gender-neutral restrooms

[GormanGhaste]

An article from this week's Houston Press discusses new gender-neutral restrooms in a local commuter university.

This is welcome news for both the transgender and the gender-neutral communities. Not sure if any other University of Houston campuses have them yet.

[Rawr]

Good for them, college is hard enough without fear of going to the bathroom.

[Sukurachi]

Well, there ya go! It's the first sign of the apocalypse.
Tomorrow they'll pass laws that make Christianity illegal. (sarcasm, obviously)

[Lupis]

Heyyy, that's good news! A nice step forward. I'm sure there are people going "WHY IS THIS NECESSARY UGH LIBERAL TAKEOVER" but who cares about them, I'm glad to see this change!

[cowmuflage]

Question is would anyone be able to use them even if they are not transgender or gender-neutral? That would be good. Then again you can;t really say "no you can't use this" in this situation I guess.

[GormanGhaste]

Question is would anyone be able to use them even if they are not transgender or gender-neutral?

Yes.

[cowmuflage]

Question is would anyone be able to use them even if they are not transgender or gender-neutral?

Yes.

Good so it wont be like the internet then!

If you don't understand that I was talking about the people who say you can't use this site if you are not *insert what ever here* etc

[GormanGhaste]

It will also be helpful for cases where you have parent/child or disabled/attendant that are different genders.

[Sukurachi]

Other than urinals (which I personally detest), it's not like there's really a difference between a men's restroom and a women's restroom.

It's not like there's one gigantic shared toilet and everyone sits around the edge doing... erm.. what needs to be done.

for god's sake, they're closed cubicles. I see no reason to have separate restrooms for everyone.

and if guys and girls shared restrooms, at least when you go to the theatre you KNOW these guys would all wash their hands after peeing, before putting their grubby paws into their girlfriend's popcorn.

[Makoes]

TBH, I think the whole mens/women's bathroom is archaic. Both have stalls, there are handicap (larger) stalls that have change tables, there's "family" bathrooms, I don't get why they don't just toss away the whole gender bathrooms all together. Hopefully these Gender-neutral bathrooms will expand to the point where they are the norm.

[cowmuflage]

I know they tested out gender-neutral bathrooms at the high school my mum works at and it did not end well lets put it at that....... :S

Then again I don't know what the people where thinking really. I mean it's a high school after all >.<

They did this because of issues with a Fa'afafine using the girls barthrooms. It's a Samoan thing, they are a third-gender in their culture and it's pretty interesting! I know from personal experience that they are not gay or drag-queens >.< That's a very common thing to think and it's not really true!

[Castile]

I do see a need for men and womens toilets still - some women may be uncomfortable about walking in to a public toilet with a bunch of men peeing at a urinal lol. Maybe just have unisex as a universal third option?

[Syleye]

I think as a third option is probably the best. No reason to force people who many have THEIR OWN cultural beliefs, or anxiety about other people to submit to something that uncomfortable. There is a reason even animals tend to be a bit cautious when going..it leaves you very vulnerable and a flimsy door isn't much protection. Personally I view bathroom habits much the same as sex..it's best left in private (and yes I am one of those weirdos who never used the restroom at school)

All this being said I am so glad to see this being implemented I cannot even imagine what transgender people have to go through to take care of a basic bodily function.

[Aleu]

Actually, the BCEC (Boston Convention and Exhibition Center) did have two gender neutral bathrooms during PAX. I actually didn't notice the signs on the door before I went in. Was pleasantly surprised though. XD

[Wain]

I think it will depend very much on the situation.

For small work group and locations sure. Plenty of things like that here may already only have a shared toilet.

For large public places and open areas (parks especially, but also shopping malls), I don't think it's likely. They're already creepy enough and can only become more dangerous when men are loitering in the cubicle next to a woman. It's only a matter of time and peep holes would be drilled in the walls.

Also, at public events, as a man I like the fact I can use the urinal and get in and out quickly. The queue for the women's toilets is always WAY longer do to the fact cubicle usage can be very slow.

[Lisaara]

I think it will depend very much on the situation.

For small work group and locations sure. Plenty of things like that here may already only have a shared toilet.

For large public places and open areas (parks especially, but also shopping malls), I don't think it's likely. They're already creepy enough and can only become more dangerous when men are loitering in the cubicle next to a woman. It's only a matter of time and peep holes would be drilled in the walls.

Also, at public events, as a man I like the fact I can use the urinal and get in and out quickly. The queue for the women's toilets is always WAY longer do to the fact cubicle usage can be very slow.

This is pretty much how I feel on the matter. I don't want all public bathrooms having urinals in women's bathrooms to suit a minority, tbh. It makes me very uncomfortable just thinking about it and I hate public bathrooms as is. Wain bringing up the peepholes makes me even more terrified at the thought. Rape may also become a bit more likely if we start having men and women sharing a bathroom all the time. Not saying it'll always happen but this is just asking for a bit more trouble than I'd like. I'm all for equal rights but this feels a bit ridiculous considering you either have the parts or you don't. If ya got a penis, go in the men's room. If you got a vagina, go in the women's room. Bathrooms aren't really about what gender you mentally identify with. It's about your parts. Not trying to offend or sound like a bigot but I feel all of these are legit concerns. I like my privacy in the bathroom(I value it a lot) and I'd rather not have to be terrified to go pee or do other lady things because some guy may have drilled a peephole or has his cellphone camera angled in my stall. The thought makes me wanna cry....

[Wassa]

I'm all for equal rights but this feels a bit ridiculous considering you either have the parts or you don't. If ya got a penis, go in the men's room. If you got a vagina, go in the women's room. Bathrooms aren't really about what gender you mentally identify with. It's about your parts.

Sorry. I don't mean to call you out on this but it's not about your parts. It's about how you present yourself to others on which restroom you can use. This should be worded as "If you look like a man, go in the men's room. If you look like a women, go in the women's room." As a transman myself (Although I'm just starting my transition. Most people still see me as my birth gender although I got called sir the other day when out shopping.) hearing those sentences hurts me. I understand the privacy issue, especially with women, but don't tell me that when I have a vagina, but pass as a man, that I still have to use the women's restroom. I've heard stories of transmen trying to use the women's restroom but they passed enough to look like a man that the police where called on them. Yes, they still have a vagina. Yes, they were just trying to quickly use the restroom. We can't get out of this mindset that someone that looks male is up to no good if they enter the women's restroom, even when that man has the correct female parts.

Back on the topic at hand I don't think all restrooms should be gender neutral for privacy issues. There so no way you can trust idiots that will use this to snap lewd photos, etc. Just please give a third gender neutral or "family" restroom as an option for people that want to use it.

[GormanGhaste]

Yes, let's please keep this thread on topic. It is about adding non-gendered restrooms. There is zero danger of gendered restrooms being removed.

[Lisaara]

I'm all for equal rights but this feels a bit ridiculous considering you either have the parts or you don't. If ya got a penis, go in the men's room. If you got a vagina, go in the women's room. Bathrooms aren't really about what gender you mentally identify with. It's about your parts.

Sorry. I don't mean to call you out on this but it's not about your parts. It's about how you present yourself to others on which restroom you can use. This should be worded as "If you look like a man, go in the men's room. If you look like a women, go in the women's room." As a transman myself (Although I'm just starting my transition. Most people still see me as my birth gender although I got called sir the other day when out shopping.) hearing those sentences hurts me. I understand the privacy issue, especially with women, but don't tell me that when I have a vagina, but pass as a man, that I still have to use the women's restroom. I've heard stories of transmen trying to use the women's restroom but they passed enough to look like a man that the police where called on them. Yes, they still have a vagina. Yes, they were just trying to quickly use the restroom. We can't get out of this mindset that someone that looks male is up to no good if they enter the women's restroom, even when that man has the correct female parts.

Back on the topic at hand I don't think all restrooms should be gender neutral for privacy issues. There so no way you can trust idiots that will use this to snap lewd photos, etc. Just please give a third gender neutral or "family" restroom as an option for people that want to use it.

If it's an option, rather than just taking away gender specific bathrooms, then I'm all for it. I just didn't want my bathroom becoming suddenly neutral for everyone. It was driving me batty at the thought. Though on your point, people judging based on looks.....we all know they really need to cut that out(Likely never gonna happen, but I can dream). I was speaking more from a logical perspective, I suppose.

[cowmuflage]

Yes, let's please keep this thread on topic. It is about adding non-gendered restrooms. There is zero danger of gendered restrooms being removed.

It kind of is on topic when people keep saying that gendered ones should all be removed for non-gendered ones because gender ones are "archaic"

and so people where saying their views on non'gendered restrooms.