Transgender and gender non-conforming individuals face the fear of confrontation and feelings of unease when they are forced to choose a gendered restroom that does not acknowledge their gender and actively disregards it. Not all buildings at Williams have accessible gender-neutral restrooms which exclude individuals that do not fit within the gender binary. If Williams College states that anyone, regardless of their background and identities, is welcome and wants to create a caring environment, they must build trust through action and confront issues posed by community members. Having accessible gender-neutral restrooms in all buildings on campus is necessary to the protection, acknowledgment, and inclusion of transgender and gender non-conforming individuals.

A restroom is a basic need which many people may not even think about in their day-to-day life. However, for many people, the current situation on campus in regards to restrooms is a source of constant stress rather than a given. There are many locations on campus where the nearest accessible gender-neutral restroom is not even in the same building. For many members of our community, it is uncomfortable or even dangerous to be in a situation when the only available restroom is a gendered space. As a community, it is necessary to provide accessible gender-neutral restrooms so that every member of the community can easily use a restroom when they need to.

This does not mean that all of the gender-segregated restrooms must be eliminated, as we see and respect the needs of those who require them. We do not want to replace one unsustainable situation with another. Rather than ignoring the needs of anyone, it is necessary to provide for all members of the community. Currently, the needs of the community are not being met. This situation can and must be rectified.

When we say accessible, we are specifically stating that we want gender-neutral restrooms that are easy to locate and usable for all people.

This would entail gender-neutral restrooms in more central places of gathering. The college’s built environment does a lot to promote or negate the values proclaimed and taught here. Paresky Center is described by the college as the “heart of campus.” As a place in which most all community members interact and in which so much activity happens within, this building normalizing the exclusion of certain marginalized community members broadcasts a message to our broader community. That message is one of institutionalized transphobia. Thus, Paresky Center should have an accessible gender-neutral restroom. 

Accessibility also entails signage directing people to where these restrooms are located within a building. Near gender-segregated restrooms, there should be signage clarifying where the nearest gender-neutral restroom is. Schow Library is a place where nearly all students within division three classes must work. There is a gender-neutral restroom down the hall and around the corner to the gender-segregated restrooms, but no signage directing people to it. Gender-neutral restrooms should not require a map to find due to how infrequent and scattered they are. 

Finally, accessible restrooms should be easy to navigate to and use for everyone, including those with various mobility aids and needs, which sometimes entails going beyond ADA compliance.

More broadly, the college working with the spirit of accessibility in mind means not just being inclusive within new parts of campus, but being proactive in changing and acknowledging past wrongdoings and finding ways to heal the harm done. As stated by Ari Quasney ‘25, “By embracing the critical lenses of intersectionality, cross-disability solidarity, sustainability, and collectivism, we can go beyond the token, legal-medical framework that often leaves disabled students feeling unsupported, isolated, and burnt out.”

Furthermore, adding more gender-neutral restrooms on campus would not require that new restrooms be built in most buildings. Changing signage in even a few major areas would mean a lot to many students, faculty, and staff on campus and can be done relatively easily and immediately to relieve the current undue burden placed on these community members.

Major campus spaces that lack accessible gender-neutral restrooms include but are not limited to:

• Paresky Center
• Schow Library
• Griffin Hall
• Towne Field House

We hope that the college will agree with QSU, BtB, and our co-signers of allies to quickly make these changes and work towards a more inclusive future for our campus.