Georgetown U. Students Overwhelmingly Vote for Gender-Neutral Housing

In a recent referendum, students at Georgetown University voted overwhelmingly for the school to establish gender-inclusive housing on campus, as well as a specific community for LGBTQ+ students.

The Hoya, the campus newspaper for the Washington, DC school, reported that the referendum posed by the Georgetown University Student Association passed with 91.2% of students supporting it and just 8% in opposition:

“The referendum, which ran April 11 to April 13, asked students whether they would favor the university establishing measures toward ‘comprehensive gender-inclusive housing,’ including opening options for students to room with people of different genders and asking students whether they would support roommates identifying as LGBTQ+ during first-year roommate selection. The university’s Board of Directors, which oversees Georgetown’s operations, has no obligation to enact the proposed changes. . .

“Liam Moynihan, who serves as the advocacy director of GU Pride, a student organization which works to support LGBTQ+ students, said the referendum’s success is especially important to them given that they have been unable to access gender-inclusive housing in the past.

“‘As a non-binary student, this referendum and the results mean the world to me,’ Moynihan told The Hoya. ‘Ninety percent of my peers are calling for the current housing system, that discriminated against me, to change.’

“‘I feel very seen, I feel very cared for, I feel very respected and affirmed by all of my peers, and it’s just wonderful,’ Moynihan added. ‘It just shows that we have an incredibly supportive and affirming student body.'”

In the referendum’s text, students appealed to the university’s Catholic and Jesuit identities as the basis for such proposed housing policies, stating, “Adjustments would make Georgetown significantly safer and more welcoming to all students, moving towards fulfilling the ideal of ‘cura personalis’ (care of the person),” a guiding value for Society of Jesus which runs the school.

Jaden Cobb, president of the student association, helped bring the referendum before the student senate because he felt that Georgetown was not moving swiftly enough in creating gender-inclusive housing.  Cobb told The Hoya:

“‘Some of the things that they’ve been giving us have not been sufficient to get this policy done, so it’s time for us to fight for the 6,500 students that we represent and really be the voice of the student body. Referendums are used to push the boundaries. It’s our strongest weapon as a government.'”

Ahead of the referendum, Liam Moynihan, director of advocacy for GU Pride, emphasized the importance of students communicating their commitment to safe and inclusive housing for LGBTQ+ students. Moynihan said in an interview with campus publication The Georgetown Voice: “The reasoning for the referendum is to make sure that the voice of the student body is comprehensively heard and strongly communicated.”

Moynihan conveyed hope for the referendum, while also speaking to struggles faced on campus:

“‘As a genderqueer student, Georgetown’s housing has truly failed me, but, over the past months, I have been inspired by friends, faculty, staff, and administrators to imagine a Georgetown where genderqueer inclusivity — in our housing, curriculum, community, and beyond — is the norm. I believe that this referendum offers us a chance to unify our campus in pursuit of this shared future.'”

Campus groups like GU Pride and the College Democrats rallied students to vote “yes,” and The Voice published an editorial in the same vein, explaining:

“Every student should be able to live comfortably on campus and without fear of harassment or discrimination. We call on students to show up for LGBTQ+ students by voting ‘yes’ on the gender-inclusive housing referendum. LGBTQ+ students deserve to feel safe in their homes on the Hilltop.”

The decision on whether and how to establish gender-neutral housing ultimately resides with school officials. For a decade, Georgetown University has strived to provide a more hospitable welcome to LGBTQ+ students. Hopefully, its leaders will continue to listen and learn from LGBTQ+ and ally students and begin implementing gender-neutral housing soon.

—Liam Myers (he/him) and Robert Shine (he/him), New Ways Ministry, April 17, 2024