It took several years of work, but the Clark Building finally has its first all gender restroom.
Two of the many driving forces behind the project, Ali Owens and Benton Roesler, said the effort to add an all gender bathroom to Clark began in 2020.
Owens, a senior sociology major who serves on the Pride Leadership Council, said that tracking data on individuals who identify as queer/trans is difficult, because information that’s collected is voluntary, and many are afraid to share information for fear of being targeted.
“It can be really hard to demonstrate need,” Owens said.
Tracking QR code use
But in this case, organizers were able to collect data on the demand for such a restroom by tracking the use of QR codes on signs that link to a map of all gender restrooms on campus. They found that the code on the Clark sign was by far the most heavily scanned.
The project also took years of planning and discussions on funding, Owens and Roesler said, as the scope of the Clark revitalization project morphed. In spring 2022 the University Facility Fee Advisory Board – which Roesler now chairs after serving as a member – voted to fully fund the renovation.
An existing men’s room on the second floor of the Clark C wing, C-203, was converted to the all gender restroom last summer.
A question of safety
“It’s really a safety issue,” Owens said. “It’s about keeping people safe who have faced discrimination in bathrooms. Adding all gender restrooms is a good example of Rams taking care of Rams.”
Roesler, a master’s student in the Colorado School of Public Health, said it’s also a question of academic success for students.
“You can’t really achieve if you need to go to the restroom and the restroom is 10 minutes away,” Roesler said. “That’s not conducive to being a successful student. This is critical for student academic success, on top of how it supports them mentally and emotionally.”
The two credited many others who worked to bring the project to fruition, including Pride Resource Center Director Maggie Hendrickson and two other members of the Pride Leadership Council: Brandon Lowry and Charlie Williamson. They also listed former UFFAB chair Alison Kuderka and several individuals in Facilities Management: Jessica Kramer, Drew Douglas and Dan Kozlowski.
