Gendered bathrooms needed no more

[Guest Lauren31]

I am quite tired of gendered bathrooms. Everyone pees, everyone is human, everyone is suppose to be equal....so why why why. I mean I know that society has groomed everyone this way, but I think it is time for a change. For me I feel so awkward when I go in the male washroom, yet I know I will get slapped if I go in the female one. Moreover, I am considered intersex or gender ambiguous by some docs because my penis is so small due to a hormone disorder that I cannot use urinals without it being messy. So you can imagine when I go to a male washroom with six urinals and one stall with the stall toilet plugged.

Anyway, thanks for the vent. Any suggestions to start bring this word out in little ol winnipeg canada? Is there anything in the works now for this topic?

Thank you for listening

[VickySGV]

I went to a TG conference at a local State College here a couple of months ago where the college had told the conference orgainizers it was OK to tape a signs on the restroom doors saying "All Gender Rest Rooms" which is becoming quite common for those events out here. Conference attendees all had name badges on, so we could tell one another, but the school had a large number of other folks on it too, who of course had no name badges on. Some of them took it not only in good stride, but took advantage of it on their own. The school liaison who was one of us, who simply presents as a cuter than all get out redhead got absolutely no kick backs from it.

At TG events I have been to in the past few years this has been the practice, and cis folk at those events have no trouble with it at all although they do figure out which one was originally designated for their gender. The only TG events where the genderless wash room rule is not used are in a couple of conventions where you never the less use the bathroom of the gender you are presenting.

I feel for you though!! I was pretty messy in the stand ups after a few months on E.

[Guest Sarah Faith]

I understand what you are saying but I really am not sure how I would feel about sharing a bathroom with men at this point if gendered bathrooms were eliminated completely. I just recently got over my shy bladder issues and the ability to start using public restrooms I fear that something like this would definitely be a huge setback for me. I'm just not sure how many people in society would be willing to allow such a major shift to happen. The average woman who is not attending a TG conference is likely not to be comfortable going into a neutral bathroom with guys, its a confined space where one is in a position of vulnerability with rape still being a very real reality in our society.

[Guest Nicodeme]

Lack of gender neutral lavs gave me a bladder of steel...and many painful infections. :s

I'm not completely sure if all bathrooms should be gender neutral (I feel a little uncomfortable peeing with guys myself even though I'm mostly one), but I really wish it was standard to have at least one wedged between the mens and womens rooms or something. The necessity for them goes beyond just trans folks, but people's refusal to make them a standard thing has an awful lot to do with the fact that we benefit from it. :/

[Guest Lauren31]

I totally see what you are saying sarah about being shy. I cannot pee at all with others in the bathroom.....I usually hld it til they are gone (and this is in a stall). Maybe the issue is that they should be not multi stall bathrooms...or the have the stalls right to the ground and covered.

The rape thing is brought up a lot when I speak of this....it is scary how real it is! But I think those who want to do that will find a way in gendered ones too. In our city we had just that happen. It is just sick. Definitely if I start a drive on this I would want it to be safe...and if not then it is a no go....I would never want to introduce danger. Thanks for psot

[Michelle 2010]

Seems to me that all one person bathrooms should be gender neutral. Often labeled "family" here in grocery stores and the like. Small restaurants often have singles and should pose no problem as well... I'm seeing both male and female symbols side by side for singles nowadays which is nice.

Michelle

[Guest sydney]

My wife and I just came back for the Transgender Health Conference in Philly where all the restrooms on that part of the convention center had women/men on top, but the regular signs all had gender neutral bathroom for both. There were some cis-gender attendees (all either providing services and/or allies.) Obviously there was no issues with the restrooms, but I did notice that those of us that identified and dressed female still used the women's (also there were more stalls in the women's bathroom) and the male identified used the mens even though either one could use the other.

[gennee]

I see your point, Lauren. I see more gender neutral bathrooms these days. Just this year I felt more comfortable using the ladies restrooms. I haven't had any problems. Even exchanged greetings while washing my hands.