In the workplace do transgenders have the right to go to the designated restroom of their choosing?

Question

I have a friend who works with a man (born male) who is transgender. She really had no problem with this coworker until she was in the ladies restroom and ran into him/her. She felt that she should be able to go the "ladies" restroom without someone who is biologically a male in there. Who/what determines when a transgender is officially the other sex and able to go into what restroom? What do you think?

Answer 1

A male is a male. That's the end of the argument. Men go to the men's restroom, and women to the women's.

Answer 2

I think that if they seriously see themselves as a female and they have gone thru treatment or had the actual surgery, they should go to the bathroom with the other ladies. After all it's not like she is going to be in there checking other females out. I don't think they should be forced to go to the other restroom when they will be clearly out of place. It would be a different story if they were just homosexual, but that is not the case. If she had not disclosed that she was born a male then nobody would probably know and the fact that someone is making a big deal out of the restroom issue probably makes her feel uncomfortable. Transgender people really believe that they were born the wrong sex and they live a life like you wouldn't imagine, there needs to be more people that will understand them and not segregate them.

Answer 3

What was the problem? Was the transgendered co-worker checking her out? Was she acting inappropriately? Or was your co-worker just uncomfortable? If that was all it was, I have very little sympathy.

Transgender people have the same need to use the facilities as everyone else. Men's restrooms can be terribly uncomfortable for transwomen because they're not meant for the gender they identify as. They can also be dangerous places where they can be ridiculed, attacked, or even killed by men in there who feel they have something to prove.

Some places (universities mostly) have tried to solve the problem by added genderless restrooms where one person of either gender can use them, whether they're trans or not. But then those places get crap from people over that!

So what are trans people supposed to do? Hold it in until they explode because people like your friend can't deal with someone a little different being in the same room? Should we go behind the bushes where we can be arrested for indecent exposure? Why can't we get over this thing we have with bathrooms?

Answer 4

I believe that in the trans-gender community they say SHE is a woman when she starts to live as one, i.e. use a woman's name, dress as a woman, and otherwise act as a woman. And so, even if SHE is anatomically still a man, she is a woman.

Personally, I think the bathroom hang-ups are somewhat foolish, especially in women's restrooms where everyone is in cubicles. So, does it really matter if SHE uses the women's bathroom?

I do understand for your friend's concern, what is there to stop a man who is sexually excited by being in a women's bathroom from dressing as a woman as a means to get sexual stimulation. But, if the co-worker is a legitimate transexual, I say let them be.

Answer 5

A man goes to the men rest room also women goes to a women . I would be speaking to my boss about that!!