Access to gender-neutral bathrooms is about safety for transgender students, according to an article written by UO professor Alison Gash and published nationally online.

Gash, an assistant professor in the UO’s Department of Political Science, explains why transgender students run the risk of physical harm and harassment when they use the bathroom.

In her piece titled “Explainer: why transgender students need ‘safe’ bathrooms,” Gash cites several surveys that found many participants were subjected to homophobic slurs and physical violence while trying to use the bathroom. And some transgender students were denied access to their preferred bathrooms altogether.

As a result, students must weigh options when deciding where to go, Gash writes in the Nov. 19 article. They could even have days when they go to class in their workout clothes or “hold it in.”

For the full article, see “Explainer: why transgender students need “safe” bathrooms.”