Male, female or transitioning — this fall, students at the University of South Florida will be able to identify themselves on housing applications as one of these three gender options.

This year, USF will allow transitioning individuals to live alone, with a friend or with a randomly assigned roommate based on sex at birth — an option University students don’t have.

The controversy surrounding the new policy stems from USF’s decision to not notify students beforehand that their roommates might be transgendered.

Richard Morgan, a senior graphic design major from Savannah, said he is cautious about this procedure.

“I’d really appreciate being notified beforehand if my roommate were a boy transitioning into a girl,” Morgan said. “I don’t think I’d have a problem with the living situation, but it’s a roommate’s right to be notified.”

The policy also has its supporters, especially amongst the University’s Lambda Alliance, an organization providing education, support and activism for sex and gender issues.

“It slightly continues the ‘othering’ of transgender students, and I would prefer to see forms where gender isn’t even necessary, especially since so many people don’t identify with any gender,” said Whitney Dekle, executive director of Lambda Alliance and a junior psychology major from Stone Mountain. “But, in general, I think it’s awesome. It’s a really good stepping stone.”

Landon Bubb, a sophomore health promotion and behavior major and finance director of Lambda Alliance from Lilburn, agrees.

“The new transgender option will go a long way in bringing awareness,” Bubb said. “That’s especially important because college is a time to discover yourself and to feel comfortable in safe spaces.”

The members said they would love to see a similar system implemented at the University, but Jennifer Miracle, director of the LGBT Resource Center, says a housing change of that magnitude is not on the University’s agenda.

Right now, the University deals with gender and sexuality issues in the housing department on a case by case basis.

“Generally, housing here has been great,” Miracle said. “But while what we’re doing works, it’s not proactive. It’s very reactive.”

Miracle cites examples of students having to “take the burden” of their situation upon themselves in order to rectify housing arrangements.

“In my three years directing the center, only two transgender students have contacted me about housing,” Miracle said. “One will now live off campus, which is only possible because of the student body overflow, and the other has to live in a handicapped room in Reed.”

She points out the latter situation is less than ideal because, by making the student live alone, it “isolates students and prevents them from experiencing the college community.”

“If the university did establish a ‘transitioning’ gender option, it would definitely take the burden off the students,” Miracle said. “I know there are more students who would use it if it were available than there are students who come forward with problems.”

Though Miracle feels a third gender option is important, others are unsure of its potential effectiveness.

“People may think there isn’t a need for a third gender option, but it’s really a vicious circle. How do you know there isn’t a need for it if the students don’t know it’s here?” she said.

She also said she recognizes the trickier aspects of implementing such policies.

“It’s always hard dealing with any type of invisible identity problem — or even disability, race or religion issue,” Miracle said, referring to a student who had a problem with her roommate’s transgender boyfriend. “Do you let the person with the invisible identity be bullied out of the room, or do you let the person live in a stressful, uncomfortable situation? It’s complicated.”

“The University still doesn’t fully support freedom of gender expression, so any small step toward it would be a good one,” said Dakota Minter, Director of Outreach for Lambda Alliance, and a sophomore anthropology and ecology major from Snellville.

Miracle would like to create these small steps through increased awareness amongst the student body.

“The Resource Center has been able to provide more programming in recent years, but challenges still remain,” Miracle said.

Among those challenges are a lack of education and hesitance to address issues.

“Most gender and sex issues stem from fear and ignorance,” she said. “People don’t have the right words or the right language and are afraid they might offend someone without meaning to. As long as people feel vulnerable, they won’t talk about it. And we need engaging dialogue with consenting opinions. You only learn when faced with a challenge.”

Lambda Alliance is also working to add “gender identity” to the University’s nondiscrimination policy.

Although these issues must be sorted out before USF’s housing arrangements can become a possibility at the University, those in support of it remain hopeful for the policy’s future.

“I’d like to see that safe space at the University when there is a foundation to support it,” Miracle said. “One day, I’d like to see the USF system implemented everywhere.”