By Alice Brodsky
Going to the restroom is a private thing. Nobody needs to see what is going on behind the stall door. You shouldn’t feel uncomfortable either, right? Unfortunately, a majority of transgender and non-binary people do. People who use gender-neutral restrooms in school are facing a struggle: the restriction of gender-neutral restrooms in public schools.
Over the past 10 years, there has been an increase in a lack of gender-neutral restrooms in schools, and other public locations such as Target and Starbucks. In schools, however, there has also been an increase in the misuse of gender-neutral restrooms. Often, students who prefer to use a gender-neutral restroom find them locked due to people using the bathrooms to vape and other activities or find them converted into staff-only restrooms. Additionally, many state governments are looking to restrict, if not full out ban gender-neutral restrooms in schools, and other public locations. Is this fair? I think not. In fact, I think this is in violation of the right to express oneself freely in their identity and how they present themselves.
Expressing yourself can be shown in many different ways. For some, it’s the clothes they wear or the name they use. For many transgender and non-binary people, it’s the restroom they use. Starting in the 1990s, and early 2000s, the number of unisex restrooms in public spaces has greatly increased. They have been established in schools, clothing stores, and other public areas. Within the past 10 years, they have become labeled as “gender-neutral restrooms,” which means that any gender can use that restroom. This has been a big topic of discussion recently, especially with the re-election of President Trump, who is moving to limit gender-affirming healthcare to transgender youth, as well as banning transgender people from using the restroom labeled with the gender with which they identify.
Banning gender-neutral restrooms is just one way that politicians are attacking transgender and non-binary people’s expressive freedoms, according to The Right to Pee, published by The Nation. Many Republican politicians are aiming to reduce the amount of gender-neutral restrooms in public spaces, while also making transgender and non-binary people use the restroom that aligns with the gender that they were assigned at birth.
Additionally, many state legislations are pushing to ban gender-neutral restrooms. In New Hampshire, Republican State Representative Michael Moffett proposed House Bill 104, which aims to ban gender-neutral restrooms from elementary, middle, and high schools throughout the state. Many people brought up the argument that biological females have been assaulted by biological males in the female restroom. However, this is not usually a case of a transgender person assaulting biological females, but biological men who identify as male choosing to go into the female restroom with the intent of harming someone.
Gender-neutral restrooms, on the other hand, have been a safe haven for many transgender and non-binary teens and youth. These restrooms provide a private and safe space for students. Restrooms with a row of stalls with doors that lock, that nobody can see into, that provide privacy are the kinds of restrooms that should be implemented everywhere. It gives everyone enough privacy and provides trans people with life-affirming safety.
The fight for gender-neutral restrooms extends beyond the LGBTQ+ community too. Many biological women have said that they feel much safer in restrooms where there are private stalls and a better atmosphere than most gendered restrooms. These types of restrooms are a solution to the restriction of which restrooms transgender individuals can use. Obama-era protections for transgender youth were not good enough to start. The idea that transgender students “should use the restroom they feel most comfortable with” assumes that a comfortable option exists in the first place. If we want transgender youth to feel comfortable using the restroom, we need to provide them with an option that makes them comfortable. By establishing more gender-neutral restrooms, this problem would be solved, and we could work around Trump’s policy of making people use the restroom that aligns with their biological gender.
Transgender people have always existed and will never stop existing. The restroom debate is just one of the many battles fought every day to keep transgender rights. A big step we can take is to begin introducing more gender-neutral restrooms into our public spaces. Not only do these restrooms provide a comfortable restroom option for transgender and non-binary people, but they also provide a safer option for women. I think that these restrooms would be an asset to the social fabric of our country and would be a step in the right direction.
Equity for all, no matter your race, ethnicity, gender, or sexuality should be a common practice. Unfortunately, it is not. But if we try hard enough, we can combat these problems and unite ourselves, as our founding fathers intended.
Comments