Last Tuesday , Sen. David Curtis, R-Gaston, Sen. Ben Clark, D-Cumberland, and Sen. Chad Barefoot, R-Franklin, introduced Senate Bill 658, which would “prohibit the assignment of members of the opposite sex to the same dormitory room, dormitory suite or campus apartment unless the students are siblings or legally married.”
Senate Bill 658 could prevent the implementation of the gender non-specific housing pilot program at UNC slated for fall 2013. It is imperative that those concerned about safe housing address the misguided concerns of the N.C. Senate.
On Nov. 15, the UNC Board of Trustees unanimously approved a resolution in support of gender non-specific housing. The resolution resulted in the Department of Housing and Residential Education setting aside 32 spaces (0.4 percent of total available housing) for the gender non-specific housing pilot program.
This would allow students of different genders to share apartments or suites but would not allow students of different genders to share bedrooms. Students are required to opt into the program in order to participate. No additional expenditures are required to implement this pilot program.
Curtis, the bill’s primary sponsor, said in a news release, “UNC did not become a national leader in academics by wasting time and tax dollars on frivolous social experiments.” However, I believe that access to safe housing is the farthest thing from a “frivolous social experiment.”
A 2011 Campus Climate Report indicated that residential halls were the fourth most prominent location for harassment on UNC’s campus. Allowing students to choose roommates who they know decreases the likelihood of students’ experiencing harassment, threats or intimidation in their residence hall.
This in turn allows them to better concentrate on their academics. Providing safe housing is a core responsibility of the University.
Senate Bill 658 is just one of many bills proposed by this General Assembly that should be concerning to people of good conscience who care about justice (e.g., House Resolution 494, HB 34, SB 518, HB 451, SB 306, SB 666).
It is imperative that concerned citizens educate themselves about these bills and contact their representatives to express their opinions. The future of our University and state depends on it.
