Gender-Neutral Washrooms

A gender-neutral washroom is one where the signage is visible identified with open, inclusive language: not just male or female. It is evident that these facilities are void of gender identity and have accommodations that are especially sensitive to the needs of a greater range of people. Some people are not comfortable using male or female-designated washrooms.

Why Gender-Neutral Washrooms Matter

Gender-neutral washrooms are an equity issue because many lgbtq persons face discrimination when they enter or exit gender-segregated washrooms. For example, when a masculine-looking lesbian or a transgender person or transsexual woman enters a woman's washroom, she is often subject to harassment in the form of insults, questions about her gender, "whispers" designed for her to hear, or simply looks of confusion from other women in the  room. If the same person decides therefore to use the men's washroom, she risks both emotional and physical harassment if her gender is discovered. Her marginalized position, not fitting into either rigidly defined, sex-derived category of gender, leaves her with nowhere to go. The same holds true for the case of feminine-looking or transsexual men.

The availability of gender-neutral washrooms is also a privacy issue in the broadest sense. Single-person, gender-neutral washrooms provide privacy to any individual who requires it, no matter their reasons. Single person, gender-neutral washrooms thus become the best solution to ensure access and to eliminate barriers for all persons, no matter what their gender, ability, health status, or shyness.

Here is a current, but not necessarily exhaustive, list of the washrooms on the Dalhousie campuses that you may find to be not designated by sex. If you know of other gender-neutral washrooms not on this listing, send an e-mail to dalally@dal.ca, indicating the building and room number.

Carleton Campus

Dentistry
5981 University Avenue
Eight washrooms on the first and second floors
Open to the Dalhousie community. Wheelchair accessible.

Tupper Building
5850 College Street
SB and first floors
Open to the Dalhousie community. Wheelchair accessible.

Sexton Campus

Engineering and Computer Science - "L" Building
1334 Barrington Street
First and second floors
Engineering students only.

Mechanical Engineering – Theakston Building
5269 Morris Street
Basement, first, and second floors
Engineering students only.

School of Architecture – Medjuck Building
5410 Spring Garden Road
First floor
Open to the Dalhousie community. Wheelchair accessible.

Sexton Design and Technology Library - "B" Building
1360 Barrington Street
First, second, and third floors
Open to the Dalhousie community.

Studley Campus

Dalcard Office and Residence Office – Roulston House
1443 Seymour Street
Basement and second floor
Open to the Dalhousie community.

Dalplex
6260 South Street
First and second floors
Open to the Dalhousie community. Wheelchair accessible on the second floor.

Chase Building
6136 Coburg Road, near the Dunn Building
First, second, and third floors
Open to the Dalhousie community.

Chemistry Building
6247 Coburg Road
Fifth floor
Open to the Dalhousie community.

College of Continuing Education and Native Education Unit
1220 LeMarchant Street
First floor
Open to the Dalhousie community.

Computer Science Building
6050 University Avenue
Ground floor
Open to the Dalhousie community. Wheelchair accessible.

Economics Buildings
6206, 6214, and 6220 University Avenue, across from Killam Library
First and second floors
Economics students only

European Studies and Multidisciplinary Studies
1376 LeMarchant Street
First and second floors
Open to the Dalhousie community.

Graduate Student Office Space
1244 LeMarchant Street
Basement and second floor
Open to the Dalhousie community.

Health and Human Performance – Stairs House
6230 South Street
Basement, first, and second floors
Open to the Dalhousie community.

Henry Hicks Administrative Building
6299 South Street
First floor
Open to the Dalhousie community.

International Oceans Institute and Office of Sustainability
1226 LeMarchant Street
Second floor
Open to the Dalhousie community.

Killam Library
6225 University Avenue
Student Services area on the ground floor to right as you enter Atrium
Open to the Dalhousie community.

MacDonald Building
6300 Coburg Road
Levels three (Lobby) and four (University Hall)
Open to the Dalhousie community. Wheelchair accessible.

McCain Building
6135 University Avenue
First floor
Open to the Dalhousie community. Wheelchair accessible. Single stalls marked "Male/Female"

Multifaith Centre
1321 Edward Street, next to the Law School
First and second floors
Open to the Dalhousie community.

Psychology – Life Sciences Centre
1355 Oxford Street
P1 and P2 levels
Open to the Dalhousie community. P2 is wheelchair accessible

Science Co-op Education and APICS
1390 LeMarchant Street
Basement and second floor
Open to the Dalhousie community.

Student Union Building
Third floor (two separate washrooms in same corridor)
Open to the Dalhousie community.

The Grad House
1252 LeMarchant Street
Two washrooms on the main floor. Wheelchair accessible

Transition Year Program
1400 LeMarchant Street
First and second floors
Open to the Dalhousie community.

Weldon Law Building
6061 University Avenue
Room 310
Open to the Dalhousie community.

Women’s Centre and the Native Education Unit
6286 South Street
First and second floors
Open to the Dalhousie community. Wheelchair accessible on the first floor.

King’s College Campus

King’s College
Arts and Administration Building
Breezeway by Prince Hall and on lower level adjacent to The Wardroom (pub)
Open to the King’s and Dalhousie communities.

King's College Library
6350 Coburg Road
Lower level