UC president calls 'biological' bathroom signs error as students, faculty protest
When lawyer and University of Cincinnati graduate Scott Knox heard about the "biological" men and women bathroom signs going up at his alma mater, it was just more disappointment.
"To be so enthusiastically quick," Knox said. "They've been great on diversity in the past, which makes this so hugely disappointing."
The bathroom signs went viral this week as students protested against the university's rollback of diversity initiatives to comply with a presidential executive order. To an impassioned group of students at the trustees meeting Tuesday, President Neville Pinto said the signs were an "error." It is unclear when or if the signs will be changed back.
More: University of Cincinnati ends DEI, sparking 2nd day of student protests
Knox holds two degrees from UC, has donated to the university since he graduated and has spoken numerous times about diversity at foundation functions and other events.
He said he understands that funding is at risk, but he's infuriated that the university didn't take more time to consider what they were doing. Knox said the school should have been looking for lawsuits to join to fight the state and federal measures instead of changing bathroom signs.
It's been less than two months since President Donald Trump signed a bevy of executive orders targeting transgender people along with diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Ohio's "Bathroom Bill" requiring signage at public schools and universities went into effect Tuesday.
Knox said that due to the vague nature of the law and the possibility for pending litigation both at the federal and state level, the university would have been safe in waiting for more clarity. He added that the bathroom law is nearly impossible to enforce.
"Is there going to be a genital checker at the door? Why are they making a rule that can't be enforced?" Knox asked. "Beyond the cruelty of it, it's so poorly thought out."
Ohio ACLU Legal Director Freda Levenson echoed Knox's concerns. She said her organization is extremely opposed to the bill and is monitoring what happens for potential litigation.
Levenson said signage issue shows the absurdity of the whole law and problems it creates for schools and universities.
"The obscurity is a detail compared to the cruelty ... of the whole thing," Levenson said.
Michelle Minette is a group facilitator at Transform, a Cincinnati-based nonprofit that hosts support groups for trans youth and their families.
She said these sorts measures are harmful to a community that is already at risk. According to the Trevor Project, 78% of transgender youth report being harassed in schools, 38% report being physically assaulted and 50% have serious suicidal ideation.
"We expect these numbers to increase when we have legally and socially sanctioned spaces for segregation and discrimination," Minette said.
Minette said research institutions, like UC, have shown in their research that there is a huge variety in gender and sex variability. She said the idea of binary sexes has been "debunked," and finds it ironic that an institution that might have contributed to this science is now trying to enforce such a thing.
However, she said, people should remember that the University of Cincinnati was on the "forefront of DEI" until now. She said for UC it could come down to how many marginalized people can be helped by fighting the regulations versus how many can be helped by complying with them and maintaining full funding. But the university's reasoning was not clear, as UC did not respond to The Enquirer's request for comment Tuesday.
"I don't think that UC is the enemy here. It's the state," Minette said. "How do I keep supporting people while flying under the radar of those trying to stop that support?"
Ohio Rep. Adam Bird, R-New Richmond, co-sponsored Senate Bill 104, which has been dubbed the "Bathroom Bill." He told The Enquirer that UC's signs comply with the law, but said other schools may not need to use the specific "biological" language.
"They are doing the best that they can to comply with the letter of the law," Bird said. "That language is the actual law language. It is not necessary, but if a school needs to be that specific, then they should do what is best for their university."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: UC president calls 'biological' bathroom signs error amid protests
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