KCL LGBTQ+ Society Calls for More Gender Neutral Toilets on Campus

Close to 300 students have already signed a petition demanding King’s College London provides more gender neutral toilets on campus.

KCL LGBTQ+ Committee supporting the It Stops Here Campaign

The petition started by the KCL LGBT+ society claims the lack of gender neutral toilets break pledges made by King’s to tackle mental health problems signed in 2015 and commitments to provide spaces free from harassment or bullying.

But according to activists from the LGBT+ society, the lack of gender neutral toilets has led to their trans and non-binary members facing harassment and feeling unsafe on campus.

First year Biochemistry student Ed Donald said “My first few weeks of university should not have been spent trying to locate, and realising the lack of, gender neutral toilets and correcting people on my gender when they assume wrongly, having seen me exit a gendered toilet.

KCL wants to look after their student’s well-being, yet the lack of gender neutral toilets forces non binary people, or those who do not fit traditional binary gender roles, into potentially unsafe scenarios and causes extreme discomfort. Something needs to be done about it.”

King’s currently has one set of gender neutral toilets situated in the Macadam Building on the Strand campus.

Gender neutral toilets are toilets and or bathroom facilities which do not have gendered signage and do not require the person using them to define into a gender.

LGBT groups on campus have said to have been in communication with King’s for a number of years demanding a map of gender neutral toilets on campus but have not been given a response by senior management.

Second year Theology Student and President of LGBT+ Society Travis Alabanza said “college ignoring this issue, treating it like a secondary concern, just highlights the state of transphobia inherent within the college structures.

“Gender neutral toilets are not an act of preference, they are a demand for our safety”.

The petition addressed to Principal Ed Byrne, alongside the Vice Principal for Arts and Sciences Evelyn Welch and KCL Estates manager Nick O’Donnell also demands King’s includes trans and non-binary students in conversations around building plans for the new Aldywch quarter to ensure the new building is safe for trans and non-binary students.

Representatives from the college were not available for comment at the time of writing, but KCLSU have released a statement of support online and meeting are scheduled for this coming week.