All Bathrooms Gender Neutral: Good Idea or Bad Idea?

[columbus]

Are we speaking of bathrooms or public restrooms? There seems to be a strange conversation coming out of this whole thing. (It's not your fault, though).

I've been debating about public restrooms.

I must take my share of blame for the confusion. I referred to public facilities where I wouldn't wash more than my hands as "bathroom". I didn't mean to include actual bathing facilities. And family bathrooms I intended to mean home facilities, not public places with baby changing stations.
I don't really have a problem with women and sharing. But I do see problems if that is the only option in big public places. Mostly for the women, I'm not much scared of anything I'm likely to find in there. If I were female I would, I know what men are like.

Tom

 

[Nymphs]

I meant that there are older children that CAN go to restroom alone but are still children.

Well, if you really want to get into semantics....

 

[Nymphs]

You cannot educate away sociopathy. You cannot educate a sociopath. A sociopath does not need education, they tend to be smarter than the average bear, they educate you. Sociopaths walk amongst us. And they care who they hurt.

Not all sex offenders are sociopaths.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

This thread is a pointless wreck now.

 

[Nymphs]

And some men do that with other men while in the restroom and even have sex with other men in restrooms. So should gay men not be allowed to use the men's room?

So many irrelevant points being spewed all over this thread, so little time.

My thoughts too.

I mean semantics? Really....:cover:

 

[Nymphs]

Let's be clear: A bathroom is what I call the place in my home where I take a bath and which also contains a place to relieve oneself. A restroom, which we are speaking about, is a public place to relieve yourself along with hand-washing and hair-brushing.

How about instead of arguing that, we just use the word interchangeably? I don't see how it affects the argument...at all.

 

[Nymphs]

Is an apple a ******* orange just because they are both ******* fruits?

Red herring.

I'm sorry you don't understand cultural difference. But, if you are interested, there is a thread you can join in on to discuss those differences.

 

[Nymphs]

This thread is a pointless wreck now.

*Choo Choo*

 

[Debater Slayer]

When I was in college, most dorm floors were either all-male or all-female. The bathroom/shower area was communal for each sex on our floors, like a public restroom with toilet stalls, but then also shower stalls.

But they created an LGBT-friendly floor in a building I was in, and specifically to make transgender people and gender nonconforming people more comfortable along with the rest of the students, they had all unisex bathrooms. Instead of having a communal female area and a communal male area, they simply had about a dozen doors that each lead to a shower/toilet room.

And it worked, naturally. It's not complicated. The only downside is that it's more expensive to build and clean separate rooms than communal areas with stalls, but for the user it offers more privacy, for transgender people and everyone else as well. I think most restrooms should have a unisex option, and perhaps more restrooms should simply be made as entirely unisex.

The idea of a communal unisex restroom is certainly the most efficient option. I think in practical terms it has more issues, though. In an ideal world that would be fine, but in this world I think it might be a bit sketchy. But I mean if I was in some area and found out that the only restroom option was a communal unisex place, I would just use it without a problem.

I agree with the above.

Regarding the part I highlighted, though, wouldn't making restrooms entirely unisex instead of making unisex restrooms an option mean that a lot of people who aren't comfortable using such restrooms would be made uncomfortable? That is, wouldn't it be biased against them not to give them the option to use gender-specific restrooms instead of unisex ones?

 

[ChristineES]

How about instead of arguing that, we just use the word interchangeably? I don't see how it affects the argument...at all.

But it does make a difference, that's the whole point.

 

[Nymphs]

But it does make a difference, that's the whole point.

No, it doesn't.

Calling it a bathroom or a restroom doesn't change the point. At all.

They are both in public (which the OP article refers to).

Are you going to seriously argue that calling it a bathroom changes the entire argument?

Does calling soda pop or pop soda change that they are the same thing?

Please. Let's get back to the actual debate of unisex and gender neutral bathrooms.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I call public restrooms "bathrooms" sometimes. So ******* what? It doesn't matter. You know what the hell I'm talking about. Can we move on from this damn derail?

 

[Nymphs]

For more information, here are some great articles:

Gender Neutral Bathrooms (Portland Community College): QRC Gender Neutral Bathrooms | PCC

Gender Neutral Bathrooms (Unitarian Universalist Association): Gender Neutral Bathrooms - UUA

Are you going to tell me they are using the word bathroom wrong too? I mean c'mon. If that is your argument, it isn't much of one at all. Try reading these articles to get some actual factual information instead of spouting ridiculous claims.

 

[Nymphs]

I call public restrooms "bathrooms" some times. So ******* what? It doesn't matter. You know what the hell I'm talking about. Can we move on from this damn derail?

I'd love to, but some people don't want to. I'd love your help in redirecting it. In fact, I just posted two article (one from Portland Community College and one from the Unitarian Universalist Association). Take a look if you'd like. =)

 

[CynthiaCypher]

For more information, here are some great articles:

Gender Neutral Bathrooms (Portland Community College): QRC Gender Neutral Bathrooms | PCC

Gender Neutral Bathrooms (Unitarian Universalist Association): Gender Neutral Bathrooms - UUA

Are you going to tell me they are using the word bathroom wrong too? I mean c'mon. If that is your argument, it isn't much of one at all. Try reading these articles to get some actual factual information instead of spouting ridiculous claims.

Derail...derail...and derail again. That is all your pointless argumentation adds up to.

 

[Nymphs]

Derail...derail...and derail again. That is all your pointless argumentation adds up to.

These aren't derailments but actual articles on unisex and gender neutral bathrooms. Did you take a look at them? They have great points towards this thread.

Claim whatever you'd like, but you'd be wrong if you'd call them a derailment.

From the first link:

Gender neutral bathrooms are a way to create a safer campus environment for trans* and gender nonconforming students, staff, faculty and community members at PCC. They are also a way for PCC to show trans* and gender nonconforming people that our community values their presence and cares about their health and safety.

gender neutral bathrooms do not only increase bathroom accessibility and safety for trans* and gender nonconforming individuals. Gender neutral bathrooms also increase access for guardians who accompany a child of another gender to the bathroom, thus increasing the safety of that child. Gender neutral bathrooms also increase access for attendants who assist people of another gender in the restroom, thus increasing the safety of the person who necessitates assistance in the bathroom.

There are some great resources in particular on the UUA website here:

Gender Neutral Bathrooms - UUA

The UU's (Unitarian Universalists) are actually a church/faith which practice what they preach (which is quite refreshing) and have a great number of resources on gender neutral bathrooms in a public (church) setting. I suggest you take a look and get back to us if you have any questions.

 

[ChristineES]

No, it doesn't.

Calling it a bathroom or a restroom doesn't change the point. At all.

They are both in public (which the OP article refers to).

Are you going to seriously argue that calling it a bathroom changes the entire argument?

Does calling soda pop or pop soda change that they are the same thing?

Please. Let's get back to the actual debate of unisex and gender neutral bathrooms.

We're arguing two different things. The debate is about public restrooms, not what we call them. I call restrooms "bathrooms" myself, on occasion. I am and have always been debating about restrooms and not what we call them.

I repeat my original answer: Having public restrooms/bathrooms unisex is a bad idea at this time (at least, in the USA). Some people would find it uncomfortable to relieve themselves with the opposite sex in the same room, even if there is a stall separating them.

Edit: To make myself clear, I mean STRANGERS of the opposite sex.

 

[Nymphs]

We're arguing two different things.

No we aren't.

We are debating about public bathrooms/restrooms. I wasn't the one who brought up what they were called. I think you may need to go back and check the thread for that. Hint: It wasn't me who brought that up.

I repeat my original answer: Having public restrooms/bathrooms unisex is a bad idea at this time (at least, in the USA). Some people would find it uncomfortable to do relieve themselves with the opposite sex in the same room, even if there is a stall separating them.

Did you happen to take a look at the link from the UUA? They have some great ideas/answers/suggestions about the whole issue.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

Fine. If you guys demand gender neutral multi-stalled restrooms, then I demand the right to openly carry my Colt Mustang into them (and I do own one, I am proud gun owner)

 

[Nymphs]

Fine. If you guys demand gender neutral multi-stalled restrooms, then I demand the right to openly carry my Colt Mustang into them (and I do own one, I am proud gun owner)

If you'd like to start a debate on openly carrying guns, I'm sure there is a thread around here somewhere for you to shoot at.

Who here is demanding? It's simply a discussion with some people (namely yourself) getting antsy at the very idea.