- 2 years ago
#221
This topic has been floating around lately, and it seems to be another very controversial one. My stance on the subject is in favor of implementing gender neutral restrooms, essentially everywhere. There's a great article created by Portland Community College, which talks about common arguments and rebuttals regarding this subject. It can be found here: PCC Article
Some argument examples include:
Some rebuttal examples include:
Some argument examples include:
- gender neutral bathrooms are unsafe for women and children
- men are messier and stinkier than women, so women shouldn’t be forced to share a bathroom with them
- gender neutral bathrooms will make cisgender people uncomfortable
- sharing the bathroom with the “opposite” sex will be embarrassing
- gender neutral bathrooms are a special privilege for transgender or gender nonconforming people. Spaces should not be required to go out of their way or spend money on creating a space for such a small population
Some rebuttal examples include:
- safety of cisgender women and children shouldn't be more important that the safety of trans* and gender nonconforming people
- Trans* and gender nonconforming people should not be assumed to be predators or dangerous. Also, a sign on a gender segregated bathroom does not keep actual violent or dangerous people (of any gender) out of the restroom.
- while gender segregated bathrooms do not actually insure safety for cis women or children, they do actually compromise the safety of trans* and gender nonconforming people
- gender neutral bathrooms increase access for guardians who accompany a child of another gender to the bathroom, thus increasing the safety of that child. Gender neutral bathrooms also increase access for attendants who assist people of another gender in the restroom, thus increasing the safety of the person who necessitates assistance in the bathroom
- comfort should not take precedence over safety
- avoiding embarrassment should not be more important than creating safety
- the preferences of the majority should not be prioritized over the needs of a minority