Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) President Kieran McNulty has launched a petition for the College Board to create gender-neutral bathrooms in the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute (TBSI) on Pearse Street following the implementation of three gender neutral bathrooms in the Arts Building during the Michaelmas term. This process began with former Welfare Officer Conor Clancy, and came to surface with current officer Aoibhinn Ní Lochlainn in September.
In the last TCDSU Council in December, a motion was brought by LGBT Rights Officer Sean O’Carroll to mandate that gender neutral bathrooms are available at all TCDSU events where feasible. The motion was passed and now TCDSU are mandated to work with College to have gender neutral bathrooms available in every college building.
These actions follow other third-level institutions in providing gender neutral facilities, with the National University of Ireland, Galway and University of Limerick being among the first to introduce them.
The letter of the petition insists on the importance of this for the college, stating: “the SU in Trinity stands for equality and supporting all our students. This is a case of respecting all our students’ needs.”