Just curious and I ask you because of your experience, do that find that Muslims and other folks of non European culture are ok with the unisex bathrooms? I would think it would be harder for them to adjust as so many aspects of their lives are gender separated, but of course, I could be wrong.
I'm not the person you asked, but I have spent considerable time in the Middle East and a little bit of time in eastern Asia. I don't remember anything of note in Asia, but I think you probably care most about the Middle Eastern reaction, right?
I lived in one Middle Eastern country for nearly two years, and during that time visited 3 other ME countries. While the norm is to have bathrooms separated by gender, occasionally there are unisex bathrooms with more than one stall,
leading to men and women being in the restroom together. I wouldn't call it common, but I saw it enough to stop being surprised. Maybe 5% of the time? Additionally, I have on numerous occasions seen ME men enter a women's restroom if the men's was full. I've never seen a ME woman enter a men's restroom, but then I really had no reason to ever look at the men's restroom. So to answer your question, I'd say they are okay with it in at least a few ME countries. Whether Muslims specifically are okay with it I really can't answer, but considering they make up by far the majority population in these countries, I'd say the answer is yes.
Fun fact: in the ME, it's quite common for the stalls to be in separate rooms while the sinks are in a common area outside. Personally I hate this because it means everybody is grabbing the door handle with unwashed hands
Yes, pervs will be pervs. I'm wondering if the law would give a male perv masquerading as a transgender to get into the women's room some legal protection. He could say "Hey, I identify as female so I can go in the women's bathroom." Maybe all he's doing in there is standing around and leering at women as they go in and out of the stalls. Maybe he's looking at the women's feet under the stall walls and making yummy noises. Would either of these behaviors be illegal? This law gives him another avenue for his pervy behavior in a place where women feel particularly vulnerable. I suppose it is the same for men in the men's room but men are not likely to feel physically threatened by women. They could, but not likely.
Yes, leering is illegal. I don't know what you mean by yummy noises, but anything that is obviously sexual gratification from looking at a non-consenting individual's genitals is also illegal. It's not the legality that's an issue, it's the ability to prove someone was doing something wrong. Think of how often you think someone is looking at you, and it turns out they are looking at someone behind you or just staring into space. Same issue. It would be hard to prosecute. But if your concern is that allowing transgendered persons into the bathroom of their identified gender because cisgendered persons might take advantage, I cannot stress enough that
there was never anything stopping either of those groups from entering any bathroom before now.
Also, as a lifelong woman and female (those are different things...) I don't feel particularly vulnerable when I'm in the bathroom. Why on earth would I??
I think the concern for some, and I am not saying it is correct or even likely, is that any law that allows a man to use a women's restroom or locker room based on his gender identity may embolden perverts, because the perverts may think there is less chance of being charged with anything if caught. The perverts may think that if they are caught under the newer gender identity laws, they can start lying about being Questioning or whatever else it takes and thus more likely avoid charges. I'm not saying this is true. I am just considering how perverts may think. The perverts may think those lies would not work under the traditional laws, and it would be more likely to be charged for being in the "wrong" restroom or locker room. (This is a very lame analogy, but if it was made legal for a man to take a candy bar from the cash register line if he identifies as a woman, then IMO there would be men who identify as men taking candy bars who, if confronted, would lie and say they identify as a woman. It's just sorry human nature.)
And to be clear, By perverts I mean ANYONE who is specifically entering the restroom or locker room to invade privacy or worse. And yes, I am using a man entering a women's restroom or locker room as an example. I know perverts come in all genders. I have a nine-year old daughter, so my personal worst case scenario involves her safety in a restroom or locker room. And yes, I do know perverts can do this under the traditional laws. My whole point is to consider how perverts may potentially think under both types of laws.
As a former military member, I was taught to think like the enemy. Similarly for personal self-defense, you should think like a criminal, or in this case a pervert. I think it is reasonable to consider this scenario, and those who are honestly concerned should not just be dismissed as bigots or worse. Also as a former military member, I believe it is crucial to preserve the freedoms of all our citizens. Trans people need to be extended all the same freedoms as their fellow citizens. This may mean that others accept a little more risk, or hopefully that other measures will be taken to ensure security for all (e.g. family restrooms, etc).
1. Perverts wouldn't be able to avoid exposure or peeping tom charges just because they claim they are transgendered. The crime has nothing to do with the gender identity.
2. As a current military member, I can assume that if you were taught to think like the enemy you were also taught to consider most likely/most dangerous courses of action. Most likely, a pervert isn't going to draw attention to themselves by walking into the restroom of the opposite sex because they take great effort to hide their perversions. Most dangerous is actually committing a sex crime, which as I discussed in 1. would still be prosecuted regardless of gender identity. Legislating that people use the bathroom of their birth gender does nothing to prevent perversion, and doesn't help prosecute perverts.
Putting aside the NC law, are there actually laws that prohibit people from going into the opposite gender bathrooms? I always assumed this was just a social norm/courtesy kind of thing. I know I've accidentally gone into the men's room on occasion and it never occurred to me that I was breaking the law.
If a man (born a man, identifies as a man, dresses as a man) walks into a woman's room, is he breaking the law or just breaking social conventions?
I've had a few friends ask this same question, and none of them has been able to find any evidence of laws prohibiting either sex from entering the bathroom of the opposite sex. As several posters have mentioned, it's not rare at all. And many people (women) do it intentionally!
I agree.
I have absolutely NO issue whatsoever sharing a bathroom with a transgendered individual. None whatsoever. I DO have a problem sharing a bathroom with a MAN who is pretending & taking full advantage of this new law in order to get a peek at girls. And I'm not necessarily talking about a pervert that is looking to harm a woman or child, but just a full-blooded, testosterone-charged male looking for a cheap thrill. Not sure about you all, but in my teens and early 20's, I knew PLENTY of guys that would JUMP at the chance to enter a women's locker room, fitting room, or restroom... and now they can legally. I'm not comfortable with that at all. Women will have absolutely no privacy. Sorry, but I don't want to pee in front of a normal male that is standing outside my stall just so he can get his jollies.
Honestly, we go in this direction, we might as well make every bathroom, fitting room, and locker room unisex in every public place and school. Just get rid of all gender separations. What's the point of having male/female if we can go in either that we choose?
Sad that in order to give someone else their "right to choose", it takes away my "right to privacy, decency, & dignity."
Nobody is suggesting taking away your privacy, decency, and dignity. If people were suggesting using the open toilets that apparently exist in Japan, that would probably take away privacy, decency, and dignity for some (most) people, but nobody is suggesting that. But if a male is in the same restroom as you, and assuming you are in the stall when you expose yourself, then you still have the same privacy, decency, and dignity you have when a woman is in there with you. I'm going to assume you aren't walking around the public portion of the restroom exposing body parts to others. The stall is there to protect your privacy, decency, and dignity...not the bathroom door.
What utopia has such amazing stall doors?!
Honestly, I bet that would take care of the majority of the issues people have. It guarantees total privacy while doing your business.
I've seen a few, especially in high end hotels. The stall doors in the Middle East generally aren't that tall/long, but they are formed such that there are no vertical cracks that someone could look through.
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Additional thoughts:
1. Super excited how many people are against this law. Right on!
2. I don't know about you guys, but I often see bathroom doors propped open especially in stores and airports. If people aren't complaining about the door being open, what the heck is the problem with people using the same bathroom? Is there some force field I'm unaware of?
