Dear SI Community,

As we prepare to gather together again this summer, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the stress and pain that many of our community is feeling with the current political climate. Ohio has enacted anti-trans legislation (SB 104) that impacts and harms our community, specifically as it relates to bathroom usage. IIt requires public and private schools, colleges, and universities in Ohio to designate separate multi-occupancy bathrooms, locker rooms, changing rooms, and shower rooms to be gender-segregated, based on sex assigned at birth and exclusively labeled male or female. It also prohibits the construction or maintenance of multi-occupancy facilities designated as “nongendered, multi-gendered, or open to all genders.” Single-occupancy facilities and family bathrooms are not affected.

Oberlin dorms are equipped with shared bathrooms in each dorm wing. Multi-stall bathrooms will be designated “Women” or “Men” in accordance with Ohio law, and single-user bathrooms with showers in the dorms and single-user toilets are available throughout the campus (designated “All Gender”). You can find them on this map. Note: We are prohibited from changing multi-stall bathrooms to “All Gender”.

Anti-trans laws affect not only trans and non-binary folks, but also cis-gender people or anyone that is perceived to not be gender conforming. Folks that are not comfortable with attending Summer Institute in person or staying on campus have the option to attend online or stay off-campus and commute.

SI leadership is committed to protecting people’s data and have modified our registration processes accordingly.

If you have a specific need, please reach out directly to registration at registar@cersiuu.org.

Our values call us to center love in community and we, and the staff at Oberlin College, are doing everything we can to support our entire community.

In Beloved Community,
Summer Institute Planning Council