What is your opinion on gender-neutral washrooms?

Question

I am wondering what everyone's opinion is on putting gender-neutral washrooms in public washrooms. (for the benefit of transgender people, as well as others, such as those with small children) For more information on the issue, read this article: http://maroon.uchicago.edu/news/articles/2004/10/12/university_furnishes.php

What do you all think of this? What would an ideal public washroom be like? Also, do you have any personal experience with this issue?

Try and keep your comments coherent, as you may be quoted in an article I'm writing for my school newspaper. Of course, you will be completely anonymous if you wish to remain so. (All that will appear is your answers username, and you can opt out of that, too, if you want to be totally anonymous)

Thank you in advance.

That's public *spaces* not public washrooms...

Answer 1

I feel like unisex restrooms are a great idea that needs to be more readily embraced. As a female to male transgendered person myself, I've had many situations come up early in my transition where I've been told I was in the wrong restroom. Granted it's not so bad when you're a female who looks male and still having to be told (for forced) into going into a women's restroom, because generally women tend to back down once corrected or confronted.
However, I imagine it would be a little more difficult for a male who's presenting as female to have to be forced to continue to use a men's restroom. (A girl can go into a women's restroom wearing a suit or men's clothing and it's more accepted than a man going into a men's room in a dress) Men tend to take offense, like it's somehow theatening THEIR masculinity (something I've never understood and probably never will).
Unisex bathrooms allow transgendered people the opportunity to express their right to use the restroom appropriate for them. It allows them to live as who they are, without people wondering or questioning their gender.
It allows parents to take small children in with them and not offend anyone. This won't offend people in the restroom and parents can put their minds at ease about letting their son or daughter go in alone.
It's also great for people who need privacy for medical reasons. For example, people with colostomy bags, or people who use incontience products like diapers or pads.
I've brought this issue up here before myself, (on this forum), and a lot of people said that since transsexuals/transgendered people only make up such a small percentage of the popuation that the demand isn't high enough to restructure all the public bathroom facilities. Now I'm not saying that EVERY bathroom be unisex, but I AM saying that in say, an office building of 8 floors, that there should be at least ONE unisex bathroom. There may be only a small percentage of transsexuals, but when you add in parents with small children and people with disabilities into the mix, the need for such facilities becomes much higher.

Answer 2

I think they're fantastic. Really, they would help solve so many problems that we have- not all related to transgender individuals- and it's just a sensible idea, to me. Like you pointed out, it also helps with small children (does anybody else find it ridiculous that if you're a father alone with a young daughter, you usually have ask a complete strange woman to accompany her to the bathroom?). And yes, it helps trans individuals to not have to explain themselves or be in fear every time they simply need to pee. But I think it's sad that any time anybody says they're for gender-neutral washrooms, it instantly becomes a debate about transsexuality or transgenderism and if it's right or wrong or whatever.

Frankly, everything I feel can be summed up by this video:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=yFDaYIsOWQk

Good luck with the article!

Answer 3

I completely agree. There is privacy behind stalls, and overall it makes it much more comfortable for Trans-gender persons. They are not singled out, as some states have laws against them going into a public restroom for the gender that they may actually be living as. That must be truly uncomfortable, and I do not think that it is fair for all involved. In public restrooms as well, I know many parents are uncomfortable bringing an older child into a public restroom as well, but they cannot be expected to leave a child unattended in this day and age.

Answer 4

Been seeing more "family-friendly" gender-neutral restrooms (wheelchair-accessible, with baby-changing stations)---love it!

Think about it: if a person's in a wheelchair & needs toileting assistance from an aide of the opposite gender (a spouse, a professional caregiver, etc.)---just WHERE the heck are they supposed to go, without making some folks uneasy?

And while I'm not too body-conscious (you lose that fast, when you're a nurse), never really HAVE cared for having 5-6 year old boys giggling in the women's restroom, while Mom was taking care of Sissy's needs.

Answer 5

I am 100% in support of facilities providing bathrooms that are not concerned with what is between one's legs. I have had very humiliating experiences because of sexed or gendered signs and people expectations of those signs and the people using the facilities. As far back as 6 years old I can recall getting escorted out of the "wrong" bathrooms because people had expectations of how I was supposed to look. Because of this, I was forced to get my ears pierced when I was against it, to differentiate me in a gendered way which was also against my choosing. The piercing was painful, they messed up the first time and had to repierce and I'm sensitive to metals and often have allergic reactions. I developed a fear of needles as well as public bathrooms very quickly to the detriment of my kidneys because I would often wait to use the bathroom as long as possible.

These days, I just use whatever bathroom is most available and that I perceive will be the safest. (Some days people mistake me for a guy, some days people mistake me for a girl)

This isn't just a matter of the safety of people who identify as trans, while that is equally important, this is also the safety of people who doctors labeled intersex and that society refuses to acknowledge as sexes beyond male and female. It is also about the safety of people who do not necessarily identify themselves as trans or intersex, but as genderqueer.

Many gender neutral bathrooms are single stall "family" bathrooms for people with children and people who utilize wheelchairs. This is another reason that I am in support of these facilities in all public buildings. I was a caretaker for 2 years and I worked with a person who utilized a wheelchair. At times there were not bathroom facilities which cause akward situations because if a cathedar bag is full and needs to be emptied, it can be dangerous if one's system starts backing up. Some caretakers have resorted to parkinglots and this can likely be a humiliating experience for people who utilize wheelchairs. Also, sometimes the catheder lines can become blocked or kinked and that requires a private space to resolve the blockage or kink in the line, again, it can be deadly in some circumstances if the line remains blocked. Some caretakers must then resort to partially disrobing the lower half of people who utilize wheelchairs in order to fix the line.

Public places without accessible single stall restrooms do not take into account that a person who utilizes a wheelchair might have a caregiver of a different sex or other gender orientation than themselves and they still might want or need assistance in restroom facilities.

Still other people have phobias of bublic restrooms for various reasons and cannot use multi-stall restrooms. These are serious matters that can injur the kidneys and several other organins in the body when a person does not flush their system when needed.

This is why I am 100% in support of accessible, private, gn toilet facilities. Not only that, but It is crucial for people to know where to find these facilities. If a public place hosts an accessible GN restroom, I recommend that they put up a notice so others will know to look for these restrooms when they need to use one.

PS please include the following citation if you publish any part of what I wrote:
*All or part of this was previously printed in Rogue Community College's 'The Byline.' (Oregon, USA)
Amiko-Gabriel Stocking (2007)
Director of Gender Schmender
http://groups.myspace.com/genderschmender
Co-Director of Intersexes Are Human
http://groups.myspace.com/intersexes

I give you permission to edit my work for spelling and grammar.

Answer 6

Actually, I think this is an obviously good choice except for one thing. Women take too damn long! There is always a line for the woman's room- but us boys just pee, and (sometimes) wash our hands, and leave. Women seem to be in there forever. If we were all waiting for the same washrooms, I could see getting very irritable.

Answer 7

What would an ideal public washroom be like?
-One where people actually wash their hands when they are done; seriously, I swear I'm in the minority when it comes to basic restroom hygiene. I've seen people leave w/o washing up or even flushing. I really don't care who's in the other stall next to me, just as long as they flush and wash when they're done in there.

Answer 8

I'm a fairly androgynous genderqueer and over the years, I've developed a mild phobia of public restrooms. It's to the point I've likely caused damage to my bladder because I'll wait anywhere from 1/2 to 12 hours to get home to use the restroom. Also, not having them is like saying I'm not welcome at that place. They don't even offer me a safe place to pee.

Answer 9

Why, if a guy dresses as a girl, we accept that. So if he has had a sex change and goes to use a ladies washroom, he should be allowed. Similarly for any girl who has had a sex change.

Answer 10

I would not be worried about using the same washrooms as women.