Yay for gender-neutral washrooms!

Questions and discussions about gender, gender roles and identity.
moonlight
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Yay for gender-neutral washrooms!

Unread post by moonlight »

Today I was absolutely over the moon about the washrooms at a store. I was initially overjoyed by the accessible washroom which seemed like they had actually considered the people using it, not just the bare minimum code requirements. But then when I went to find my family, I discovered that the other washroom had two stalls but was not marked for a specific gender or sex! For the first time since I was a small child, I was in the same public washroom as my father! (I don't really love gender labels right now, but pass as "female" and so just use those washrooms).

Horray for an inclusive multi-stall toilet!
Mo
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Re: Yay for gender-neutral washrooms!

Unread post by Mo »

Those are always nice to see. :) I will use them if they're around, but sadly that's not often the case.

As a fun note: a restaurant fairly close to me has two unisex restrooms: one has a unicorn on the door, the other has a unicycle.
moonlight
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Re: Yay for gender-neutral washrooms!

Unread post by moonlight »

Mo wrote: As a fun note: a restaurant fairly close to me has two unisex restrooms: one has a unicorn on the door, the other has a unicycle.

I love this^

I also love when establishments do the common sense thing and make single stalled washrooms unisex. I can't think of a single argument for doing otherwise. Except perhaps "well, building code requires it". (If so, then do away with the silly building code!) I am always puzzled when single-stalled washrooms have the words "Women" or "Men" on the door rather than just "Washroom" or "Toilet".
Keda
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Re: Yay for gender-neutral washrooms!

Unread post by Keda »

There's a supermarket near me which did a rather smart thing, and just has a row of single bathrooms, no sex/gender signage, and they're all accessible. All "three" bathrooms fitted into the space that would usually be occupied by one.

Now if only they cleaned them occasionally...
Thricechanged
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Re: Yay for gender-neutral washrooms!

Unread post by Thricechanged »

There is a bookstore close by that does the same thing. They only have the word "restroom", and the inside is very neutral even on coloring, with multiple stalls attached.
Catherwren
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Re: Yay for gender-neutral washrooms!

Unread post by Catherwren »

I love gender-neutral washrooms. Unfortunately, the only space I can think of that I've seen them in is my town's YWCA
Jacob
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Re: Yay for gender-neutral washrooms!

Unread post by Jacob »

I thought this said gender neutral mushrooms!

I had a really weird experience of going to a family meal at a fancy gastro-pub yesterday and despite all the rustic 'country' earthy decor in the rest of the place... I went to the loo and the gents literally had a bunch photos of naked women above the urinals. It was black and white so apparently 'tasteful'. But it just felt really weird... a men-only space with only women on the walls. It gave me the absolute creeps. I checked with my mum and aparently there was no such titilation in the women's toilet.

In that situation it just seemed like the segregation was just a way of creating a mens club with female objectification as a back drop. If women were using that toilet they would call it out.
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Re: Yay for gender-neutral washrooms!

Unread post by Sunshine »

I have had a similar experience in several women's bathrooms at restaurants: Artistic but very sexualized photos of men hanging in the stalls. It creeps me out because I don't like people staring at me when I pee. I don't even go to the toilet in front of my partner. Have no idea why people think this is a good idea.
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