OSU campus norovirus

Oregon State's campus in Corvallis.

(Andrew Theen/The Oregonian)

There's a new button showing up on shirts and backpacks at Oregon State University with a hashtag and a simple phrase: "I'll Go With You."

The button serves as a badge of support for transgender students and a call to make gender-specific bathrooms a more comfortable place for transgender and gender-nonconforming people.

P.J. Harris, student success peer facilitator at OSU's Pride Center, estimated that about 100 students have received buttons so far. Harris added there've been more buttons on campus lately. Harris said the button works as a buddy system and a tangible sign of support for students who may feel vulnerable in gender-specific places on campus.

"They see that [button] and know that someone out there is visibly saying, 'I stand with you, I support you,'" Harris said.

The national I'll Go With You movement started more than a year ago and has distributed over 100,000 buttons so far.

Here's how it works: Transgender or gender-nonconforming students approach the button-wearing ally and ask them to go with them -- either to a gender-specific bathroom, classroom where the student feels uncomfortable or other "highly gendered place" on campus.

Oregon State University is participating in the national I'll Go With You campaign, which creates campus allies for transgender students.

OSU started circulating buttons before North Carolina's controversial bill to ban transgender people from using their desired bathrooms. The campaign has grown in visibility since then, Harris said.

Harris said all-gender bathrooms and other open places are often difficult to find in Corvallis. "I also wouldn't say it embraces the transgender community as well as it could," Harris said, although they said it's getting better.

Last month, the national rating service Collegechoice.net named the University of Oregon one of the top 50 campuses in the country for lesbian, gay, transgender and queer students.

When asked how many students identify as transgender or gender non-conforming at OSU, Harris said that's not clear.

Harris is not aware of any other Oregon colleges participating in the "I'll Go With You" campaign.



-- Andrew Theen

atheen@oregonian.com

503-294-4026

@andrewtheen