Victoria University’s first all-gender toilet has created a campus-wide storm as vocal critics and defenders clash over the installation.
The conversion last week of a male bathroom at the Footscray Park campus to the all-gender toilet, with new inclusive signage, follows a two-year campaign for the change.
Victoria University Student Union president Sarah Schafer Rivilla said the bathroom was one of the priorities identified by the VU Pride collective, along with a LGBTQIA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual) safe space, on campus.
“We haven’t had any success in terms of a safe space, but we see the altering of the signage as a progressive step.”
Ms Rivilla said the move had the support of VU management and staff but had led to mixed reactions among students. A social media posting last week announcing the changes has since attracted close to 200 comments and more than 46,000 views.
Ms Rivilla said a number of comments by current VU students and others had been removed. “Some of them were disgusting – some people we know are students, but a lot of people were just randomly commenting on the page, and they go to other universities.”
Ms Rivilla said it had been heartening to see a number of posts in support of the change. She said the location and signage remained open for discussion, and the student union would meet with senior staff this week to discuss further “inclusivity improvements”.
VU chief operating officer Jonathan Tribe said the bathroom conversion was an initiative of the university’s ‘respect and responsibility steering committee’. “The university prides itself on [welcoming] students, staff and visitors of all backgrounds and sexual orientations.”
