Occupied! East High Debuts an All-Gender Bathroom

A day before the U.S. House of Representatives passed an anti-trans measure that would bar any student from participating on school sports teams not consistent with their assigned gender at birth, Denver's East High School took a step to support students of all genders: It introduced an all-gender group bathroom.

"It's about time, frankly," says a recent East grad who transitioned while a student there and skipped drinking water during the day in order to avoid the intimidation of the restrooms. "I'm glad that the school is taking steps to address this sort of thing for their students. Good for the students that brought it up, and good for the school for listening and taking it seriously."

Last year, a group of East students told the school's administration that there was a need for absolutely inclusive restroom options. "East leadership responded right away," says Scott Pribble, director of external communications for Denver Public Schools. "One of the first questions they faced was how to do this without a major overhaul of the existing facilities."

It wasn't just a question of finances. "They had to take into account fire suppression systems, smoke alarms, fire alarms, all that sort of stuff," Pribble explains. "And going into the walls of an older building like East, there's the potential for other issues to pop up."

Ultimately, East decided to convert the women's room on the second floor into an all-gender restroom. In an email to East parents on January 14, Vice Principal Jackie Coppola said the plan was made after a thorough review of each restroom in the building, done in collaboration with the DPS Facilities Management team. That restroom was selected based on its "structural makeup," specifically because the men's restroom on that floor had a wall and a set of urinals that would have had to be removed and replaced. 

"Please know that this choice was made for practical reasons only," Coppola's email stated. "The restroom is open to all genders. In the case that we receive additional funding, we will consider taking steps to convert a men's restroom into an all-gender restroom as well."
Coppola addressed safety concerns in the email, too, assuring students and their parents that the security rounds already scheduled at East would continue, and that the re-identified restroom would be monitored.

The email ended by noting that students would still be able to use gender-specific restrooms on other floors, or the single-stall all-gender restroom in the back hallway of the second floor that students considered insufficient for demand.

According to Pribble, the project wasn't just inspired by LGBTQ+ concerns. "While that was a consideration," he says, "it wasn't the only consideration. There are other students who just feel more comfortable in an all-gender restroom, and we all wanted to move quickly to address that."

In order to protect privacy, the converted restroom includes enhanced stall dividers. "The ceilings on the second floor are ten foot or so," Pribble says. "And I can tell you, while standing in front of the stall door, I couldn't touch the top of the partition."

While Pribble stresses that the move for the restroom reorientation was completely student-led, he says that parents were informed as soon as the change was being made. And to avoid any confusion, after the new restroom opened, "staff were outside during passing period and lunch to make sure that everyone understood what was happening," he notes.

The restroom switch is one of several similar projects happening in DPS schools. "We've got two projects right now that take the idea a step further — sort of a room inside a room idea," says Pribble. "One is on the new south campus of Denver School of the Arts in the renovated space that used to be part of Johnson & Wales University; the other is at CEC Early College." These retrofits were part of remodeling projects already in the works and did not involve major costs. The DPS facilities management team covered the work at East.

According to Pribble, some funds from the school bond passed in 2024 have been earmarked to introduce similar facilities in other places. "If we're able to do elsewhere what we've accomplished at East, we might be able to provide the same thing for up to fourteen other schools," he says. "It's something that we're doing in response to what we're hearing from our community and, most importantly, from our students and what they need and want."

The move at East came right before President Donald Trump issued an executive order noting that "it is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female. These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality."

While Pribble says that it's DPS policy not to comment on any of the executive orders, Ashley Schoenbauer, communications and marketing manager for the Center on Colfax, which serves Colorado's LGBTQ community, did offer a statement when asked about the East bathroom and Trump's order:

"The Center on Colfax was not involved in establishing the all-gender restroom at East High School," she says. "To our understanding, this was a student-led initiative, and we commend the school for supporting student voices. It’s important to note that single-gender restrooms remain available, and the all-gender restroom is an additional option to ensure all students feel safe, respected and valued. Despite the recently signed executive order by President Trump, there are currently no federal restrictions prohibiting all-gender restrooms. These spaces foster belonging and inclusivity while providing a supportive environment where students can focus on their education rather than being drawn into political debates."