USC Introduces Controversial Trial Policy Temporarily Restricting Men in Campus Gym to Enhance Safety for Women and Non-Binary Students

The University of Southern California has introduced a controversial trial policy at its campus gym, temporarily barring men from a specific area of the Lyon Center's Robinson Room. The measure, set to run from April 6 to May 15, restricts male students to Mondays and Wednesdays between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., according to the Daily Trojan. The initiative was spearheaded by the Student Assembly for Gender Empowerment (SAGE), a queer- and trans-inclusive organization that describes itself as focused on addressing "emerging gender-related concerns." The policy aims to create a safer, more comfortable environment for female and non-binary students, who have reported feeling harassed or uneasy in shared gym spaces.

SAGE's advocacy liaison, sophomore Jana Alnajjar, explained the move was driven by repeated complaints from students about being approached or stared at by male peers. "Over time, that discomfort leads them to stop trying to go to the gym altogether," she told the campus newspaper. Mengze Wu, a senior neuroscience major, echoed these sentiments, noting that enclosed, male-dominated spaces often left her feeling anxious. "I try to work out near other women to feel more at ease," she said. The trial period, which reserves the Robinson Room's partial floor for women and non-binary students, was months in the making, requiring negotiations with university officials.

The policy faced hurdles, however, due to federal restrictions on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Alnajjar admitted early proposals were met with skepticism, even prompting doubts about the project's viability. Despite these challenges, the university ultimately approved the trial, though the restricted space will not occupy the entire gym floor. Alnajjar hopes the initiative attracts 20 to 40 users, providing SAGE with data to push for expanded hours or larger areas in the future.

USC's broader stance on gender and inclusion has drawn national attention. In October 2025, the university joined a group of nine colleges that received President Donald Trump's "Compact for Academic Excellence," a proposal offering preferential funding to institutions that comply with specific administrative requests. These included banning race- or gender-based admissions, limiting international student enrollment, and enforcing zero tolerance for viewpoint discrimination against conservatives. However, USC and most other recipients declined to sign the agreement, with USC's interim president, Beong-Soo Kim, warning that tying research benefits to the compact could "undermine the same values of free inquiry and academic excellence" it claimed to support.

While no universities have been directly penalized for rejecting the compact, some faced federal funding freezes for unrelated reasons. Brown University, for instance, restored $510 million in frozen funds after negotiating with the government, while the University of Pennsylvania regained $175 million in grants by agreeing to restrict transgender females from women's sports. USC's decision to reject the compact aligns with its commitment to maintaining inclusive policies, even as it navigates the complex interplay between campus initiatives and federal pressures.

The gym policy, though temporary, highlights the ongoing tensions between student advocacy and institutional governance. For now, the Robinson Room's restricted hours serve as a test case for whether such measures can foster safer spaces without sparking broader controversy. As Alnajjar and SAGE await the trial's outcome, the university remains under scrutiny for balancing its progressive ideals with the political landscape shaped by Trump's administration.