The construction of all-gender bathrooms in Tehama and Yolo halls and the Student Services Center was announced in an email from The Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion on Thursday.

“Gender-inclusive restrooms can be used by people of all gender identities and expressions and are not gender specific,” University Diversity Officer Joseph Morales stated in the email. “They are an important part of an inclusive, respectful campus environment.”

The restrooms on the second floor of Tehama Hall, the first floor of Yolo Hall and the second floor of the Student Services Center will be updated during construction, and are expected to be finished by the fall 2024 semester. There are currently 35 gender-inclusive bathrooms across 13 buildings on campus, and once completed, there will be 41 across 16 buildings on campus.

On April 5, associate professor Lindsay Briggs made an Instagram post announcing the reconstruction of the first-floor bathrooms in Yolo Hall. She also posted a picture of the second-floor women’s bathroom in Tehama Hall announcing new signs titled “All-Gender Restroom Coming Soon!”

The bathrooms, the email states, will be multi-occupancy with communal sinks. The stalls will nearly reach the ceiling and the doors will be a few inches shorter. ADA-accessible stalls will have a 9-inch gap between the doors and the floor, but all other doors will almost reach the floor.

Chico State’s Transgender Task Force has been working toward implementing gender-inclusive bathrooms on campus for nine years, Briggs said in an email. Briggs is co-chair of TTF, and said she has personally advocated for this to many administrators. 

In fall 2023, she reached out to President Steve Perez and Morales to bring up the issue.

“​​I figured since they were both new this was an opportunity for a renewed push,” Briggs said.

Morales regularly attends TTF meetings and Perez accepted an invite from Briggs to attend one in the fall. Briggs said both were very receptive to hearing the needs of their community and helped the plans for gender-inclusive bathrooms move forward.

There is no confirmed date for when construction will start. The Orion will update this story as more information is made available.

Grace Stark can be reached at [email protected].