Bathroom Access for Transgender Community Poses Design Challenge

http://curbed.com/archives/2015/12/17/-transgender-bathrooms-public-debate-rights-laws-design-gender-unisex.php

Curbed/Thursday, December 17, 2015, by Patrick Sisson

"The United States has witnessed a sea-change in the visibility of the transgender community over the last few years. From the prominence of celebrities such as Caitlyn Jenner and Laverne Cox to increasing acceptance of and accommodations for transgender youth, the fuller, more fluid range of gender identity is being expressed and welcomed in the public sphere more than ever."

Sorry, can't agree with this article. Bathroom access is not a design challenge. Trans people want a toidy and a sink in their bathrooms just like everyone else.

Bathroom access is a cultural problem.

I really cant think of any design changes that would be needed to the ladies room for me to use it, the last 6 months everything has worked fine, my parts work fine, the toilet works fine its all together a good system why change that.

ohh ya, irational fear and stupidity. I often forget about those.

Serena

Quote from: Valwen on December 20, 2015, 02:26:52 AM
I really cant think of any design changes that would be needed to the ladies room for me to use it...

Not a trans* issue, but some bathrooms could use better privacy and maintenance. When I went to see Star Wars, the bathroom at the theater had gaps so large between the door and posts that someone standing at the sink could see right into the stall. I've seen door locks that didn't work or in some cases were missing.

Miller's Ale House by comparison does it right. There is no way you can see into one of their stalls without being at least 7 feet tall or standing on something as there is only a small gap between the top of the door and the ceiling.

I will raise a question.

Is there another country outside of the USA that has such a problem with toilets?

I would suggest that this is a local cultural issue that has been overcome in other countries by people using the toilet to which they gender identify.

Part of the problem is that Americans take prudishness to an extreme.  It's much worse here than in any other country in either Europe or Asia where I have lived or visited.


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Quote from: Cindy on December 23, 2015, 10:45:25 PM
I will raise a question.

Is there another country outside of the USA that has such a problem with toilets?

I would suggest that this is a local cultural issue that has been overcome in other countries by people using the toilet to which they gender identify.

That I know of, no there is not other country outside the US.

It is cultural and we have a LOT of people who seem to take an enormous interest in toilets.  It's almost a fetish here.

When I was in Korea I had to bathe once squatting stark naked under a water pump while my soon to be wife pumped it by hand.  This was next to the street in full view of anyone walking by.  Imagine that in the US.  Arrested and branded as a sex offender for life.  Americans have serious hang ups.


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Lets not get into too much criticism  though! Culture is culture and can be weird if you were not brought up in it.

The thing to me that is totally weird is that the problem is so extremely simple to fix and the movement has already started with restaurant chains just switching to gender neutral washrooms. It's really such a no brainer . The other problem I've just discovered is that the reason cities have always had M and F washrooms has got to do with the plumbing codes.  I mean talk about ludicrous . The plumbing codes need to be changed through the court system in order to have the exact same bathroom labeled either male or female. I mean what the heck is that. The code states there has to be one restroom labeled M and the other labeled F when there are only two single occupancy restrooms. Is that a reflection of the particular culture or what. I f it made sense if would be understandable.

Talking for myself being from the UK and friends I have here who are also transitioning from a male body to female body, none of us really care about bathroom stuff at all.

Actually we talked about it the other day, with one person bringing up a similar thing saying about a ''transgender only'' bathroom and to be honest that would be much worse for the people who don't want to identify themselves as trans (in other words transitioning people who just identify as male or female, regardless of body).

I have to be totally honest, I think it is a good thing bathrooms are split up and personally I don't think it matters if people think their rights are infringed because of this, it is a bathroom, where you take a pee or a number 2, who really cares so much about that.

Because the trans community is still somewhat the minority I very highly doubt there will be any bathroom changes as they have to take in CIS peoples (who have EQUAL right to give it) opinions on the matter.

Many CIS women would feel uncomfortable sharing the bathroom with a transexual who they just see as a male (through lack of education or whatever) and would feel uncomfortable having their kids share the bathroom with them to.

Same with CIS males, I imagine not many guys would be up for the idea of having FTM, in their mind, girls walking in and out of their bathroom either.

It would just raise to much confusion and in my honest opinion, someone who gets so caught up over the indignity of maybe having to go to a male toilet, well boohoo, thats the way the world is, I don't like sitting down in a dirty Male cubicle but its part of life and we just have to get on with it, there are far more important things to worry about and this bathroom argument sadly seems to be the focus of alot in the community. 


Edit: None of this was personally aimed at the OP, just the general bathroom hype people have

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