BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Last month, a transgender student at Southern Utah University was turned away from the all-male dorm residence hall where he wanted to live. Born a female, Kourt Osbourn identifies himself as a male and has had hormone treatments, but not a surgical procedure to complete the transition. So, according to the university, Osborn doesn’t qualify to live in the men’s dorm. He is, however, welcome to remain in the all-female dorm where he had previously lived.

As a result of the university’s decision, Osborn has gone public with his case and filed a grievance. His current plans are to live off-campus, but his preference would be to live in an all-male dorm. The university has responded that the use of communal bathrooms in dorms could potentially make other students — or the parents of other students — uncomfortable living alongside Osborn.

Advocacy groups for transgender individuals have spoken up about the situation. For example, the campus director of the Gender Public Advocacy Coalition, Brittney Hoffman, is planning to formally object to the university’s policy.

It seems the easiest solution to this problem would be for more universities to provide gender-neutral housing, which seems to be the top request of transgender students. We encourage all universities, especially public, to consider building new dorms or reassigning floors to create gender-neutral housing options whenever they would normally schedule building new dorms or reassigning floors.