Overview
LGBT Theme Housing on UC campuses provides intentional living communities supportive of student residents around LGBT and Allies issues and lives. Several campuses also offer a gender neutral housing option. In 2005, UC Riverside became the first public university in the U.S. to offer a gender neutral housing option to every student.
UC Berkeley - Unity House
The Unity House theme program is unique to UC Berkeley and pioneering in its intentional focus on gender AND sexuality, with academic connections to the Gender and Women's Studies major and LGBT Studies minor. In addition to creating a safe space for students of all identities, Unity House embraces honest dialogue about gender, gender roles, sexuality, and interpersonal relationships as a means toward self-awareness. Unity House offers students a mixed gender roommate option.
UC Davis - Rainbow House
Rainbow House is a community geared towards students and allies of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex community who are interested in personal growth within a safe and supportive environment. The community will promote understanding about sexual orientation, gender, and other differences to enhance students' leadership skills and multicultural awareness. The community will provide an opportunity for students to make connections with student groups and campus resources, such as the LGBT Resource Center. In addition to the variety of programs and activities, Rainbow House offers a dynamic experience for students wishing to build support and community ties.
UC Irvine - Open House (Gender Neutral Housing) and Spectrum House
Open House (Gender-Neutral Housing)
Open House is for those who desire to live in an environment where people are able to express themselves freely in a multitude of ways including identity, sexuality, and gender. Within Open house, there is a gender neutral housing option that allows same-gender roommates, opposite-gender roommates, or other gender-identity roommate pairings, regardless of physical sex. Collaborative programs between Student Housing and the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Resource Center will enhance individual exploration and foster community, knowledge, and personal growth. Established in 2010.
Spectrum House
The Spectrum House is a unique community that celebrates and affirm the cultural experiences for LGBTQA students through programming, community development, an increased visibility of LGBT students & issues, and providing a safe space for LGBT students and their allies. Focusing on creating an inclusive and welcoming campus environment for students of all sexual orientations and gender identities, the Spectrum House promotes the understanding about sexual orientation, gender, and other aspects of diversity to enhance students' leadership skills, personal development, and multicultural awareness. Residents who choose to live in the house will be asked to complete Safe Zone training, attend at least one LGBTRC/Spectrum program each quarter, and be an active, positive member of the house. Established in 2010.
UC Merced - Gender Neutral Housing
Gender Neutral suite accommodations are available to continuing students and if space is available, new transfers as well. The Gender Neutral program brings together individuals as part of a welcoming and inclusive community. Residents applying to participate will have the option of sharing a room and suite that accommodates same-gender, opposite-gender, or other gender-identity room/suitemate pairings, regardless of biological sex. To clarify, gender identities are numerous and include man, woman, transgender, and gender queer among many others. All residents of this community, like everywhere else on campus, are expected to adhere to common standards of civility and respect regarding diverse gender identities/expressions and sexual orientations. Established in 2010.
UC Riverside - Stonewall Hall and Gender Neutral Housing Option
Stonewall Hall welcomes students of all gender identities and sexual orientations who wish to join an intentional living community. Stonewall Hall celebrates and affirms the cultural experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and questioning students and their allies, while welcoming the diverse and complex identities of every resident. Stonewall Hall works closely with Housing, the LGBT Resource Center, LGBIT Studies Minor, and UCR student groups to create a community of respect and a sense of family for all residents. Stonewall Hall staff-initiated programming reaches out to all residence hall students with cultural, educational, and social programming throughout the year. Established in 2005.
UC San Diego - LGBT Interest Housing & Gender Inclusive Housing Option
LGBT Interest Housing - Earl Warren College
Earl Warren College’s philosophy is to be inclusive of all people by providing a safe and supportive environment. Therefore in recognizing the unique needs and challenges facing the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) community, we are providing a limited amount of spaces to accommodate our student’s needs in an LGBT Interest Housing Program. Residents in this community have indicated a commitment to developing and participating in educational and social opportunities both within their location of residence and campus-wide for the LGBT community and those interested in this community. This program is open to individuals or groups of guaranteed students (no more than 4 or 5 guaranteed students in apartments, depending on the facility). Placement into this community will be done through a preassignment process.
At Earl Warren College, we invite the residents of these communities to partner with our
Residence Life staff and RAs to help plan and promote social and educational events such as World AIDS Day, National Coming Out Day, and organizing groups to attend campus-wide events such as Q-Camp, Out and Proud Week, and the Non-Sexist Dances. We also look forward to planning and collaborating with the LGBT Resource Center on new programs and events to educate as well as build community at Earl Warren College and campus-wide.
Gender Inclusive Housing Option
(all apartments)
Gender Inclusive Housing is available as of February 2011 for continuing groups of undergraduate residents in all seven apartment living areas at UC San Diego. Through extensive work with Housing, all of the Residence Life Offices and Resident Deans, and with the support of the College Deans and Provosts, this exciting opportunity meets the needs of all of our continuing residents, inclusive of all genders, gender identities and expressions. Gender Inclusive Housing, along with our existing LGBT Interest Housing program and our commitment to house transgender students via discussions based on individual and specific needs, provides many opportunities to meet the needs of all UC San Diego continuing residents.
What does this mean? It means that for our continuing residents, women, men, and people of all gender identities and expressions can live together.
Living areas with Gender Inclusive Housing:
Revelle
John Muir
Thurgood Marshall
Earl Warren
Eleanor Roosevelt
Sixth
Transfer Student Housing: The Village at Torrey Pines
UC Santa Barbara - Rainbow House and Gender Neutral Housing
Rainbow House
Rainbow House is a supportive residential community for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students (LGBT) and their allies. The Rainbow House is committed to provide a specifically LGBT-friendly atmosphere for students to live and interact. It also serves the general residential population as a safe space for any student to visit when facing challenges in their life regarding their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression, such as roommate problems or coming out issues. Through social programs residents connect with the greater UCSB LGBT community and their allies. Open to 40 students, all class levels. Established in 2004.
Gender Neutral Housing
Although not a Living-Learning Community, Gender-Neutral Housing is another option open to students. Rooms are located in various locations throughout Manzanita Village and/or San Rafael Residence Halls. The primary purpose for Gender-Neutral Housing is to provide support to students who need or request accommodations due to gender identity/expression. Students who are interested in more information about this option should contact Assignment Services and, as space permits, an appropriate housing assignment will be made. Assignment Services will not ask for more information than is required to meet students’ housing needs and disclosed private information will be kept confidential. Established in 2010.
UC Santa Cruz - Gender Neutral Housing Option & GLBTIQQ and Allies Hall
Gender Neutral Housing Option
(all colleges)
This housing option is ideal for students whose gender identification and/or gender expression varies from the standard paradigm, as well as any student sensitive to the concerns of transgender people. Gender Neutral Housing allows for samegender
or other-gender identities to live together regardless of biological sex. Students wishing to live in gender neutral housing who do not selfselect a roommate on their housing application will be assigned a roommate based on answers provided on the Lifestyle Questionnaire and follow up interviews.
Porter College - GLBTIQQ and Allies Hall (may also include Gender Neutral Housing option)
Students living in the GLBTIQQ (Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transexual Intersex Queer and Questioning) and Allies Hall will have the opportunity to live among other students interested in the examination of gender identity and expression. While exploring the role of gender in society, students in the Gender Study Hall will also be able to reflect upon their own self-identity. This hall may also include Gender Neutral Housing options. Some examples of past programs in this hall include the following:
-- "Transgeneration" - a documentary regarding transgendered college students
-- "Growing Up Male and Female" workshop
-- Art performance by Bear Bergman, award-winning queer theater artist