Op-ed: My Bathroom Transition, and Letting Go of Trans Privilege

[SandraJane]

Posted on Advocate.com August 24, 2011 04:00:00 AM ET

Op-ed: My Bathroom Transition, and Letting Go of Trans Privilege

There is one special right in the workplace so unique to Nick Krieger that he refers to it as trans privilege: His own private bathroom.
By Nick Krieger, op-ed contributor

http://www.advocate.com/Politics/Commentary/Letting_Go_of_Trans_Privilege_My_Bathroom_Transition/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed

In the past two-and-a-half years, I've found that while there are an infinite number of personal rewards in being transgender (like comfort, joy, and knowing myself), there are very few "privileges" for those who exist outside of society's rigidly enforced gender binary. But there is one special right I've had in the workplace so unique to me that I refer to it as trans privilege: I have my own private bathroom.

[Lisbeth]

And if you had your own private restroom because you were black, you would still feel this to be a privilege?

[VeryGnawty]

Being so awkward and out of place that people don't know what to do with you is not a privilege.

[Annah]

Posted on Advocate.com August 24, 2011 04:00:00 AM ET

Op-ed: My Bathroom Transition, and Letting Go of Trans Privilege

There is one special right in the workplace so unique to Nick Krieger that he refers to it as trans privilege: His own private bathroom.
By Nick Krieger, op-ed contributor

http://www.advocate.com/Politics/Commentary/Letting_Go_of_Trans_Privilege_My_Bathroom_Transition/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed

In the past two-and-a-half years, I've found that while there are an infinite number of personal rewards in being transgender (like comfort, joy, and knowing myself), there are very few "privileges" for those who exist outside of society's rigidly enforced gender binary. But there is one special right I've had in the workplace so unique to me that I refer to it as trans privilege: I have my own private bathroom.

that doesn't feel like a privilege to me. Sounds like discrimination

[apple pie]

The author of the article requested to use a separate bathroom. He wasn't forced to use it. It isn't the company discriminating against him. He asked for it because he wasn't comfortable with using the common bathrooms yet, and the company agreed. I'd say the company is pretty accommodating...

[VeryGnawty]

He asked for it because he wasn't comfortable with using the common bathrooms yet

I stand by my original statement.  Being so awkward and out of place that people don't know what to do with you is not a privilege.  It's nice that this individual has adequate bathroom facilities, but the fact that Nick even feels that he needs special facilities reveals exactly how "privileged" he really is.

[Constance]

I'm not at that point in my transition yet, but I can't see my employer building a separate rest room just for me.

[apple pie]

I stand by my original statement.  Being so awkward and out of place that people don't know what to do with you is not a privilege.  It's nice that this individual has adequate bathroom facilities, but the fact that Nick even feels that he needs special facilities reveals exactly how "privileged" he really is.

Your statement is no problem with me I wasn't talking about whether or not being awkward amongst people was a privilege or not anyway he just mentioned "having a separate bathroom" as a privilege...

[Lisbeth]

I'm not at that point in my transition yet, but I can't see my employer building a separate rest room just for me.

They didn't. It was an existing facility.

This reminds me of the bathroom conflict I had at work several years ago. The perpetrator tried to say that they had built the unisex bathroom for me and I should be grateful. I happened to know better and told him exactly why that bathroom was built. It was because of a major customer of ours who wanted to restrict public access to the employee bathrooms. The unisex bathroom was the public one.

Never accept a line of bull->-bleeped-<- about being discriminated against being a "privilege."