May I Use the Restroom?
Hannah (Poetry Editor)
May I Use the Restroom?
Everyone has to use the restroom no matter who they are or how they identify. Would a cisgender man or woman be prevented from using the restroom? Of course not. So should a transgender person be prevented from using the restroom? The answer is simple: they shouldn’t be, but because people are uncomfortable with what they don’t understand, transgender people are being forced to go out of their way just to use the restroom. Some taking 20 minutes or more out of their day to traverse to the only single stall restroom in their school or work place. Why, in a country that has moved beyond racially segregated public facilities, are we even considering gender segregation?
Currently in the US there are 11 states that are in the process of implementing or have implemented what is known as a “bathroom bill” which defines transgender individuals’ access to public facilities. This idea first came to light in 2013 when the Colorado Civil Rights Division ruled in favor of Coy Mathis’ use of the girls restroom at her elementary school. Since then transgender rights, including the restroom issue, has garnered both protest and support. In 2016 the US Department of Education with the US Department of Justice created guidelines under Title IX to protect transgender students from sex based harassment. This protection has since been repealed under the Trump administration, making this an even more pressing issue today.
There are people all over the United States, especially in North Carolina, Florida, and Texas, who argue that transgender people should not be allowed to use their prefered restroom. They do this because it makes them feel uncomfortable and believe it infringes on their safety. They believe that by forcing transgender people to use the restroom of their biological sex they are protecting themselves from sexual predators. Proponents of gender segregated restrooms have suggested the addition of a third, single-stalled restroom. This should be installed near the location of gender segregated restrooms, and should be marked “unisex” for use by anyone.
When we use the restroom we are at our most vulnerable, so I understand the need to feel safe while using the restroom. However, according to Marcie Bianco’s article on Mic with statistics gathered from the Transgender Law Center, the Human Rights Campaign, and the American Civil Liberties Union, there have been no incidents of transgender individuals sexually assaulting cisgender individuals in states that have legislation allowing transgender individuals to use their preferred restroom. Therefore there is no need to feel threatened by transgender individuals while using the restroom. The third bathroom idea, though a seemingly logical solution, does not take into account how transgender individuals would be emotionally affected and is highly impractical. Similar to racial segregation of public facilities, banning transgender individuals from using the restroom that conforms to their gender identity because some people feel “uncomfortable” demonizes the transgender community and downplays their personal struggles with identity. To be told by someone else that you make them uncomfortable or that they feel unsafe around you because of how you identify would be extremely upsetting, demoralizing, and would make you feel as though you had done something wrong.
Nearly half of all transgender adults in the US have a mental health disorder related to anxiety which is often caused by the mere anticipation of the discrimination and shaming they may be subjected to because of their gender identity. To continue, how would one determine who is and is not transgender before entering and using a restroom? Would it be someone’s job to stand outside restrooms and profile everyone who wishes to enter? No, that would be ridiculous, almost as ridiculous as preventing someone from using the restroom.
Though not as simple as just adding a third restroom or a “bathroom bill”, the solution to this issue is clear: education. Cisgender people need to understand that sex and gender are not one in the same. It also needs to be understood that gender is a social construct and should be interpreted by each individual. People are uncomfortable with what they do not understand, but through education, the stigma and discomfort over gender nonconformity can be eliminated. It may not be easy or comfortable, but in the long run education can create a more unified, stable and safe society for the future.