News Flash 2: Gender Neutral Bathrooms

Say goodbye to designated female and male bathrooms, or should I say, say hello to gender-neutral bathrooms. According to an article from Fox News, the University of Vermont has recently added “gender neutral” bathrooms to the new Dudley H. Davis Center. Included in these bathrooms are four single bathrooms and each includes a toilet, sink, shower, and lockable door. Behind this radical addition, according to the Vice President for Student and Campus Life, is the desire for “inclusivity and accessibility and the importance of meeting all people’s needs, not just a few.” The University of Vermont is not alone. In fact, it is one of seventeen other colleges and universities who have added gender neutral bathrooms to their campuses. This change seems to reflect a recognition in the limitations of the two sex system and the fluidity of gender and a move toward acceptance for those who don’t fit into that socially constructed system. As understandable and progressive as these additions may be, there are serious concerns and problems associated with them.

The installation of gender-neutral bathrooms has brought mixed opinions on the topic. According to Kelly, a 19 year old transgendered student at the University of Vermont, in gender segregated bathrooms she has felt uncomfortable and thinks that the introduction of gender neutral bathrooms is “a really important thing to have…Just because there can be tense situations in gendered bathrooms, especially for trans-identified people, you need a space to use the rest room and feel safe and comfortable” (CNN Article). Similarly, the university’s Director of the school’s Lesbian, Gay Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and Ally Services felt “a multi-use bathroom doesn’t necessarily feel safe to transgendered students, because they have concerns about how their gender would be read by others” (CNN Article). However, Stephen Cable, the founder of Vermont Renewal, a group dedicated to “promoting traditional moral values” says “I always have concerns when institutions or the government legitimized behaviors or practices that could be discovered in the future to be harmful to those individuals” (CNN Article).

These views represent opposite ends of the spectrum. There are several authors from class who would have comments regarding the introduction of gender- neutral bathrooms. Anne Fausto-Sterling, who points out that gender is not as fixed as we think and suggests that the two sex system and the pressure we put on intersex people to fit into our two sex system is all a product of social constructions would be pleased to see this change (Fausto-Sterling, 16). She would argue that this is a progressive move away from our rigid socially constructed lines of gender and a step towards including those who don’t fit into the two-sex system (Fausto-Sterling, 30). The University of Vermont’s installation of gender-neutral bathrooms certainly shows a progressive change and openness to those outside the two-sex system. While it is admirable, it lacks practicality. This change, while occurring, is occurring at some of the most liberal institutions in the country, colleges and universities. There are few places outside of college where these transgender students will have public gender-neutral bathrooms. Should they live in a false reality for their four years of college? Should they find ways to individually “be” and work within the two-sex system? Their fear of judgement is understandable, but if the majority of work environments, restaurants, etc do not have gender neutral bathrooms, they are in for yet another wake up call and challenge to face in the world as a transgender. Without these bathrooms, they could use this time in college, a time of self-exploration, to find out what works for them as individual transgenders in our society.

Similarly, while Cal from Middlesex doesn’t ever convey problems in public bathrooms, he spends most of the book feeling very uncomfortable in his skin, especially around Julie, who he should trust and with whom he should be comfortable (Middlesex, 167). Consequently, would identify with the 19-year-old transgendered student from Vermont and understand her feelings and fear of being judged in gendered restrooms. We can try to imagine the level of discomfort and fear that runs through transgendered people’s minds but as mentioned earlier, college is a time of self-exploration and using that time to self explore and become comfortable in your own skin is crucial. There are obviously more hurdles in that process for transgendered people than heterosexuals, but regardless, as individuals in this world growing comfortable enough in one’s skin is important in all aspects of life and perhaps learning to become comfortable in one’s own skin can start in the bathroom.

The idea of gender-neutral bathrooms is an interesting idea. Certainly the desire to be inclusive and accepting should be reflected in decisions and there should not be discrimination against intersex individuals. In an ideal world they would feel comfortable enough in their own skin to share a gendered bathroom, but we don’t live in that kind of world. Aside from the fact that it costs “$2500 per private bathroom” (CNN Article), which in difficult economic times could be problematic for those who cannot use those bathrooms but are still seeing an increase in their tuition. What makes us different and unique is special, but catering to everyone feeling “comfortable” is an impossible battle. There are so many different religions, sexes, genders, cultures, ethnicities, etc that it is impossible to please everyone. Intersex people face so many problems in society and have so many uphill battles to fight and problems to face, so a bathroom seems like a small innocent step to help them out. Their feeling of discomfort and fear of judgement is completely understandable, but with all the issues in the world that intersex people face, is the bathroom the proverbial battle they want to pick? There are larger issues at hand for them that deserve priority and attention before gender-neutral bathrooms.

Sources:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,294633,00.html

Ariel Levy: Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture.

Allan Johnson: “Patriarchy as a System”.

Anne Fausto-Sterling: Sexing the Body

Jeffrey Eugenides: Middlesex