Gender Neutral Bathrooms

By Alex Lambeth-Anderson

Everyone needs to use a bathroom.. But the way that most restrooms are being set up right now is not gender inclusive, which makes it hard for some people to use. Having simply a restroom for men and women, and having them separate is hard for some people, especially those who are transgender. For example, transgender male, might be too nervous to use the men's bathroom, or maybe they are nonbinary and do not fit into a man or woman category. A bathroom is such an important human resource, but They are not necessarily inclusive to all gender types

“Trans teen protect” is a website focusing on this topic which talked about what gender neutral bathrooms are, shows more resources, and how to advocate for gender neutral bathrooms at your school, It even includes a link to a website where you can look for gender neutral bathrooms near you, which could come in handy if you are too nervous to ask people. When asked about how they feel going into a gendered restroom, student Kalie Newton from ATA middle school states “I don’t feel as secure in one that is gender specific.” Kalie believes that yes, gender neutral bathrooms are important to have, and that it makes them feel more comfortable in their body. 

Yet some can argue that gender neutral bathrooms can be unsafe or just uncomfortable for some people. For instance, some people have the concern of because men and women would be in the same bathroom, it could increase the likelihood of sexual assault and/or harassment. Another concern some people have about gender neutral restrooms is just the overall uncomfortable feeling of having men and women in the same bathroom. One last concern/worry about gender neutral restrooms people have is that for instance, if a trans woman is using a urinal, some people might take that and assume they are a man, or vice versa.  Coworker John Anderson seems to disagree, because when asked why he thinks gender neutral bathrooms are important.  He states “ I believe that gender neutral bathrooms are important to have because it gives more freedom for an individual to choose which bathroom they feel more comfortable in.” So although some can argue that it can be unsafe, from the feedback received from these two interviews, gender neutral restrooms can help people feel a lot more comfortable in a public bathroom, and help make a less gender based society.