As of this past December, NPHS officially has it’s very own gender neutral bathroom. The one-stall bathroom is located next to the women’s faculty bathroom on the second floor near Room 225 and is available for all students who don’t fit into the “normal” perception of male or female to use – just like the bathroom in the Nurse’s office. The new bathroom locks from the inside for privacy, but can be opened with a master key (which all teachers and staff possess). This facility is aimed at making sure that North Providence High School is a safe and accepting place for all of the students and faculty. 

Students who are not cisgender will especially benefit from this bathroom. Someone who is not cisgender (or just “cis”) is someone who does not mentally identify with the gender assigned to them at birth based on their physical body. A person who is genderqueer (or trans) could be someone who: doesn’t identify as male or female (agender), someone who is both a girl and a boy (bigender), or someone who switches between being a girl and a boy (genderfluid). It’s these students who will feel more welcomed and accepted within the Cougar community thanks to the new gender-neutral restroom.

The signage for the bathroom has been installed and the bathroom is available for student use.