Hello,
Have you guys heard about the new Gender Incluisve Housing that Exeter (and Andover) are implementing in the fall? Exeter is going to have two gender inclusive houses that all students can apply to live in.
I’m really excited about this, and if anyone has any questions I’ll do my best to answer.
I also want to know if anyone knows of this happening in their schools, or if you’ve been talking about this subject at your schools.
I think this is nuts. More lawsuits and problems waiting to happen. This isn’t college. It is high school.
Yeah, I support rights of all, but I don’t think this is the best idea for teenage students.
@GryffinHunter Perhaps you could explain the policy a bit more, as there seems to be a disconnect between what you think it is and what other posters think it is.
The school is so obsessed with being politically correct that the entire dynamic and agenda is about embracing policies that elevate the issues of the far left above all. Above the need of the whole , which is a high school education.
Would love to hear more details. I’ll refrain from judging until then although it does raise a lot of questions in my mind.
Gender issues transcend politics, IMO.
Here is an article from The Phillipian about Andover’s all-gender housing option for the coming school year:
http://phillipian.net/2017/02/24/andover-implements-gender-housing-options-upcoming-school-year/
Were these dorms implemented for trans students in mind? I can’t think of any other reason for this type of dorm to be made to be honest.Also are all the dorms singles?
@CottenCandyTrill According to the article, “Students have the option of applying either as a person with a “self-identified need” or as an “ally or trusted advocate.”” These dorms are not only intended for transgender students, but also (and perhaps more so) for those who identify as non-binary. In fact, according to the article “applications for the 2016-2017 school year were the first that allowed students to opt to be placed in the dorm of the gender they identify as, regardless of assignment at birth”.
For a very personal perspective on identifying as genderqueer, see:
These dorms were thought of because of the need to make sure a comfortable housing option was an option for gender non-binary and trans students, but are open to all students.
The dorms are all singles.
I wonder how the other 40 kids in the dorm feel about sharing a bathroom with the one kid who identifies as something different than his or her biological gender? Oh - that’s right - their feelings don’t matter - and they are racist/sexist/something-phobic and will probably be expelled if they voice their concern. The non-binary (I don’t even know what that means) houses are a great idea, and the answer to the great bathroom/locker room debacle of 2016 as well.
Your question might be more impactful if you had the facts (or at least asked what the facts are) before making baseless blanket statements, IMO.
In the case of Andover, the dorm in question is “small,” so we’re talking about a ~4-8 person house, not a 40 person dorm. If demand exceeds capacity, then you’re looking at a couple of smaller houses for a group of rising 10th-graders+ that would be self-selecting; Andover is not forcing any student, including the proctor(s), to live in that dorm.
*biological sex
It’s not about being politically correct; it’s about giving transgender/non-binary students a place to call home.
Stacked dorms at Andover can be very desirable and hard to get. These are small dorms - 2-6 students (my numbers may be off but this ballpark). Often this translates into rooms or a floor in a house, with a separate living area for house counselor (plus family if married, kids, etc). The students apply as a group and are interviewed by the house parent. Everyone has to agree it is a good living situation.
Non. Binary. Hilarious. In this day where people get to create special populations just to feel special or make some sort of statement. If white males or heterosexuals. started empowerment groups they would be called neo nazis etc. so tiresome.
Kind of surprised you’re willing to send your kid to Exeter, Center. Open-minded, liberal thoughts might rub off on him.
If you think people who identify this way is new, you are wrong. They’re just tired of hiding who they are.
I hope the people being dismissive of others’ identities don’t have anyone who identifies that way in their lives. Because you’re just showing them they can’t trust you to care about them.
Google “Affirming Ivy” in Friends Journal. The most amazing part of the story to me was this part.
"Imagine you have a condition with a lifetime mortality rate of 41 percent. Now imagine you have a drug that will reduce that mortality to nearly 0 percent. Would you take that drug? What if it were your child?
The suicide rate among transgender individuals is at 41 percent. When those individuals are living within an accepting community, the suicide rate drops below 1 percent."
That’s why this is important.
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@Center I try to not get politically involved on CC but your comment that you just made is very offensive. People don’t just make up “titles” or “labels” for themselves to draw attention or to make themselves seem superior. I truly hope that you realize that many boarding schools are extremely open minded and inclusive communities and if you send your child to Exeter with that type of close minded, bigoted attitude your kid will be in for a lesson in being accepting of others. I’m not trying to start a fight but I really felt that I had to respond to the comment you made. I understand that everybody is entitled to their own opinions ( We are all free to have our own beliefs- I’m just saying mine 
but I really do hope that you try and be more open minded and accepting towards others who label as something other than straight.
@skieurope you totally missed my point, but I wasn’t clear so that is my fault. The article @AppleNotFar posted reads
So it makes clear that kids can choose to live with the gender they identify as regardless of biological gender with no regard for the rights of the other kids in the house. This is what I have a problem with.
I think the all gender houses are a great idea and solves the problem. According to the article, these are the facts, so there is nothing baseless or uninformed about my earlier post.
I’m not being dismissive of the rights of the trans gendered or whatever the correct term is to use here. Their rights can and should be respected. But so should the rights of the other kids in the dorm. Forcing them into a situation they are ill equipped to deal with and which they didn’t choose to be a part of is a recipe for disaster. Again, this is why the all gender firm is a great answer to the problem that our society is struggling with right now.