One of the hallmarks of boarding school life is residence halls, with boys’ residence halls separated from girls’. Some students, though, believe that these gender-divided dormitories are in sore need of an update.

Many individuals on campus are pushing for the implementation of a gender-inclusive living space. This proposal was first presented at a Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) meeting by Josie Fulton ’18, Tilly Brooks ’19, and Julien Alam ’19. By this effort, they hope to push Groton towards a less-traditional view of gender roles.

Josie, who co-runs the GSA, says, “It is not only that we need gender-inclusive dorms on this campus for the students, though this is the most pressing matter at hand, but we need gender-inclusive dorms because validation of non-binary youth is imperative to gender equality. The creation of gender-inclusive dorms is simply the next step towards having a truly diverse and inclusive campus.”

She adds that Groton’s view on single-gender dorms is outdated: “The idea itself that binary genders should be separated is inherently heteronormative – assuming heterosexual relationships as normal and anything outside of that abnormal – and now, as gender and sexuality education has developed, outdated.”

Many among the student body agree with Josie’s sentiments. In a survey of 138 members of Groton students and faculty, 109 people – 79 percent of respondents – said that they would want an all-gender dorm on campus, and 73 students, or 52.9 percent, said that they would live in one. (It is important to note, though, that the survey’s participants were self-selecting and so numbers may not be reflective of the whole Groton community.)

Both supporters and opponents of the idea left comments on the survey. Many supported the idea; one respondent says, “any time we fail to think of a group of people, we are risking missing out on diversity and talent that could enrich our school community.” Some responses, however, pointed out issues, such as the dorms being exploited for romantic relationships, and a few raised questions about the process of selecting students to live in the dorm. Many state that, while they are in full support of the idea, they would not feel comfortable living in an all-gender dorm themselves. Still other comments posed questions about the potential setup of such a dorm.

According to Tilly, “a gender-inclusive dorm would have mostly or entirely singles, a single-stall bathroom, and a changing space next to the shower.” She mentions the dorm currently run by Director of Recent Graduate Relations Allison MacBride as one ideal for an all-gender population. She also addresses concerns about hooking-up, saying that “although people may try to take advantage of a gender-inclusive dorm,” the group pushing for all-gender dorms would work on measures to curb that. “There would likely be an application process and a setup for visitors to the dorm,” Tilly says.

The idea of all-gender dorms is not one new to prep schools. Groton’s peer schools Phillips Academy Andover and Phillips Exeter Academy are in the process of implementing gender-inclusive dorms on their campuses. According to an article published by National Public Radio (NPR), the schools converted girls dorms into gender-neutral housing this school year. They plan to implement more gender-inclusive housing in years to come.

Similar to MacBride’s dorm, Exeter’s all-gender dorms include around twenty students with their own rooms. The bathrooms are still communal, but they offer more privacy, including changing areas outside of each shower. There is a teacher living in the house, like any other dorm, who leads discussions about gender norms.

John Palfrey, Head of School at Andover, says that the dorms are consistent with the school’s values, telling NPR: “Our idea is to bring young people from all over the world, from all walks of life, from all backgrounds — and, frankly, from all gender and sexuality backgrounds. So I see this as entirely in keeping with our long tradition.”

Science teacher Alison Hamlin, who has worked at Andover in the past, says, “A gender-inclusive dorm at Groton is an important next step in demonstrating that our community values inclusion for all students on campus. In order for the dorm to be successful, it will need to be supported by the entire community.” She says that small activities throughout the year to break down gender distinctions, such as pairing up boys and girls dorms to compete together for Spring Fling or having joint check-ins periodically, would help.

Some faculty members have voiced interest in potentially running a gender-inclusive dorm. Math teacher and current dorm head Cathy Lincoln says, “I would be glad to run a gender-inclusive dorm, and to make it as comfortable as possible for someone who is genderfluid on campus. But I’m not an expert in sexuality and gender, so I would need to learn some more.”

Moving forward, Josie and others look to sustain the buzz surrounding gender-inclusive dorms by bringing an interest group to Andover to discuss the proposal with faculty and students there. She then hopes to meet with Groton faculty and administration. While Josie is unsure whether the push will succeed initially, she says, “you can be sure that the topic of gender-inclusive dorms will never die out.”

Julien echoes her sentiment: “An all-gender dorm could change gender dynamics on campus drastically. Students who need this dorm will finally have the option for it and that is all that matters.”