Gender Neutral Bathrooms

Gender Neutral Bathrooms

Introduction

In around approximately the years 150, the ladies’ bathroom was a private room full of perfectly furnished mirrors, perfume, mints, and often an attendant who was always fresh and had a fresh supply of flowers and mints, not forgetting perfumes. A lot of times, men suspected that ladies did not only go there to freshen up, but also to gather, primp, fix their make-up, cry, sneak away from a terrible dinner date, or adjust our poor wardrobe choices if the previous choices we made were not exactly satisfactory Arizona Daily Star (12). If a lady says she needs to go to the washroom, it simply means that she needs to be in a place where there is no commenting, watching or judgment from the male species, and women could be just women. The signature move of having a bathroom that is gender neutral especially I a business setting works a great deal in showing the customers just how important they are to that particular business.

Gender separation in bathrooms is one of the most common norms in the United States and anywhere else especially when the space is public. According to the Arizona daily Star (09), bathrooms in general are one of the few spaces especially when public, that are explicitly separated by the gender of a person. They are viewed as a symbol of exclusivity by transgender people and those who do not conform to any gender (Kavanaugh Bill, 12).

During the beginning of the year 1970, when the feminist period had just heightened, the ideal restroom for a female restaurant was brought under extreme fire. It was perceived that ladies of the same century were not capable of working an eight hour a day shift without necessarily fainting or shifting, or rather breaking down into tears or just taking a nap due to the regular tiring activities of the day Hanley (10). Subsequently, all the ladies during that period felt obligated to be nothing other than the idealistic perception of the lady-like female, who would often have a nervous breakdown during the day, while at work.

During the later years, from 1970’s onwards, there was quite a huge politicization of public bathrooms. There was always plenty of liquor, entertainment, hard drugs as well as dancing among other fun activities if the night Kavanaugh Papers to pee Bill (15). As the observation deepened, there was a realization that there were several types of gender at the bar. For instance; there were real women; these are all the women who have vaginas Hanley (11). The other women who were adorned with heavy make-up, big hair, real high heels and silky shiny dresses were either men, or a transgender who were attempting to have a transsexual succession into the opposite gender. A sudden thought then popped up in my mind, that if there exist such men who actually dress and feel and act like women, and are not afraid of being perceived as women, which restroom do they subscribe to? Male or female?

In 2013 in Arizona, the city of Phoenix passed a law that stated that there should be mo form of discrimination against transgender people especially in places of public accommodation such as housing, the place of work and even public restrooms, Arizona Daily Star (14). This subsequently led to the declaration by John Kavanaugh, the Arizona Representative, in his Paper to Pee Bill (17), to bring up the motion that individuals should use the rest rooms according to their physical sexual orientation and not what they think themselves to be. In short, anyone who has a vagina should use the ladies restroom, while anyone who has a penis should use the male restroom regardless of whether they were dressed like they represent a certain gender (Kavanaugh, 15).

A situation came up in Arizona where there was an elementary student who reported a situation where a boy pupil used a girls’ restroom to relieve himself Arizona Daily Star (13). The issue was that, this particular boy often identified himself as a girl and a very short while after this incident, the school now decides to alter its non-discriminatory policy (Arizona Daily Star 15).  A study by a task force of the lesbian and gay people indicated that approximately fifty three people who are transgender make reports of being harassed or facing disrespect especially in public restrooms or accommodation places (Arizona Daily Star, 20).

In Philadelphia city, there was also a law that was passed that obligated any new building or one which was being renovated had to include bathrooms that are unisex so as to cover and make room for everyone’s safety, gay as well as transgender people included Hanley (17).  Such bathrooms were supposed to be an addition to the traditional ladies and gents bathrooms. This was backed up by several activists of the LGBTQQIA society. This stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Androgynous, Allies.

Children start identifying themselves to be of the opposite gender as soon as they are at least five years old. According to the Arizona Daily Star (18), it has however been recognized that more women are afraid of coming out as compared to men due to the rate of discrimination against women who do not subscribe to the societal requirements of being a complete woman. Statistics even shows that more women than men are being discriminated and harassed at their places of work or worse even in public and even at places where they live and actually call home (Arizona Daily Star, 16).

Hanley (19), asserts that most men in the current society defend themselves by saying that women asked for the rape or assault and battery activities against them. In short, the men are claiming that it is impossible to control sexual assault because we women ask for it because of how we dress. Women are the weaker sex. It is upon women to take precaution so as not to be raped or assaulted. It is upon us not to walk alone at night, not to drive with our windows up, or open, not to walk in shoes we can’t run in, among among a million other precautions (Arizona Daily Star, 16).

Personal Opinion

In my opinion; parents as well as self educators play a very significant role in helping or at least giving the child guidance on the right path that will lead them to self-significance. To me, children begin to know, feel and identify their sexual orientation as early as they are five years old. Most children at this age will express that they feel comfortable being of the opposite sex than they currently are. For instance; a girl child will open up and tell you that she wish she was a boy and vice versa.

Any public rest room that is a one-seater should be a unisex bathroom. This would be a convenient solution to those people who are yet to subscribe to any gender. It would as well be of help in decongesting the women’s’ bathroom since there is always a long line waiting to use the bathroom. This would also be the perfect solution for people who have no option than to help in the survival of their critically sick relatives of the opposite sex.

When coming up with a new construction site, building codes for family storage should be put into consideration. This can be shown by the Phoenix Convention Center, which despite having many rooms, accommodates relatives of all the genders. For this reason, anyone who is a transgender, should be allowed to use whichever bathroom they please just as the way any person would oppose a gender neutral bathroom.

Conclusion

When it comes to safety, the existence of gender neutral bathrooms is not advisable. This includes those malls with malls that are more than one or two, therefore allowing anyone to use any bathroom regardless of whether they are male or female. Having a gender differentiated bathroom makes it safe for everyone, not just because women do not trust men, but also because, everyone must apply all the available safety measures as well as common sense, specifically those who are vulnerable. In such a situation, everyone is vulnerable as any person is capable of being assaulted or raped regardless of whether he is a man or a woman. There is no parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle that will let his or her little relative go to a neutral bathroom without adult supervision unless it is that particular relative that has planned to assault that little child.

There is a solution where the transgender people can choose which bathroom they are comfortable to use. This can be referred to as the capitalist or bureaucratic solution where each person is allowed to face their own embarrassment. There are several groups that are meant to campaign against discrimination against transgender people and those who do not conform to any gender especially when it comes to the use of bathrooms. Even though women’s bathrooms are usually clean and well maintained, there are usually at least one mishap either at the doors or at the toilets seats. There are very few girls’ bathrooms that are just perfect with no mal alignments.

Finally, the separation of genders when it comes to bathrooms prevents dangerous situations such as assault. This is because, if bathrooms are separated, both of them are sealed up using doors that are heavy, simply to create support and enhance privacy. Making males and females use the same washroom is just a shortcut to allowing assault to take place. Differentiation restores the sanctity of women as well as brings back their privacy.  Gender neutral bathrooms are not only for transgender people but also parents with children who have disabilities, children with different genders or even caregivers who are special in their own nature, or really anyone who just needs to relieve themselves.

Works Cited

Hannley P.P.  in Arizona Legislature, Congress, democracy, education, equality

Kavanaugh J. , LGBT, Sexism, War on Women and tagged gender neutral bathrooms,                              Sunnyside School District, transgender, transsexual, TUSD.

Kavanaugh, “Paper to Pee Bill”