2 in 20 Floor

The 2 in 20 floor is a Special Interest Residential Program (SIRP) floor for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students and their friends and allies. It is currently located in Mary Lyon in the Northeast residential area, but will be moving across the quad to Leach in Northeast in the Fall of 2008, as Mary Lyon is becoming an all-freshman dorm.

According to the UMass Housing web site, "[r]esidents are committed to working together to end homophobia and heterosexism. Through an annual open house, the 2 in 20 showcase, the program provides an opportunity for everyone on campus to learn about the LGBT and Ally community. Residents actively participate in organizing programs and activities such as potluck dinners, movie nights, coffeehouses and educational workshops. Additional support is available for the 2 in 20 program residents at the Stonewall Center."

The name "2 in 20" comes from the statistic that one in ten people is gay, lesbian, trans, bi, queer, gender neutral or some alternative to the sexual and/or gender norm. The reason it is "2 in 20" is to represent that students, for the most part, live in pairs. Also, the use of the number one in the statistic comes across as isolating.

[edit] For prospective residents and parents

There are probably two main reasons that you are reading this:

1. You are thinking about moving onto this floor
2. You found out your kid is living on the floor and you want to check it out

If the latter is the case, DON’T PANIC (in the wise words of Douglass Adams). It’s a very diverse and accepting floor, and if you want to be accepted for who you are and the lifestyle choices you have made, then this is a good floor to live on. It’s a really good, safe place to be -- much better than other residential areas, in the minds of some residents.

If you are thinking about moving to this floor, hello there! This is a very diverse floor. There are people of all ethnicities on the floor, and we even have some *gasp* straight people on the floor! This means that you have to be ready to accept some people that you have not been exposed to before. You may have never seen a transgender person before, and there are some people on the floor whose gender is not easily determined just by looking.

We really do have a lot of fun on this floor and it’s mostly quiet during the week. This is one of the most open and friendly floors I have come across. It’s a good place to live if you are friendly and accepting of all people.