just curious dont want this to get out of control bathroom use

[sasywtch]

I assume it was your child telling you about this. If really interested, I would ask more questions... where did they hear about it, etc.
https://www.reuters.com/article/fac...imals-and-disrupting-classrooms-idUSL1N2YN1O2

I appreciate the link however, my grandson and his friends were frustrated with the kid and my son (my grandson's dad) is a teacher in the neighboring elementary school and aware of this kid. Perhaps the kid heard about the myth and acted it out? But, in my case it was real.

 

[sam_gordon]

Come on, just read the last few pages of this thread. There have been several in favor of it.

I do not have time to go through and quote all of them but these two were easy to find:

See, I read the same posts you quoted as they wouldn't have a problem if men were allowed in the women's room, not that they should be. And before you quote me, I'm the same. I don't have a problem with separate mens/women's bathrooms, but it also wouldn't surprise me to see more Unisex bathrooms in the future. As I said before, if they do that, they need to close the gaps of the stalls (which they should do anyway).

 

[ford family]

Guys guys! Today I went outside and saw.. a man! A man!! In public!!! The audacity !!!! Obviously I reported him to the Women Protection authorities and he was dragged away in chains. The streets are safe again.

Reductio ad absurdum rarely adds any value to a discussion and your comment is no exception.

ford family

 

[starlite_]

Reductio ad absurdum rarely adds any value to a discussion and your comment is no exception.

ford family

Hello Ford Family conglomerate! I disagree, it made a few ppl laugh which was the point, so I consider it a success .

 

[Living42Day]

See, I read the same posts you quoted as they wouldn't have a problem if men were allowed in the women's room, not that they should be. And before you quote me, I'm the same. I don't have a problem with separate mens/women's bathrooms, but it also wouldn't surprise me to see more Unisex bathrooms in the future. As I said before, if they do that, they need to close the gaps of the stalls (which they should do anyway).

I can't foresee any company wanting to completely rip out their existing infrastructure and put in new partitions unless they are forced to by law. That is big $$ that will cut into profits. And to that point, I cannot see the US government passing a law to require public spaces be unisex in the foreseeable future.

I stayed at a hotel in London that had the best public bathroom. Floor to ceiling heavy doors and were spacious, but still separated by gender. And actually, most of the public restrooms I utilized in London and later in France had similar designs but were all still separated by gender. I would consider the UK/France to be a tad more progressive than the US, so if they have not went to a unisex design I am not sure if we in the US ever will. I wish we had the stalls they do, but alas...

 

[JLTraveling]

You brought up the drag pronoun thing, not me. I guess you should explain why that matters.

Pronouns matter for two basic reasons: First and foremost, because we should strive to refer to people the way they want to be referred to. But more relevant to this conversation, because when they are in drag, they see themselves as women. Ergo, not remotely a threat to other women any more than a cis hetero biological female would be. If someone who sees themselves as a woman is in the women's room, how is that a threat to you or anyone else in that room?

 

[Disneychick13]

Pronouns matter for two basic reasons: First and foremost, because we should strive to refer to people the way they want to be referred to. But more relevant to this conversation, because when they are in drag, they see themselves as women. Ergo, not remotely a threat to other women any more than a cis hetero biological female would be. If someone who sees themselves as a woman is in the women's room, how is that a threat to you or anyone else in that room?

Pronouns don’t matter in the bathroom arena because strangers aren’t taking to each other declaring their nomenclature.

I am being sensitive to the fact that you personally know people who perform in drag and I can see it come through in your words that you are advocating for them and that you care deeply about this issue. But everything I’ve ever read about drag and the history of drag always points to the fact that it is a performative art form. That people who perform in drag, much like actors on the screen or the stage, are playing a role. In the case of drag that would be the role of kind of an exaggerated woman or even a caricature of a woman. I can’t consider a man who portrays a woman in a stage act a woman any more than I would consider a person who plays a cat an actual feline. That being said, I don’t consider a drag queen any more or less capable or likely to commit any type of crime than a typical male. I’m not afraid of drag queens just like I’m not afraid of men in general. I would just like women to be able to keep bathrooms as a protected space.

 

[ronandannette]

Pronouns don’t matter in the bathroom arena because strangers aren’t taking to each other declaring their nomenclature.

I am being sensitive to the fact that you personally know people who perform in drag and I can see it come through in your words that you are advocating for them and that you care deeply about this issue. But everything I’ve ever read about drag and the history of drag always points to the fact that it is a performative art form. That people who perform in drag, much like actors on the screen or the stage, are playing a role. In the case of drag that would be the role of kind of an exaggerated woman or even a caricature of a woman. I can’t consider a man who portrays a woman in a stage act a woman any more than I would consider a person who plays a cat an actual feline. That being said, I don’t consider a drag queen any more or less capable or likely to commit any type of crime than a typical male. I’m not afraid of drag queens just like I’m not afraid of men in general. I would just like women to be able to keep bathrooms as a protected space.

Very well put, thoughtful and without a shred of malice.

 

[JLTraveling]

Pronouns don’t matter in the bathroom arena because strangers aren’t taking to each other declaring their nomenclature.

I am being sensitive to the fact that you personally know people who perform in drag and I can see it come through in your words that you are advocating for them and that you care deeply about this issue. But everything I’ve ever read about drag and the history of drag always points to the fact that it is a performative art form. That people who perform in drag, much like actors on the screen or the stage, are playing a role. In the case of drag that would be the role of kind of an exaggerated woman or even a caricature of a woman. I can’t consider a man who portrays a woman in a stage act a woman any more than I would consider a person who plays a cat an actual feline. That being said, I don’t consider a drag queen any more or less capable or likely to commit any type of crime than a typical male. I’m not afraid of drag queens just like I’m not afraid of men in general. I would just like women to be able to keep bathrooms as a protected space.

Thank you for being sensitive in your response. Now, I also have an extensive background in theater. And for the most part, when actors come off stage, that's it. Character goes away. For drag performers, at least the dozens I know, it's more like method acting. The performer so thoroughly inhabits the character that they psychologically become that character until the costume comes off. And costume wise, it's something akin to Lon Chaney in Hunchback of Notre Dame, when he wore a 50 pound harness that contorted his body and made it impossible to stand up straight.

So in short, there's both a psychological and a physical reason for drag queens to use the women's room, outside of their safety. They REALLY need a stall to have room to take care of business, and the number of stalls in a men's room is quite limited. And they're fully inhabiting the character in a way that most actors don't. So again, they're zero threat to any woman...but cis hetero males are certainly a threat to them.

 

[sam_gordon]

I had to share with this thread... I used a women's restroom while out in public today.

DW and I were out shopping and I HAD to use the restroom. I go back to where they are and the men's is closed. DW is at the front of the store waiting in line. I knocked on the womens door, waited a moment and pushed it open. There was a store employee washing her hands. I told her the men's room was closed and she told me to come in and she would stand guard. So I did my business (put the seat down afterwards), washed my hands and thanked her as I exited.

Of course, while I was in there, I couldn't stop thinking about this thread.

 

[leahgoogle]

Very well put, thoughtful and without a shred of malice.

Yes!!! @Disneychick13 can say exactly what I am thinking in the most respectful way!!!!

 

[leahgoogle]

I can't foresee any company wanting to completely rip out their existing infrastructure and put in new partitions unless they are forced to by law. That is big $$ that will cut into profits. And to that point, I cannot see the US government passing a law to require public spaces be unisex in the foreseeable future.

I stayed at a hotel in London that had the best public bathroom. Floor to ceiling heavy doors and were spacious, but still separated by gender. And actually, most of the public restrooms I utilized in London and later in France had similar designs but were all still separated by gender. I would consider the UK/France to be a tad more progressive than the US, so if they have not went to a unisex design I am not sure if we in the US ever will. I wish we had the stalls they do, but alas...

Buc-ees bathrooms aren't big, but are floor to ceiling heavy doors and still separated by gender. It is great!!!

 

[BrianL]

I can't foresee any company wanting to completely rip out their existing infrastructure and put in new partitions unless they are forced to by law. That is big $$ that will cut into profits. And to that point, I cannot see the US government passing a law to require public spaces be unisex in the foreseeable future.

No, I don't think places will be really eager to rip them out, however I do think we are seeing the trend with new builds or heavy renovation projects leaning toward making them that way to begin with, which I am happy to see. It will not be the norm for quite a while though.

 

[scrapquitler]

I was just reading about a walk out at a high school over gender bathrooms and transgender students--
the females are afraid of using the bathrooms at school since transgender they/them (sorry but Im not sure of the correct word here)
walking in

I had an incident happen serveral years ago
we went to a restrauant that our DD was a manager
there were 3 guys in there dressed as women
I needed to use the bathroom but they walked into the ladies room ahead of me
I thought Id wait till they came out
our daughter actually got an attidude over the fact that I wouldnt go in there while there were 3 guys
was I in the wrong here

just wondering what others thought of the walk out which I think was in PA
and what happened to me

If I'm in a multi stall bathroom where there are stall doors around me, I don't care at all who is in the other stall. In fact, in an emergency situation with a huge crowd in the ladies room, I have been known to use the mens room.
The only thing that I care is that 1. you don't pee on the seat, 2. you flush when you are done and 3. for goodness sakes, PLEASE wash your hands.

 

[Dznypal]

one thing that surprises me is the females that think its ok to go into the mens room if theres a long line for the womens bathroom

I think there would be a fair amount of women that would be screaming if a man flew into the womens bathroom if theres a line for the mens which usually never happens but for the sake of the post

also that surprises me was the women that feel comfortable with men in drag I hate to say it but you dont know what there going to do

I wouldnt have a problem if there were a line of single use bathroom sort of like the family ones are they wouldnt even put sinks in each one when you come out theres a row of sinks

we just got back from a trip to the British Isles and on our tour in Scotland it was like that
there were 2 single use stalls and you just used the one that opened up first

 

[sam_gordon]

also that surprises me was the women that feel comfortable with men in drag I hate to say it but you dont know what there going to do

Yes you do. There's a 99% chance (if not more), they're going to go into a stall, do their business, come out, wash their hands (maybe that's not 99% ), and leave.

 

[Southernmiss]

We were 6 women traveling 3 hours to a baby shower in January this year.

When we arrived at the venue (a specialty sandwich/brunch restaurant) which was open only for the shower that day, there was a line at the women's room, just a 2 seater with typical stalls.

With only 5 men in attendance (family members of the new parents), several of our group me included went to the men's room-same set up as the ladies room-easy choice. Allowed us to go right away and to keep the women's line moving for others.

 

[lisaviolet]

Edit

 

[GreatLakes]

Trans <> drag