Gender neutral washrooms flush away discrimination

By Brittany Lee - Saanich News
Published: August 31, 2012 3:00 PM
Updated: August 31, 2012 4:13 PM

http://www.saanichnews.com/news/168212046.html

Men, women, transgendered – its all the same for washroom privileges at the University of Victoria Student Union Building.

Two formerly gendered washrooms in the SUB have opened as multi-stall gender inclusive facilities, allowing all people to share the same space.

"We're doing this in order to create safe spaces for everyone, because everyone deserves to go to the washroom without fear of harassment or discrimination," Emily Rogers, chairperson of the UVic student society, said on Thursday.

The washrooms, which opened a as gender inclusive space Wednesday (Aug. 29), now have a picture of a toilet on the door rather than a symbol of a male or female.

"Feedback from students has been positive so far, however, there has been some shock." Which I don't understand. We wake up in a house where everyone uses the same bathroom, then go out into the world, where facilities are usually separated. This causes no shock, but suddenly using a mixed use bathroom again does?