Gender-Free Flights

Insight into the new gender-neutral bathrooms at KCI, and what it means for the future of Kansas

by Mia Rollins reporter

As the world is constantly changing, Kansas City is on its way to change as well. The new terminal at KCI is open to the public, and many are taking in the modern, contemporary look of it. Although many new locations were added to the new terminal such as a kid’s play area, airplane simulator, and quiet/ multisensory rooms, the one getting the most attention is the new gender neutral bathrooms.

“The department is hopeful the all-gender restrooms will give passengers a better perception of Kansas City,” director of aviation Justin Meyer said.

The new bathrooms were an addition to the new terminal that is meant to give a more welcoming and comfortable environment for the people who come to the airport. Although they were created to be gender neutral, they do not replace the already gendered bathrooms.

“On each concourse there are three restroom cores, two of which are gender-specific and one of which is a multiuser all-gender facility,” Build KCI said.

The gender neutral bathrooms have the walls of the stalls go all the way to the floor, unlike single gendered stalls which stop around 12 inches above the floor.Alongside this, there are lights above the stalls that flash red and green respectively to indicate if the stall is occupied or not. There are 16 stalls on each side, so there are a lot more stalls and space in the gender neutral bathrooms compared to bathrooms that are gendered.

“There are women-only bathrooms in the terminal as well as men-only bathrooms for those who aren’t up for mixing of the sexes, but they’re much smaller bathrooms.” editor-in-chief of the Community Voice newspaper Bonita Gooch said.

One of the traits of the gender neutral bathrooms that many appreciate is the baby changing table that is available. One of the main complaints for most of male bathrooms is that there aren’t any baby changing stations if they have to change their child’s diaper.

“Although more men’s restrooms now include diaper changing tables, it’s still not a requirement,” a professor at the University of Wisconsin, Dipesh Navsaria said. “Not to mention it fails to address entire subsets of men who could need to change a baby’s diaper at some point in public―single dads, stay-at-home dads,

illustrations by | Jackie Small

a cordial conversation in a public restroom with an elderly gentleman,” Gooch said. “I found myself talking to an elderly gentleman in the all-gender restroom. When he saw me approaching, he asked ‘did I go to the wrong side?’” twodad families, grandpas, uncles, male babysitters, etc.”

The inclusion of gender neutral bathrooms in public and established locations is something that many Kansasans welcome. Despite the change of the norms that some may be wary of, the introduction of more modern qualities to Kansas City is something that further represents what Kansas City is.

Many use the gender neutral bathrooms to avoid the lines of the gendered ones if it suits their situation. Despite that, people who aren’t used to sharing the bathroom with the opposite gender are finding the bathrooms to be strange.

“Never in my life did I believe I would be having

“We really want to make sure the entire experience for all passengers in the Kansas City International Airport, whether they are from the Kansas City area or from out of town and visiting our city, or just transiting through on a connecting flight,” Meyer said. “That they do experience the hospitality and care that Kansas City is all about.” e 113430