I’m going to hell, but I just want to say that having only gender neutral bathrooms in public schools is far too liberal… even for me. Yes I get it. I know how really nasty children can be to each other, but having boys and girls using the same bathroom is not the answer. I have my own personal reasons why I think its not a good idea, which we will get to a little later. But first I wanted to cover some of the pro’s and con’s which have been submitted for consideration in this ongoing debate.
One of the most intriguing arguments for gender neutral bathrooms in a school setting came from a student at Forest Hills High School.
“Gender segregation is wrong. Multi-stall gender neutral washrooms are the way to go because gender segregation is wrong. Gender segregation is based on the idea that “men” and “women” are the only choices to pigeonhole people into. We all knew that gender is a spectrum and not a binary. Segregation is also wrong because is creates a mentality between the sexes and harms gender equality. When we unite all person and do away with gender segregation then we all build a better society.”
The student is saying gender specific bathrooms are a type of segregation. Interesting. Being an African American, I am more than familiar with segregation. It wasn’t until the mid twentieth century when the Civil Rights Act Of 1964 was passed that segregated bathrooms and water fountains were outlawed. We all seen pictures of the whites only restrooms and water fountains. Many black folks were beaten and some probably killed as a result of violating this Jim Crow law. It was not only bathrooms and water fountains, but restaurants, hotels, waiting rooms, hospitals, stores and any other number of places where people congregate for services. That is a succulent argument and it really hits home with some of us.
An equally intriguing arguments against gender neutral bathrooms in a school setting came from an anonymous contributor.
“Additional restrooms construction should be equality for all without violating the rights of genders exposure of opposites sex. It is inappropriate, unsafe, and limitless security of restroom etiquette and manners. If transgender children, teenagers, or college students want their own restrooms, they should have a separate third public restroom to accommodate them, just as in the case of handicap children. A room for girls. A room for boys. And a third room for transgender, if they so choose to use them. Just add another room to the constructions in all facilities throughout the U.S.A. That way we do not violate the rights of young girls and boys rights to proper social restroom behaviors.”
This is interesting to me because the writer mentions the rights of young girls and boys to proper social restroom behaviors. While I don’t know what a proper social restroom behavior is because I don’t go in there to be social. I go in there to get it done and then I want to leave, preferably without any commentary except for the occasional nod to someone who might be entering. But the key word that caught my eye is “rights.” What about the rights of the boys and girls who identify with their biological gender. Do we sanction them for not wanting to use non gender specific bathrooms?
This pro-argument says that we should embrace diversity of every individual.
“Equality for all, We need to move forward and stop putting people in to little boxes. We should embrace diversity of every individual, i.e. those who don’t fit into either the socially created “male, female”. Everyone is different and yet we are all the same, so I think it’s time to make things easier for all those that don’t fit into any boxes and more forward into acceptance.”
I can see the merits of this position. As a matter of fact I couldn’t express it any better if this was my stance. Discrimination based on who we are is inherently unjust. I get it. Because we are different we are the same. How beautiful and simple this pro-argument is.
As I said earlier though, I am against it.
Do you know why we started having separate bathrooms? Well that was not always the case. Before 1739 bathrooms were not marked according to gender. They came about over the years as more and more women started working outside of the home. They became the norm. We have been using separate bathroom for almost 300 years. That in itself though is not an argument. We were slaves for over 400 years but that didn’t make it right. So what am I saying? Using the bathroom is a very personal experience. We go in there and take half of our clothes off, or we expose our private parts and we get to going. It personal. If it wasn’t they wouldn’t need doors on the stalls. Heck who needs a bathroom? Just dig a trough in a room, cement it over, run water through it and let everybody go there. It like finger dipping at the party. “That’s not right.” Another thing is that we are forcing this on our children in school, but I bet none of the faculty or administrators have to use gender neutral bathrooms. You lead by example. Tear them bathrooms down in the office and put in a gender neutral bathroom. Lets see how many of you go in there at the same time and use it. This is not a one size fits all problem. Do I like the idea of gender neutral bathrooms, nope. Will I ever use one ? Nope. Given the prospect of using a gender neutral bathroom or peeing in the street and being arrested for indecent exposure, would you use the gender neutral bathroom then? I would have to think about it. I will tell you later, right now I have to use the bathroom.
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