Georgetown U. Offers Gender-Neutral Housing to All Incoming Students

Georgetown University

Gender-neutral housing will now be available at Georgetown University next fall for first year students thanks to a pilot program at the Jesuit school in Washington, D.C.

The Georgetown University Student Association (GUSA) announced on Instagram that, beginning this fall with the incoming class of 2028, a survey about students’ living preferences will include a question about interest in gender-inclusive housing.

Student newspaper The Hoya reported, “The university currently works with students identifying as transgender, nonbinary or gender non-conforming to find housing options on a case-by-case basis.” But with the new pilot program, students will be able to indicate their need or desire for gender-inclusive housing through Georgetown’s roommate pairing system, known as the Campus Housing Roommate Matching System (CHARMS).

The change primarily impacts incoming first-year students, as current students already completed their housing arrangements prior to the start of the program. However, the university aims to include a similar question on all undergraduate housing surveys during the next housing selection cycle.

Adding gender-neutral housing results from students, such as GUSA President Jaden Cobb, working closely with university administrators to refine the gender-inclusive housing policy. In April, a student referendum widely encouraged Georgetown administrators to modify how gender identity is dealt with in housing. According to The Hoya: “91.2% of participating students voted in favor of the university creating “comprehensive gender-inclusive housing,” with 31.2% of students voting.”

“This is a huge moment on campus and for marginalized communities, our LGBTQ+ community…The vision to really make Georgetown an inclusive campus that the students voted on for the referendum has finally come to fruition,” said Cobb. “This has been a project that has been worked on for decades and has been needed for decades.”

The student body president pointed to the advocacy of various university organizations as crucial to the success of the new policy, including “GU Pride, a student organization that works to support LGBTQ+ students; GU Queer People of Color (QPOC), a student organization for LGBTQ+ students of color; and the LGBTQ Resource Center, a center that supports the LGBTQ+ community at Georgetown through advocacy and outreach.”

GU Pride’s advocacy director, Liam Moynihan , told The Hoya that they have previously experienced housing discrimination at Georgetown and are hopeful that students’ ongoing activism will continue to make Georgetown’s campus truly gender inclusive:

“I’m thrilled, I’m tired, I am optimistic,” they said. “I think we have a lot of work left to do as students to ensure that the university continues to work hard to meet their commitment and that the university continues to hear our voice as they shape the policies that will shape our lives.”

Both Cobb and Moynihan agree that student organizations will need to continue to work closely with university administration to create a campus atmosphere that is welcoming to all.

A university spokesperson told The Hoya that this new housing process is in line with the university’s aim to support and welcome all student, saying:

“Georgetown University is committed to creating an inclusive, safe, and welcoming campus for all members of our community across all gender and sexual identities…Students have the right to be placed in housing that aligns with their gender identity.”

—Phoebe Carstens (they/them), New Ways Ministry, June 27, 2024