As seen in the Washington Square News.

Gender-neutral bathrooms are necessary to preserve the legal right to gender expression, representatives of various LGBT groups said yesterday at a panel discussion on the implementation of the New York City Transgender Rights Law.

“It shouldn’t be a question of whether we need them or not,” CAS sophomore Haley Socha said. “There are people who don’t know what it’s like to be uncomfortable using a bathroom.”

The forum, held in the Kimmel Center, featured panelists from a variety of backgrounds, including politicians and leaders of LGBT organizations and was sponsored by the New York Association for Gender Rights Advocacy (NYAGRA), a legislative work group seeking to secure the full inclusion of transgender and gender-variant people in discrimination and hate crime laws in New York.

Thursday’s vote by the University Senate on the construction of gender-neutral bathrooms in new university buildings was also a focus of the discussion.

“It’s not something we talk about a lot, and that’s what needs to change,” Socha said. “I’m gender variant. It shouldn’t be anybody’s business but mine.”

Concerns still remain about the ability of student senate members to identify with those who are most affected by the policy, students said.

“Before they vote they need to have hands-on experience,” said D’Angelo Johnson, a transgender student from Excelsior College in Albany, NY. “The committee has to be in the shoes of the transgender community.”

Gender-rights laws are already in existence and institutions like NYU must comply with the law, said Pauline Park, co-chair of NYAGRA.

“What NYU students should know is that the gender-rights law covers private universities like NYU,” Park said. “Adding gender expression and identity to university policy simply indicates university policy to comply with the law.”

The vote should not be such a difficult decision at a liberal university like NYU, students said.

“Gender-neutral bathrooms are not just transgender bathrooms,” said Kody Trauger, a GSP freshman. “The proposition is for one in every building. It’s not like the proposition is one on every floor.”

Johnson questioned why the prospect of gender-neutral bathrooms is struggling through NYU’s government channels.

“It’s all about perception and respect for a person,” Johnson said. “There are supposed to be adults going to school here. It shouldn’t be a big deal.”

Panelists urged the more than 50 people in attendance to support local initiatives to combat discrimination against transgender and gender-variant people.

“All of New York City must comply with the law,” Park said. “We would certainly encourage the University Senate to adopt the gender-neutral construction policy.”

In December 2004, the New York City Commission on Human Rights adopted guidelines for the implementation of Initiative 24, which prohibits discrimination based on gender identity and expression in employment, housing and public accommodations.

“The transgender law doesn’t specifically speak to restrooms,” Park said. “This is the first and so far only major public forum for the law guidelines.”

The university senate vote is important to uphold the rights of transgender and gender-variant people, students said.

“It should be God-given,” Johnson said. “We shouldn’t have to go through this hell.”