Starting this week, the Radboud Sports Centre has a dressing room that anyone can use, regardless of sex, gender, or identity. This ‘inclusive dressing room’ is a pilot.

‘Everyone should be able to feel welcome and safe in our building’, according to Joris Hermans, head of Sports. That is why the Radboud Sports Centre (RSC) now has a dressing room available to anyone, regardless of sex, gender, or identity.

The new inclusive dressing room has been in use since this past Monday. The room is part of a pilot programme. The RSC, along with Julie Hornix of Campus Development, will be observing how people feel about the room in the coming weeks.

‘A lot of sports organisations are struggling with these issues. When do you get it right?’

The dressing room, number twelve, can be found on the first floor. A conscious decision, says Hornix. ‘According to our data, that dressing room sees less use than the others, but it is still easily accessible.’ There are also separate cabins within the room for those who prefer a little more privacy. The new dressing room also has its own signage: rather than an image of a man or a woman, the door has a picture of a clothes hanger.

Survey

The idea for an inclusive dressing room came from Jill (23) and several fellow students. Jill is trans, but not everyone knows that yet, they told Vox. Before this, Jill used the men’s dressing room, as most people would not easily regard them as a woman. However, the men’s dressing room made Jill feel awkward and uncomfortable.

Students put up surveys in the RSC in April of this year, which asked whether there was a need for an inclusive space to shower and change. The responses were generally positive.

At the time, Hermans indicated that, while he was interested in the results of the survey, adapting dressing rooms was not yet on the agenda. ‘However, when Julie Hornix came to us (as requested by Jill, eds.) with the idea for a pilot, we cooperated immediately’, as told by Hermans. ‘Here at the RSC, we want to contribute to an inclusive society. It’s just a question of how to go about it. A lot of sports organisations are struggling with these issues. When do you get it right?’

However, it has become clear that not everyone is ecstatic about the new dressing room, as the room’s sign was removed and scratched. According to Hermans, the employees of the RSC will be keeping an extra eye out.

Translated by Jasper Pesch