Date: October 10, 2025
One of the stranger flashpoints in the so-called “culture wars” is, of all things, bathrooms. It’s remarkable how something so ordinary can become so charged. For those who identify as transgender, life is made simpler when restrooms are designed for everyone—private stalls, open to all regardless of gender.
Here at the Seminary, we have done well. Inclusive restrooms are already available in Addison, the Library, Aspinwall Hall, Bohlen, and Descendants Hall. The one tricky area has been Scott Lounge, where the existing facilities didn’t easily lend themselves to conversion. But because we are committed to being a community where everyone is genuinely welcome, we have now added an All-Gender Bathroom there, complete with new signage and an occupancy lock.
Identifying as transgender in America today can be difficult, even risky. At Virginia Theological Seminary, we want to be unambiguous: you are welcome here. We will continue to do everything we can to ensure that our campus remains a place of hospitality, dignity, and belonging for all.
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D.
Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary and the President of The General Theological Seminary.