Public toilets: Difference between revisions

[[File:Piptoilets.jpg|thumb|alt=A comic of one nonbinary person's ideal public toilet situation; toilet doors with signs of toilets and urinals, rather than the usual male/female symbols.|One nonbinary person's ideal public toilet situation; symbols representing facilities rather than permitted genders.]]'''Public toilets''' are a serious challenge for [[nonbinary]], [[intersex]], or [[gender nonconforming]] people. Places that only offer men's or women's restrooms create an unsafe situation where gender nonconforming people have to choose between potentially getting harassed or assaulted, or having to wait so long that they get health problems. A single-occupancy, gender-neutral restroom is safest, so it is important for everyone's rights to be able to find these spaces, and to ask for them to be created in public places that need to have them.

Restrooms for able-bodied people are often assigned to [[male]] and [[female]], with little to no provision for people who don't fit the [[gender binary]]. For nonbinary and gender nonconforming people, having to choose whether to go in a men's room or women's room can be a source of social anxiety and [[gender dysphoria]]. People who are seen as gender nonconforming may be subjected to harassment, violence, or arrest if others think they have entered the wrong restroom. Because of these risks, some people try to avoid using public toilets by waiting so long that it is bad for their health. Health risks from waiting too long to use a toilet include urinary stones, dehydration, cystitis, and infections of the bladder and kidneys.<ref name="trans bodies 576">Laura Erickson-Schroth, ed. ''Trans Bodies, Trans Selves: A Resource for the Transgender Community.'' Oxford University Press, 2014. P. 576.</ref> Another health concern is being able to wash one's hands in order to prevent the spread of contagious diseases.

Most public places only offer baby changing tables in the women's room, which can be a problem for fathers, and for any other caretaker who feels out of place in a women's room. Caretakers of babies, children, or other dependents want gender-neutral, single-occupancy restrooms. People who have disabilities want accessible, single-occupancy restrooms. Transgender, nonbinary, intersex, and gender nonconforming people can unite with these groups to organize and advocate for these improved public restrooms more effectively.<ref name="trans bodies 473">Laura Erickson-Schroth, ed. ''Trans Bodies, Trans Selves: A Resource for the Transgender Community.'' Oxford University Press, 2014. P. 473.</ref>  

* '''Humorous restroom signs''' can seem cute and lighthearted. However, some such signs have jokes on them that are transphobic or are about sexual assault. Humorous restroom signs can act as a conversation-starter that can be a set-up for harassment. Even a tasteful joke on a restroom sign can make it harder for people who do not read the local language to recognize that this is the door to the restroom.

These are some examples of different kinds of gender-inclusive restroom signs, each demonstrating different advantages and disadvantages.

File:All gender restroom sign.jpg|Trans symbol and accessible symbol