JoshWilliams

Bradley//2ndPeriod
MCRP

GenderNeutralBathrooms

Thetopicoftransgender/genderneutralrestroomshavebeencontroversialinrecent
times,andforgoodreason.Thosewhodonotidentifyasmaleorfemalefeel
uncomfortableusingtherestroomsofthegendertheywereassignedatbirthduetofearof
harassmentandridiculefromthepublic,somanyindividualshavecalledfortheinstallation
ofgenderneutralrestroomsatmanyinstitutions.Theadditionofanallinclusiverestroom
willhavemanybenefits,includingthecomfortabilityofgenderqueerstudentsattheirpublic
highschool,theendorsementofatolerantattitudetowardsthosewhodonotidentify
themselveswiththegenderassignedtothematbirth,andanencouragedprogressive
attitudetowardstheLGTBQ+youthmovementoverall.
Inthelastyearalone,therehavebeenmanyawfulaccountsoftransgendered
individualsbeingassaultedinpublicrestrooms,duetofearofthemdisguisingasanother
gendertoavoidsuspicionofbeingapredator.Eventhoughtheyarealsomanyaccountsof
thisbeingtrue,thefaceoftransphobiahasshownitselfmoreandmoreasthisissueleaks
intomainstreammedia.Accordingtogoogle.com,thewordtransgendermeansdenoting
orrelatingtoapersonwhoseselfidentitydoesnotconformunambiguouslytoconventional
notionsofmaleorfemalegender.Itcomesasnosurprisetoanyonethatthetransgender

communityintodaysmodernsocietyisincrediblylookeddownupon,withtheamountof
discriminationtheyarefacedwithattheworkplace,ateducationalfacilities,andeven
withintheirownfamilies.AccordingtoHRC.org(HumanRightsCampaign),41%of
transgenderedpeopleintheUnitedStateshaveattemptedsuicideatsomepointintheir
lives(LauraEricksonSchroth).Personaltestimoniesfromthousandsoftransgendered
individualscryoutaboutthetorturetheyfaceeveryday,andhowtheyfeeltheyaretaughtto
hatethemselvesjustbecausetheydontbelievethattheyarewhoeveryonethinkstheyare.
Nowadays,publichighschoolsfightbullyingheadon,butwhenthecomplaintscomefrom
thosewhoselifestyleisntacceptedbytheoneswhohandlesituationslikethat,muchisnt
doneabouttheproblemtosaytheleast.LGBTQ+youtharetwiceaslikelytosaythatthey
donotintendonattendingcollege,orevengraduatinghighschool(MarkusRoys),sothe
encouragementfromtheschooltohelpmaketransyouthfeelcomfortableintheirlearning
environmentsshouldbeconsideredimportant.
Manytransgenderedpeopledontfeelcomfortableattheirownjobduetofearof
publichumiliation.Somecompaniesevendenyhealthbenefitstothosewhodontidentify
asmaleorfemale,andaccordingtoastudyconductedbytheHuffingtonPostin2015,only
18/50statesinAmericahaveclearantidiscriminationlawsagainsttransgendered
individuals(CarlPhillips).AnotherstudyconductedbytheGLAADFoundationhave
revealedthat78%ofalltransgenderedindividualsfeltuncomfortableintheirworkplace
sincetransitioning.Eventhoughmostofthesetrendsseemnegative,inrecentyearsthe
oddshaveturnedslowlyinfavorofthosewhoidentifyastransgender/nonbinary/LGTBQ+.
Forexample,Fortune500companiesthatofferdomesticpartnershipbenefitshave

increased78%since2002(AnthonyBauuman,HRC.org).Buildingasenseof
inclusivenesstoyoungermembersoftheLGBTQ+communityisimportantforsettingthem
upforrelationshipsinthefuture.
Transgenderbathroomsmightnotseemrelevanttothosewhodonothavetoworry
abouttheirsafety,buttothosewhoitisabigconcernamongstthehugelistofothers,itis
prettyimportant.Toteenagerswhoattendpublichighschoolandidentifywiththegender
assignedtothematbirthmightnotseethisasanactualissue,buttothosewholiveinfear
oftheirsafetywillseeitasanissue.Inthenews,onemayhearaboutanindividualgetting
beatenupforusingthewrongbathroom,andithasgottentoapointwherethecomfort
mustbecomeaprioritytothosewhorunpublicinstitutions.TheGenderNeutralBathroom
Actof2016hopestoinstallunisexrestroomsatallpublichighschools,hopingtoinspire
otherpublicinstitutionstofollowintheirprogressivefootsteps.
Somemayargueafewdifferentpointsagainsttheinstallationoftheserestrooms.
Oneargumentcouldpossiblybethatgenderneutralrestroomsmaypromoteacertain
politicalagenda,whichcouldeasilybedismissedbythefactthatgenderneutralityisnot
claimedbyanypoliticalpartyinthiscountry.Onecouldalsobringupthefactthatthereare
meninthiscountrywhoclaimtheyaretransgendersolelyjusttoabusetheabilitytousea
femalerestroom,theviolenceshowntoactualtransgenderedpeoplefromascaredpublic
shouldnotbeanacceptableanswertothisproblem.Anothercounterpointcouldbehowit
maybetooexpensivetoinstall,butifapublichighschoolcanaffordflatscreentelevisions
inover30classrooms,andpurchasetabletsforeveryteacherintheschool,thenmaybe

theschoolcanaffordtochangearestroomtobeavailabletothosewhofeelunsafeusing
theotherrestrooms.

WorksCited:


1. EricksonSchroth,Laura.TransBodies,TransSelves:aResourceforthe
TransgenderCommunity.O xford,O xfordUniv.Press,2014.
2. Roys,MarkusH."TransgenderFAQ."G
LAAD.GLAAD.org,21Aug.2015.Web.12Oct.
2016.
3. Bauuman,AnthonyW."GrowingUpLGBTinAmerica:ViewStatistics."H
umanRights
Campaign.HRC.org,2F eb.2016.Web.12Oct.2016.
4. Kakkis,JonatanH.J."LGBTYouth."C
entersforDiseaseControlandPrevention.
CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention,12Nov.2014.Web.12Oct.2016.
5. Fawnn,Audrey."OurIssue."T
rueColorsF und.T CF.org,9Sept.2015.Web.12Oct.2016.