UC grad who helped introduce gender neutral bathrooms concerned over new ‘Bathroom Bill’
A new rule in Ohio is creating some confusion for schools. It requires students from kindergarten through college to use bathrooms that match their biological sex.
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CINCINNATI, Ohio (WLWT) — A new rule in Ohio is creating some confusion for schools.
It requires students from kindergarten through college to use bathrooms that match their biological sex.
This state law sparked protests at the University of Cincinnati, which put up signs outside of dorm bathrooms that read “Biological Men” and “Biological Women.”
The change went viral online, prompting a response from UC’s president during a heated meeting Tuesday.
“That was an error and we are on our way to correcting that,” UC President Neville Pinto said.
The president there called the signs an “error,” but he didn’t explain why.
The university, along with other schools across Greater Cincinnati, will have to navigate how to implement this new state law.
Since this bill became law late last year, it’s been on the back of Tristan Vaught’s mind.
They’re a graduate of UC and the co-founder of Transform Cincy, a nonprofit that provides free clothing to transgender and nonconforming youth in Cincinnati.
“As a former student who was part of the activism group that got to gender-neutral bathrooms on campus and part of gender block during that time that we, you know, worked with admin and were able to have those take place,” Vaught said. “That was a lot of work to watch be undone so very, very quickly.”
Through Vaught’s work, gender-neutral bathrooms were introduced across campus.
They say this bathroom bill has created an even scarier reality for the LGBTQ+ community.
“There’s a lot more fear,” Vaught said. “It was already pretty nerve wracking going to the bathroom before. And now there’s more fear. There’s more anxiety. And we all know something horrible is going to happen because you’re having to go to the bathroom.”
“I have students that I know, in K through 12, to avoid going to the bathroom,” Vaught said. “Even if they have bathrooms that they’re allowed to go to, they won’t eat or drink all day long. They’re very careful not to go to the bathroom because they don’t want to be harassed.”
A law professor we spoke with believes the signs inside Calhoun Hall were UC taking the definition of the bathroom bill literally.
Meanwhile, we’ve reached out to local sponsors of this bill but have yet to hear back.
We reached out to local public schools about how they’re handling the new law.
Cincinnati Public Schools and Mason City Schools each told us they have gender-neutral bathrooms that students can use.
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