The first criminal bathroom ban with a jail sentence has just taken effect overnight in Florida. Florida is now dangerous for transgender people to travel through, with arrests likely in coming days.
One one hand, I thing people should be allowed to use whatever facilities best fit their “plumbing”, so a pre-op trans person should use the bathroom matching their cis gender.
On the other, trans people should not be subject to any harassment their external appearance might cause in the bathroom they choose.
On yet another… what’s wrong with “unisex” bathrooms? Just have a single bathroom, everyone uses it… problem solved? Removing “whites vs. colored” bathrooms worked just fine, why shouldn’t removing “guys vs. gals” work too?
I used to think gendered bathrooms were silly, but my Sex & Gender & American Imperialism professor mentioned that getting separate bathrooms was an early feminist issue, which might explain (a small percent of) the TERF backlash, they see it as “men invading women’s spaces” which they fought for. There’s also something to be said for rape culture, our current cultural climate might make it actively dangerous for women, cis or trans, to be in compromised positions in spaces men are sanctioned to appear in. Not that men are dangerous, but that dangerous men exist and are shielded by rape culture.
So I say this with full openness to be told otherwise, but does the origin of the rule matter if it’s no longer relevant. I find it interesting that people would be annoyed with gendered bathrooms but after being told it was a feminist request being ok with it. To me, if gendered bathrooms no longer serve their purpose, let’s nuke em.
My take on this is simple. The only reason I like gendered bathrooms is because I can pee faster at a urinal. lol. Saves me so much time at huge events like concerts and sports arenas.
What’s your reasoning for sorting people into bathrooms based on their genitals?
I’m assuming you’re thinking it means someone is “done” with transition. It doesn’t work that way. A good portion of trans people don’t have genital surgery, both due to access issues but also simply not wanting surgery. And, then, depending on where you live, not having surgery may prevent you from updating your gender marker so you don’t have ID, either. (US citizens can change gender markers on passports/passport cards without surgery. Yes, this does mean you have people with different gender markers on different forms of ID.)
Signed, a transmasculine person who was harassed in women’s bathrooms pre-social transition (never mind medical!). (ETA: I mention this because it goes to show this is ultimately about policing women’s genders–I was seen as “woman-ing wrong” while living as a woman. I have also been harassed in a gender neutral bathroom, believe it or not.)
I’m split on this.
One one hand, I thing people should be allowed to use whatever facilities best fit their “plumbing”, so a pre-op trans person should use the bathroom matching their cis gender.
On the other, trans people should not be subject to any harassment their external appearance might cause in the bathroom they choose.
On yet another… what’s wrong with “unisex” bathrooms? Just have a single bathroom, everyone uses it… problem solved? Removing “whites vs. colored” bathrooms worked just fine, why shouldn’t removing “guys vs. gals” work too?
I used to think gendered bathrooms were silly, but my Sex & Gender & American Imperialism professor mentioned that getting separate bathrooms was an early feminist issue, which might explain (a small percent of) the TERF backlash, they see it as “men invading women’s spaces” which they fought for. There’s also something to be said for rape culture, our current cultural climate might make it actively dangerous for women, cis or trans, to be in compromised positions in spaces men are sanctioned to appear in. Not that men are dangerous, but that dangerous men exist and are shielded by rape culture.
So I say this with full openness to be told otherwise, but does the origin of the rule matter if it’s no longer relevant. I find it interesting that people would be annoyed with gendered bathrooms but after being told it was a feminist request being ok with it. To me, if gendered bathrooms no longer serve their purpose, let’s nuke em.
My take on this is simple. The only reason I like gendered bathrooms is because I can pee faster at a urinal. lol. Saves me so much time at huge events like concerts and sports arenas.
What’s your reasoning for sorting people into bathrooms based on their genitals?
I’m assuming you’re thinking it means someone is “done” with transition. It doesn’t work that way. A good portion of trans people don’t have genital surgery, both due to access issues but also simply not wanting surgery. And, then, depending on where you live, not having surgery may prevent you from updating your gender marker so you don’t have ID, either. (US citizens can change gender markers on passports/passport cards without surgery. Yes, this does mean you have people with different gender markers on different forms of ID.)
Signed, a transmasculine person who was harassed in women’s bathrooms pre-social transition (never mind medical!). (ETA: I mention this because it goes to show this is ultimately about policing women’s genders–I was seen as “woman-ing wrong” while living as a woman. I have also been harassed in a gender neutral bathroom, believe it or not.)