Lincoln students filled the junior hall and stairwell Nov. 22 to celebrate the opening of PPS’s first multi-stall, gender-neutral bathroom.

Cupcakes, ribbons, and banners decorated what had been the junior hall women’s restroom as Principal Peyton Chapman, senior Leah Burian, and Mike Roach from the Health Action Network cut the three  ribbons symbolizing the facility’s transition to the new Gender Neutral Bathroom.

The effort began when Rachel Lutz and Mimi Mays, both now graduated, took their request for a gender-neutral bathroom to the school board in the fall of 2015.  After a meeting with the board, the idea was on track to open. But when Carole Smith retired suddenly from her position as superintendent, due to the lead crisis, the bathroom project was put off for many months.

This year, Burian president of the GSA, took the request for a gender-neutral bathroom to the school board again. This time the GSA was accompanied by Eleni Kehagiaras from the Health Action Network.

When the GSA came to the Health Action Network, the bathroom idea was welcomed with open arms.

Co-Founder Mike Roach, spoke on this transition, “We want the school to be as safe as possible for everyone in the building, it’s a great idea and no one could have done this on their own.”

It was proposed to the school board as a test pilot for schools in the PPS district and approved, with the opening set on Nov. 22.

A lot of excitement and support was expressed at the ceremony, but, nearly a month later, there are still questions and concerns on the minds of some students.

Clare Aekman, a freshman at Lincoln, learned about the bathroom through a slide show presented by the GSA. She is in full support of the LGBTQ comunity, but said the opening of the bathroom felt very forced. Her peers and her have been wondering if there was a vote or poll from the student body on the bathroom that didn’t include freshmen.

Aekman also heard rumors about people allegedly having sex in the bathroom.

That led her to wonder if teachers are supervising the bathroom, like they stated they would. Vice principal Alfredo Quintero, an advocate for the bathroom, said in September that he would be checking in on it regularly. (We should ask Quintero if he’s heard about these rumors and whether the bathroom is in fact being supervised.)

Aekman said she and friends have yet to use the bathroom and avoid it at all costs for fear of safety or walking in on inappropriate situations.

While Aekman will travel up to freshman bathroom, even though she her class is right next to it, senior Isaac Beach will go out of his way to use it.

Beach will walk across school to use the new bathroom, because of how clean it is. He says the boys bathrooms are “disgusting” and that “they have been destroyed due to testosterone.” Overall, he thinks this bathroom is long overdue, because his previous high school in Santa Cruz, California, had one. Beach also thinks eventually all the bathrooms should become gender neutral and then labeled just as a bathroom.

Burian thinks otherwise.

“Having male and female bathrooms along with the gender neutral bathroom is important, because it ensures that everyone has a safe space,” she said.

Overall, Burian  thinks the opening went very well and is happy with the results. She thinks the bathroom is currently a new exciting place to hang out and though she is aware of misuse of the bathroom with people hanging out in it, she said this occurs in every bathroom.

School Nurse Mary Johnson has checked in on the gender-neutral bathroom and other bathrooms at Lincoln and though people often loiter and skip class in the bathrooms, she also sees students supporting and comforting each other and thinks this it is important place for students to be able to be together.

Burian has no current concerns about the bathroom as long as the bathroom stays a safe and accepting space.

As far as the future of the bathroom, the GSA hopes the welcoming environment will continue, but that additions will be made to the bathroom so that it can continue being a safe, comfortable and supportive environment for any student who chooses to use it.