The Brown & White

Lehigh's conscious effort to improve diversity and acceptance around campus deserves attention.

New initiatives, clubs, training sessions, events and programs are taking place throughout the campus. The steps toward diversity may be slow or, to some, not enough. But steps are being made and being recognized.

Another significant step towards further diversity may take place soon: Lehigh is planning to offer students gender-neutral housing within the next few years. The housing option would include transgender or gender nonconforming students.

The student body is certainly lacking in acceptance or even acknowledgement of sexual and gender diversity, and it's necessary to achieve a better level of understanding. But is the solution to group all members of this on-campus minority together and isolate them in their own house?

How can we learn to overcome Lehigh's diversity obstacles if each minority group is segregated? We should become more aware by experience, and learn about others by meeting them and interacting and living with them.

It's true: transgendered and gender nonconforming students deserve a spot on this campus that promotes more acceptance and understanding.

Lehigh has introduced numerous initiatives to work toward this goal - from brown bag lunches to hotlines to various events. Will placing gender-neutral students in their own housing separate from other students help achieve the goal of promoting true acceptance?