Students in the United Kingdom have come up with a way to ensure the safety of their LGBT peers at schools. The National Union of Students is campaigning for segregated housing options for LGBT students to safeguard them against discrimination and victimization.
Segregated housing options will prevent LGBT students from prejudice and abuse, as well as provide them with much-needed safe areas, the Guardian reported. Birmingham University is currently the only institution to offer separate living accommodations for freshmen LGBT students who don't want to be housemates with straight people.
Students from the University of Central Lancashire are campaigning for LGBT-only living accommodations, according to the Sunday Times. A transgender student from the University of York is also pushing for segregated living spaces for LGBT pupils like her.
Backlash
Students may have good intentions for their LGBT peers, but many people think this is not a good idea. Simon Thompson, the director of a website accommodating students, referred to the campaign as "a backwards move," adding that segregation would only promote discrimination against LGTBs, the Guardian further reported.
LGBT charity Stonewall is also opposed to the idea. According to the group, segregated housing options do not coincide with Stonewall's LGBT equality campaign. The group added that they aim for a society where everyone would be accepted wholeheartedly regardless of their gender.
Reaction Of LGBT Students
Some students admitted that segregated housing accommodations at schools don't tackle the main problem, but they support the campaign because, according to them, progress about their rights is slow. They are also not free from ridicule and prejudice from society.
LGBT-specific housing is a way for students to meet other gay students and make them feel safe from bullying. University halls can be stressful for LGBT students because of transphobia and culture.
A student at the University of Reading appreciates the perks of being in LGBT-specific housing. However, the student also thinks that interacting with people different from you at school is extremely helpful. The student added that sharing the same sexual orientation with a person doesn't mean that you will get along, the Guardian noted.
Conversation About LGBT Rights
In the U.S., LGBT rights have gained attention thanks to a North Carolina bill that forces transgender people into using bathrooms coinciding with their gender at birth. The state's controversial House Bill 2 is currently locked in a legal battle with the federal government.
A directive from President Barack Obama is requiring public schools to allow transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that coincide with their gender identity, NBCDFW.com reported. That directive disregards records or documents that show a different sex for transgender students.
