聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 It鈥檚 an ongoing discussion鈥� transgender washrooms, yay or nay?
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Personally, I鈥檓 not sure if designating a washroom as transgender is necessarily the correct path of action. Everyone deserves to be respected and to feel comfortable with themselves; but, I feel as though transgender washrooms have potential to make matters worse.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 If someone is intolerant, then it is unacceptable to use the same washroom as someone who is transgender or MOGAI - a new lexicon I鈥檝e seen around standing for Marginalized Orientations, Gender Alignments, and Intersex. Apparently, people are worried that sexual assaults will take place and people who are not transgender will capitalize on the ability to go into the other gender鈥檚 washroom.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Wherever there are specific transgender washrooms being installed, society seems to think it鈥檚 a great idea. But, is it really? By creating a transgender washroom you鈥檙e specifically labeling those who use it as different and humans don鈥檛 have a good track record with people that don鈥檛 fit into a societal 鈥渘orm鈥� or who are different. Humans really don鈥檛 do well when we segregate people for being different. Our history, our past as Homo sapiens attests to that multiple times over whether for visible differences, religious differences, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Why not just make all washrooms unisex? Line them up with solid walls between and doors that fully close; just make each stall into its own little room. Yes, a little more costly, but then we鈥檙e not designating any one area for 鈥渄ifferent鈥� people. Make unisex washrooms the norm and then we won鈥檛 have any problems. People who are MOGAI won鈥檛 feel like they鈥檙e being singled out and those that are uncomfortable to be in the presence of someone who is transgender in a washroom won鈥檛 have to be. Problem solved.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Besides what鈥檚 actually stopping someone from one gender using another gender鈥檚 washroom? I鈥檝e accidently walked into the wrong washroom. In most stores female restrooms are on the right, so I鈥檝e had to pee and not really looking have just walked in, but the urinals told me I had taken the wrong turn at the entrance.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Other times I鈥檝e seen giant lineups for women鈥檚 washrooms at various events and having to pee so badly, to the point of if I don鈥檛 go now I鈥檓 going right where I stand, that I鈥檝e chosen to zip into the men鈥檚 washroom with no line for the stalls instead of possibly not making it to the ladies鈥� room in time. If the situation were reversed would it really be a big deal for a guy to run into the ladies room? There are doors on every stall, so it鈥檚 not like you or your kid is going to see something you don鈥檛 want to. We鈥檝e just been told as a culture that it鈥檚 taboo.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 As far as indecent exposure goes or sexual assaults, which apparently people are extremely concerned about; if someone is going to do it, they鈥檙e going to do it. Do you really think a tiny sign that says male or female is going to deter them?
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Someone with nefarious intentions can just as easily assault someone in a washroom whether under the guise of being transgender or not. Before we even really understood transgender there had been assaults in bathrooms. What鈥檚 really stopping someone from using the opposite sex鈥檚 washroom anyways? It鈥檚 not like there鈥檚 some biometric identification that scans you before you go in. It鈥檚 a sign鈥� one has a little triangle and one doesn鈥檛, although maybe the little triangle is a kilt and not a skirt?
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 I travelled through Australia with a friend for awhile a few years ago and we stayed in hostels. We stayed in ones designated female only and other times we stayed in mixed rooms. It basically depended what the best rate was and how long we were staying there.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In fact the first hostel we ever stayed at in Australia upon arrival was a mixed room and I felt perfectly safe, other than the cockroaches that were kind of roaming around. Thankfully someone trapped it under a glass. I was way more afraid of the creepy crawlies in Australia than I was of staying in a mixed dorm style hostel room, which when you think about it is worse than a unisex bathroom or just allowing transgender people to use the washroom they identify with. Someone with bad thoughts and intentions would have a much easier target in a hostel, you鈥檇 be sleeping, but again I never felt threatened or nervous staying in these places.
