There is a need for more gender-neutral bathrooms on Stellenbosch University’s (SU) main campus, according to Alex Vink, the former head of SU’s student representative council’s Womxn and Queer Empowerment portfolio.
Currently, there are two gender-neutral bathrooms on SU’s main campus. One is on the second floor of the Jan Mouton building, and the other is on the first floor of SU’s library. This is according to Warren Jacobs, a member of SU’s facilities management team.
Gender-neutral bathrooms on the Stellenbosch University (SU) campus can be accessed on the first floor of SU’s library and the second floor of the Jan Mouton building, according to Warren Jacobs, a member of SU’s facilities management team. PHOTO: Aiden Louw
“There will be at least one gender-neutral bathroom in all [of SU’s] new buildings”, according to Martin Viljoen, SU’s spokesperson.
While SU is making an effort to become more inclusive, Vink fears the pace of this inclusion is too slow, they stated.
The need
Having gender-neutral bathrooms in the newer buildings is insufficient, as most students still have their classes in the older buildings, said Vink.
“I essentially have to misgender myself just to relieve myself,” stated Kaeden Bönker, a non-binary student who studies education at SU.
For Bönker, gendered bathrooms are a constant reminder that their existence is neither recognised nor catered for on campus, they said.
“It is a form of symbolic violence against gender non-conforming students,” said Bönker.
Transgender and gender non-conforming students would feel more at ease in gender-neutral bathrooms, according to Kaeden Bönker, a non-binary student studying education at Stellenbosch University. “They will no longer have to do mental gymnastics about whether they look feminine enough or masculine enough to enter the appropriate bathroom for their gender,” they stated. PHOTO: Aiden Louw
Beyond the bathroom
Gender-neutral bathrooms foster safe spaces and a more inclusive campus, said Constance Matlholwa, the programme coordinator of the sexualities and HIV portfolio at SU’s Equality Unit.
“As much as Stellenbosch [University] has made a great stride towards queer inclusion, we still live in a world where queer bodies cannot fully be themselves and feel safe doing so,” said Alex Vink, the former head of SU’s student representative council’s Womxn and Queer Empowerment portfolio. PHOTO: Aiden Louw
“Being able to access safe bathrooms everywhere around campus is a human right and shows respect,” she added.
Ultimately, there is a need for more safe spaces for queer and gender non-conforming students on campus, beyond gender-neutral bathrooms, said Vink.
“Many people within the queer community still feel unsafe, uncomfortable and unwanted from many spaces in the Stellenbosch area,” they added.