation with a gender-neutral mindset. But at the same time, I am currently very grateful for my all-girls dorm floor. When it comes to private things, such as showering or using the restroom, I am perfectly content with gender separation. I’m not trying to be closed-minded, and I hope I do not come across as insensitive or offensive. I fully support the idea of gender-neutrality, I just need more time to get used to the thought of this affecting all aspects of society. Great thought-provoking post!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *