Swinburne has become the first university in the Victorian capital to install a gender neutral bathroom for trans and genderqueer students, following a growing trend to raise awareness around transgender issues at universities.

An existing bathroom was modified by the university about three weeks ago and while it can be used by any student on campus, it is particularly intended as a safe place for trans students.

The push for the new initiative was led by Swinburne Student Union queer representative, Lee Taube.

Lee, a genderqueer individual who identifies as neither male nor female, has been lobbying for the new facility for the past 18 months.

Swinburne Queer Department secretary Jordan Janssen said the university had been supportive of the project, as had the student body.

"There was some initial backlash, but people have begun to see how important this is for trans and genderqueer students," he said.

"There have been no official complaints about it."

He said he believed Swinburne was the first Victorian university to implement the design.

Gender neutral bathrooms first surfaced in the US, following complaints from college students. The University of North Texas opened several specially designated bathrooms in college dormitories and public areas earlier this month.

Sydney’s University of Technology and University of NSW have implemented similar designs, along with education and awareness programs.

UNSW Student Representative Council’s queer officer Dylan Lloyd said it was as much about educating students as it was providing a safe place for transgender students.

“A lot of it is raising awareness – there’s a lot of people who do not realise that there are transgender people at the university,” he said.

He said the university had designated several toilets as gender neutral following the successful “We all Need to Pee” campaign that raised awareness of transgender students and issues.

“There had been some issues, there was a case of a trans woman who was yelled at and really bullied by a security guard because of the toilet she tried to go into.

“So it shows it’s not just about getting these bathrooms, it’s about talking to people, educating and having a conversation.”

Swinburne does not keep official figures on the number of trans or genderqueer students but the SRC believe “quite a few” students would benefit from having a designated space.

While the university had been planning the toilet for close to a year, its unveiling followed the airing of an episode of American cartoon South Park that featured a gender-neutral bathroom being opened at the eponymous town's primary school.

Mr Janssen while he was aware of the coincidental timing of the South Park episode focusing on the issue, it had not affected the development of the facility.

However, he said the mainstream airing of gender issues showed society was gradually getting better at providing for trans and genderqueer people.

"There's still a way to go, but I think people are becoming more aware of it," he said.

"I know a lot of universities now have queer or LGBT departments."

The episode, called The Cissy, brought gender issues to the forefront of the popular cartoon, including introducing its audience to the term "cisgender" - a word for men and women who identify as their birth sex.