Transgenders and bathrooms....

[MillauFr]

I was traveling this week and had a layover in Baltimore. I walked into the ladies room and there was a guy in there! So you know what I did? I just looked at him, walked into the stall and peed. Oh the horrors of seeing him there!!

Sorry that was me. I accidently walked into the wrong restroom...

 

[Planogirl]

It's not only about safety. It's also about comfort and ALL people should feel comfortable when they do something as basic as use the bathroom. Scoffing at them or showing how morally superior you are doesn't change that.

 

[sunshinehighway]

Pretty sure the poster meant they kept a record (checked kids names on the list) verses actually recorded (video taped) the kids showering.

Oh, I hope so. When I read recorded, I took it as recorded, like taped.

We never took showers in gym. It certainly wasn't mandatory.
Maybe stopping with these mandatory group showers would be an easy solution to some people's concerns about schools.
I bet those showers make lots of teen uncomfortable to being with so if the comfort level of students is a concern, those forced showers should be an issue.

 

[msjprincess]

It's not only about safety. It's also about comfort and ALL people should feel comfortable when they do something as basic as use the bathroom. Scoffing at them or showing how morally superior you are doesn't change that.

How do you go about guaranteeing that everyone will feel comfortable in the bathroom?

 

[Planogirl]

How do you go about guaranteeing that everyone will feel comfortable in the bathroom?

Truly private stalls and not the ridiculous flimsy things with wide cracks that many have now. Or even better family style bathrooms for everyone when able.

I see these options at many places so it is possible. I doubt that most businesses will want to spend the money though.

 

[dbrn]

Oh, I hope so. When I read recorded, I took it as recorded, like taped.

We never took showers in gym. It certainly wasn't mandatory.
Maybe stopping with these mandatory group showers would be an easy solution to some people's concerns about schools.
I bet those showers make lots of teen uncomfortable to being with so if the comfort level of students is a concern, those forced showers should be an issue.

I'm sorry for my confusing wording. I did mean that they checked our names off a list and recorded it in their grade books.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

Wish I had gone to school where you did. We all had to change in a big locker room with just benches, and had to take a full shower in an open shower room after class. Like another person said, it was part of our grade, and our showers were recorded. The only exceptions were for your monthly period, when you could take a partial, and that was tracked. There was one bathroom stall, and the teacher watched to ensure that people weren't using it as a changing room so that it could be used by those who needed to use the bathroom. It was bad enough as it was; I wouldn't have wanted to have to change and shower with individuals of the opposite sex.

*Snip*

I can tell you this, I would much rather change my clothes in front of peers of any gender than be forced to shower in front of an adult who was keeping track of my periods. That is so creepy to me. My mother said this is what gym was like when she was a kid so I'd already heard about this, but... yuck! Talk about highly inappropriate and an invasion of privacy on multiple levels. That takes the cake.

As far as my locker room experiences, the showers were open-style, no privacy, and they were used by exactly zero students. No one showered, ever. I remember the gym teacher telling us she had come into the school early one morning to take a shower because she'd lost power at home and we were all shocked to find out water ran from those things. Lol. We just assumed they'd been shut off long ago.

 

[sunshinehighway]

I'm sorry for my confusing wording. I did mean that they checked our names off a list and recorded it in their grade books.

Oh ok. I was somewhat horrified by the idea that they would video record showers and it wasn't a big deal. I thought I had entered bizarro world.
Like I said previously, nobody showered after gym in my school and we had curtained shower stalls. There wouldn't have even been time to do that and make it to the next class. There was barely time to change out of gym clothes.

 

[bcla]

I don't get it was done to "scare" people, I'd guess more to show how dumb it is to say I can use any room I want because that's just how I "feel" today! And the ones worrying about molesting in the bathroom are just wrong, that's very few and far between. Most are not molested in a bathroom.

The biggest issues with bathrooms are drug use and same-sex anonymous hookups. None of which would be even remotely covered by this law, even if there were any enforcement or penalty provisions.

 

[bcla]

Oh ok. I was somewhat horrified by the idea that they would video record showers and it wasn't a big deal. I thought I had entered bizarro world.
Like I said previously, nobody showered after gym in my school and we had curtained shower stalls. There wouldn't have even been time to do that and make it to the next class. There was barely time to change out of gym clothes.

Our locker rooms in HS were open, but I never saw anyone take a shower. I suppose they might have been used by athletic teams after practice or games, but they were completely dry.

I have been taking my kid to swim lessons, and the facilities are split. At least with the male facilities they have one big shared shower room and two accessible stalls with curtains and drop-down benches. They also have a single private room, which they request only be used by those with special needs, such as disabled or moms with sons or dads with daughters. I suppose they would be alright if a trans person wanted to use it.

 

[damskipi13]

There's laws about bathroom use?

Did you really come into this conversation 26 pages in and start commenting without knowing what this was about?

 

[rajak73]

Did you really come into this conversation 26 pages in and start commenting without knowing what this was about?

 

[sunshinehighway]

Did you really come into this conversation 26 pages in and start commenting without knowing what this was about?

I figured it was just some snarky, nit picking comment.

 

[damskipi13]

I figured it was just some snarky, nit picking comment.

Could be, but then the post above yours certainly doesn't clarify the matter. Probably a troll.

 

[SirDuff]

Could be, but then the post above yours certainly doesn't clarify the matter. Probably a troll.

Based on the unedited version of that post, I'd agree with your conclusion (or, at least, someone who finds himself/herself very amusing).

 

[Uncle Remus]

Interesting compilation:
Women are getting harassed in bathrooms because of anti-transgender hysteria

 

[rajak73]

Could be, but then the post above yours certainly doesn't clarify the matter. Probably a troll.

Yes, probably. I make sure I ask you next time before I post!

 

[bcla]

It's not only about safety. It's also about comfort and ALL people should feel comfortable when they do something as basic as use the bathroom. Scoffing at them or showing how morally superior you are doesn't change that.

The issue is that once a protected class is involved, the ability to deal with someone else being "uncomfortable" may be limited. For instance, I mentioned a situation where someone may be uncomfortable being seated next to others of a particular race/ethnicity/etc. or perhaps a server in a protected class. Should the management ask the members of the protected class to relocate or have the server replaced, the business may be in a world of hurt for violating civil rights laws.

I don't necessarily scoff that someone may be uncomfortable, but the law doesn't allow that to be a rationale for violation of civil rights. We all end up dealing with being in situations where our preferred outcome may not occur. Whether or not such concerns are "reasonable" doesn't factor into how a law is enforced.

 

[Planogirl]

The issue is that once a protected class is involved, the ability to deal with someone else being "uncomfortable" may be limited. For instance, I mentioned a situation where someone may be uncomfortable being seated next to others of a particular race/ethnicity/etc. or perhaps a server in a protected class. Should the management ask the members of the protected class to relocate or have the server replaced, the business may be in a world of hurt for violating civil rights laws.

I don't necessarily scoff that someone may be uncomfortable, but the law doesn't allow that to be a rationale for violation of civil rights. We all end up dealing with being in situations where our preferred outcome may not occur. Whether or not such concerns are "reasonable" doesn't factor into how a law is enforced.

Nudity is part of the issue. Yes, I realize that that is more about locker rooms but nudity under certain circumstances is still an issue. Where is that line drawn?

Also I realize that civil rights take priority. However I personally care about the comfort of others even if it's not as important in the eyes of the law. The bathroom problem and even the locker room issue could be easily solved if businesses would just put forth some effort. That is really my only point. I understand that the law doesn't care.

 

[bcla]

Nudity is part of the issue. Yes, I realize that that is more about locker rooms but nudity under certain circumstances is still an issue. Where is that line drawn?

Also I realize that civil rights take priority. However I personally care about the comfort of others even if it's not as important in the eyes of the law. The bathroom problem and even the locker room issue could be easily solved if businesses would just put forth some effort. That is really my only point. I understand that the law doesn't care.

Sure it's possible to provide individual changing facilities, but that gets expensive rather quickly to provide that for everyone. In most cases it would be impractical because it takes up much more space. What's not possible when the law is in force it to tell (possibly even suggest) members of a protected class to do something specifically because others are uncomfortable with their presence. I certainly understand the sentiment and don't take it as something that's on the same level as wanting a black/Asian/etc person to be elsewhere. However, in the case of the federal education guidance letter, that for a trans person is equally prohibited. That's just the reality.