Washrooms

[Kim]

Ok,
  Here is the dilemma. I am pre op IS but passable now (that pic is a bit old). However, the law of the land anywhere you go is you must use the washroom assigned to the gender you were born as unless you are post op. We were at the drive-in the other night and in respect of the laws, I slid slacks over my skirt, put my coat over my blouse and went to the canteen. Thinking I could look male enough I started to enter the men's room (yechy). However, a guy coming out smiled and said no dear the ladie's room is across the hall. I played dumb as though I was just checking the sign on the open door, smiled and crossed the hall. A couple of the gals started talking to me and said that they definitely need to put up better signage since the only sign is small ones on an open door to both washrooms. We talked a bit while in line , did my thing and returned to my van. Now, was I wrong to enter the ladies room since I am pre op only or not?? Maybe I could just take a pop bottle next time!!lol
                                                       Kim   

[AnnieE]

I wouldn't risk it. You would probably be labeled as a sex offender or something. I'm not familar with laws though.

[Keira]

I'm pre-op in Canada (Montreal) also and just go into any women's washroom all the time.
If your passable enough to do it, do it.

Maybe a letter from your psychologist can help (carry letter), but I've never needed one and others I know who have it never use it.

[Berliegh]

I'm pre-op in Canada (Montreal) also and just go into any women's washroom all the time.
If your passable enough to do it, do it.

Maybe a letter from your psychologist can help (carry letter), but I've never needed one and others I know who have it never use it.

Same here.......I only go into the women's washroom.


I did go into a gents washroom in 2002 and got thrown out....so I never went in since...

[melissa90299]

I don't think I have ever heard of a single incident in the last few years where a transperson who was minding his or her business was arrested for using a bathroom. I am surprised that Canada seems even more repressive than the States according to the post anyway.

In California, the law is you use the restromm that fits your won gender expression. However, even when I had an M on my license and wasn't completely passable, I always used the ladies room after the guys started giving me weird looks in the men's room. The thing is no one can ask for proof, (meaning a pantie check!)

[ErickaM]

Here is Virginia Beach there is a lot of family rest rooms and that is always a good place to go seeing how we are a big military area no one needs a confrontation in the men's room and the cops in this area are mostly ex-military personnel and have the same mentality so for us here it is best to use the family rooms. 

[LostInTime]

I don't think I have ever heard of a single incident in the last few years where a transperson who was minding his or her business was arrested for using a bathroom. I am surprised that Canada seems even more repressive than the States according to the post anyway.

I think one of the T Katrina victims actually had some issues, it made the news but I do not have time to search the forum.

[Dennis]

I don't think I have ever heard of a single incident in the last few years where a transperson who was minding his or her business was arrested for using a bathroom. I am surprised that Canada seems even more repressive than the States according to the post anyway.

I don't think the original poster is from Canada. Here, you use the washroom of your gender presentation. I don't think there's a law about it, except that it's discriminatory to bar a transwoman from the women's room.

Dennis

[Sheila]

I never had any problems with the restroom. I don't know where you are from, but I do know that most places don't have any potty police. I would ask your therapist for a letter stating that you are in the process of transitioning. I know I carried a letter around like that, never used it. It made me feel secure enough.
The last time I used the mens room was just like what you did. I thought I wouldn't pass and figured not to make any problems and started into the mens room, it was a small one, one urinal and the toilet. He was using the urinal and I walked in and he looked at me and turned away really fast and said MA'AM YOU ARE IN THE WRONG RESTROOM!. I turned around and walked out and as I was walking out another woman saw me coming out and just assumed that I was coming out of the womans restroom. That poor guy. I have not been in the mens room since.
Sheila

[Berliegh]

I don't think the original poster is from Canada. Here, you use the washroom of your gender presentation. I don't think there's a law about it, except that it's discriminatory to bar a transwoman from the women's room.

Dennis

Dennis, what's a transwomen? please use call us either transsexual or female.......my objective was to be female and not to end up as a 'transwomen' ......it sounds like something out of Star trek!

[melissa90299]

Berliegh, that is an accepted term and the term of choice for many of us. It beats Transsexual IMO

Kim lives in Canada per her profile. Don't the provinces have different laws like the states in the US?

[Karla B]

I don't think I have ever heard of a single incident in the last few years where a transperson who was minding his or her business was arrested for using a bathroom. I am surprised that Canada seems even more repressive than the States according to the post anyway.

In California, the law is you use the restromm that fits your won gender expression. However, even when I had an M on my license and wasn't completely passable, I always used the ladies room after the guys started giving me weird looks in the men's room. The thing is no one can ask for proof, (meaning a pantie check!)

I think there must be a misunderstanding here. I also live in Canada, I don't think that it's repressive here at all. As a matter of fact this country is quite liberal in those matters. Even Gays were allowed to get Married. While the US was walking backwards on that issue.

[Dennis]

Kim lives in Canada per her profile. Don't the provinces have different laws like the states in the US?

You're right, also according to her sig. My bad for not reading. The provinces have different laws in some respects, but some laws are federal. I don't know that New Brunswick has a specific law about what washroom to use and I know there's no federal one. Lemme do some research and see what I can find. It may be that Kim's mistaken there.

Here's the synopsis of the law in B.C.:

In the Sheridan case, A BC Human Rights Tribunal rules that discrimination against a transsexual constitutes discrimination because of sex. A nightclub patron who was a pre-operative male to female transsexual was denied access to the women's washroom in 1995. The nightclub had a policy that preoperative transsexuals had to use the washroom of their birth sex. In addition, the nightclub had a strict i.d. policy and the complainant was denied entry one evening because she did not resemble the picture on her driver's licence.

The Tribunal ruled that the washroom policy was discriminatory. To its credit, the nightclub had changed its policy in 1996. The complainant was awarded $2000 for injury to her dignity, feelings and self-respect. The Tribunal also ruled that the nightclub had justified its strict i.d. policy and, given that the complainant had had ample time to change her identification, the refusal of entry was not discriminatory.

edit: can't find anything specific to New Brunswick, but human rights law across Canada seems to be following the BC law, so I doubt that Kim's assessment of what the state of the law is is accurate. As long as you are presenting as female, you use the women's washroom. If they bar you, they are discriminating against you. Mind you, there are issues of personal safety and common sense involved as well.

If it was an issue for criminal law, that is federal in Canada, and there is no law against using a particular washroom in Canada.

Dennis

[Sheila]

Isn't it funny (not hahafunny) that the restroom issue is all about the MtoF and not FtoM. I have not heard of anyone thrown out of a place who was FtoM because they used the mens room. When restroom issues come up its all about some man in a dress in the womans restroom. You never hear about some woman in jeans in the mens room. Just something my little brain was processing when reading these posts.
Sheila

[Kim]

Thank you all,
   I appreciate the input. I feel it really shouldn't be a problem but was just wondering what others thought since I'm still in the early stage of public appearance. Just easing into things and I just didn't want to do anything to jeopardize myself. As far as a law I am not sure about that fact to be honest (just assumed it existed since you don't see men in the ladies room!!lol). Nothing here surprises me. As I am sure other canucks here can attest to, my lil' eastern province of NB is conservative and religious at the same time. I feel better now about the situation and thank you again,
                                                        Kim   

[melissa90299]

Isn't it funny (not hahafunny) that the restroom issue is all about the MtoF and not FtoM. I have not heard of anyone thrown out of a place who was FtoM because they used the mens room. When restroom issues come up its all about some man in a dress in the womans restroom. You never hear about some woman in jeans in the mens room. Just something my little brain was processing when reading these posts.
Sheila

Au contraire, FtMs go through the same thing.