Let’s talk about gender-neutral bathrooms

Mngomezulu and Katherine Weber

With the introduction of gender neutral bathrooms across the world, they have become necessary in many spaces. This, however, may come across as strange to people who either do not understand the concept of these bathrooms or, have never felt the need for them. The main purpose of gender neutral bathrooms is to provide an inclusive and safe space for individuals who do not necessarily conform to gender norms.

The LGBTQIA+ community has especially seen how unsafe it is for trans-gender people, who are often harassed in gendered bathrooms. Though there are gender neutral bathrooms on Hatfield campus, they are very sparse and far apart, and in very unconventional buildings around campus. The lack of gender neutral bathrooms puts individuals who do not feel safe in gendered bathrooms in an awkward position, needing to walk far distances just to go to the bathroom.

Although these bathrooms are a great initiative, some students have raised concerns about the safety risks that come these bathrooms being open to anyone and everyone. A survey was conducted with students of different sexual orientations about the bathrooms they prefer. Some male gay students have expressed how unsafe they felt in male bathrooms, often preferring female bathrooms. However, with this, they also expressed how much they did not want to invade a woman’s privacy. This left male bathrooms as the only option available to them. On the other end, female students also expressed a discomfort to sharing bathrooms with gay men, but did not mind gender neutral bathrooms as they provided both with a safe space. Other female students said they did not mind sharing their bathrooms with members of the LGBTQIA+ community, because they did not feel threatened by them.

PDBY then sought out Tumelo Rasebopye from the Transformation Office at UP, regarding the safety of bathrooms.

Rasebopye stated that “while still understandable why people may feel vulnerable, there has been no indication of risks or violence thus far with the ones that exist above the safety measures that are already in place.” He further stated that the diversity in these bathrooms increases due to the visible policing by other students. But due to the scarcity of these bathrooms, most students do not even know these bathrooms exist. In response to this, Rasebbopye said that “signage matters and that is the best way to let it be known currently.”

Surrounding the topic of gender neutral bathrooms, the focus should always be on the safety of all individuals, regardless of gender and sexuality. Though these bathrooms are a step in the right direction, there is still a long road ahead to creating safe spaces for all individuals.