Gender Neutral Bathrooms Essays - Gender, Identity, Transgender

Gender Neutral Restroom s Gender Neutral Restroom s It is no secret that the world is classified in a binary system. Everything is this or that, black or white, and more specifically male or female . Society has been shaped to only see two polar extremities of a spectrum that is complex and has infinite possibilities . Where the world aims to please a binary system, it leaves everyone in the grey areas out. A prime example of this is public restrooms where there are typically only male or female option s . What about people who feel as though they are neither a male nor a female? What about people who are transgender and fear harassment in the restroom? What about parents of different gendered children? What about waiting in line because one restroom is full but the other is no t an option to use? It is because of reasons like th e se that gender neutral restroom s should be the new standard for facility restrooms and through education and advocacy for said inclusi ve restrooms, changing the standards will be a revolutionary step forward in combatting the binary sanctions that society lives by. Anxiety is a naturally occurring feeling when an inner panic arises over something stressful. The average person is known to have anxiety about using public facilities like restrooms. Using the restroom is a very private thing that everyone must do and completing this task may be exceptionally hard for people who cannot concentrate with others around. People with health conditions find it even more challenging than those without. S imply going number one (urination) or number two (defecation) can be hard tasks for these affected people, not to mention the other obstacles that they may have to overcome as a result of further serious conditions ( Molotch Noren , 2010). Single stalled res t rooms are a great solution that allow for people to keep their privacy as well as their dignity . I n some extreme cases (diarrhea, vomiting, etc.), people feel especially embarrassed to do what they have to do even if tho se actions are out of their control. A beneficial movement towards easing this widespread anxiety over something that is natural and beyond control is the idea of gender non-specific , private restrooms ( Molotch Noren , 2010). Many people do not see the need to change up how the world does their restrooms, but this particular issue is more applicable than those people may realize. Most of them view this solution as only potentially solving one problem, but in educating them they will be able to see that the problem is not black or white and that this solution is able to solve multiple problems at once. Cavanagh (2010) discussed an interview in which people , from various different backgrounds, explained what the ideal rest room would look like to them. While most people agreed that gendering them was not a necessity, many people started off by describ ing the ir ideal restroom as personal and private rooms. S ingle stalled rest rooms that could include a chair or a small bench for people to take a rest quietly or for mothers to nurse in private would be ideal for one target group of the population . The people in the interview also agreed that baby changing stations would be important to include in each gender non-specific room in hopes of accommodating another portion of the population . One specific person, during the interview, pointed out that nobody would be watching to see which person goes into which restroom , but that everyone can just choose which ever one is available at th at given time (Cavanagh, 2010). Having restrooms like those will also cut down on waiting times unlike with gender-specific restrooms , someone may have to stand in a line for their correctly affiliated restroom . With gender neutral restrooms a ny person would then be able to enter any restroom that is not being occupied an d therefore would be able to rid themselves of their needs quicker , and with less anxiety over it . In 2015, over 28,000 transgender people , at least age