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Introduction to the Landscape of Gendered Washrooms

In the society of North America, we run into many situations and spaces that force us to embody our gender. One of these spaces is the public washroom. Most of these gendered spaces go unnoticed by those of us that identify with one of the binary genders (either as ‘male’ or ‘female’), but that’s not the case for everyone. As a society, we’ve accepted the separation of these spaces on gendered basis so much as the ‘norm’ that many of us wouldn’t give them a second thought. By choosing which washroom to use, we are forced to conform to this binary system and to embody our gender. This is a space that causes great discomfort for many people that do not identify with one of the binaries or with the binary they are biologically deemed to be. These public spaces are used for some of our most private activities and can cause anxiety for people who do not conform to one of the socially accepted genders. Clearly these spaces are loaded with cultural norms and political controversies.

We created this blog as a way to explore and address the following questions:

1. How do these landscapes reflect the historical heteronormative views of society?

2. How do these spaces reinforce the ideas of femininity and masculinity that are socialized into us from a young age?

3. What are the negative effects of these spaces on people who do not identify with one of the binary genders?

4. What are the arguments against creating gender neutral bathrooms?

5. What are solutions to the problem of gendered bathrooms?

Through the use of videos, academic articles, media stories, and humour, we hope to spread awareness of the exclusiveness of these landscapes. This blog is written with the hopes of providing an eye-opening experience to you, the reader. Many of us, and maybe even you, use public washrooms on a daily basis. Hopefully, the next time you do, you will rethink the accessibility and inclusiveness of this landscape.

Glossary

The following terms may be useful in helping you to better understand the concepts discussed in our blog posts. These definitions were taken from Gender Diversity at WSU Vancouver’s, Basic Glossary of Gender/Sexuality Terms. For a full list of the terms they outline, click here.

Crossdresser: Individual who dresses in the “opposite” gender clothing for a variety of reasons, sometimes for sexual pleasure. Crossdressing is not indicative of sexual orientation. This term replaces the sometimes pejorative term transvestite.

FTM: An abbreviation for female-to-male transsexual. This person most likely prefers masculine pronouns.

Gender: A binary sociological construct defining the collection of characteristics that are culturally associated with maleness or femaleness; masculine and feminine make up gender just as male and female comprise sex.

Gender Identity: How one perceives oneself – as a man, a woman, or otherwise.

Gender Role: Norms of expected behavior for men and women assigned primarily on the basis of biological sex; a sociological construct which varies from culture to culture.

Genderqueer: A gender identity that rejects the notion that all genders can be described on the masculine/feminine binary.

Heteronormativity: Processes through which social institutions and policies reinforce the notion that there are only two possibilities for sex, gender, and sexual attraction: male/masculine/attracted to women and female/feminine/attracted to men.

Heterosexism: Norms and behaviors that result from the assumption that all people are or should be heterosexual. This system of oppression assumes that heterosexuality is inherently normal and superior and negates LBGTQ peoples’ lives and relationships.

Heterosexual: A person who is emotionally, romantically, sexually, affectionately, or relationally attracted to members of the opposite sex. Often called a straight person.

Homophobia: Fear of, hatred of, or discomfort with people who love and sexually desire members of the same sex. Homophobic reactions often lead to intolerance, bigotry, and violence against anyone not acting within socio-cultural norms of heterosexuality. Because most LGBTQ people are raised in the same society as heterosexuals, they learn the same beliefs and stereotypes prevalent in the dominant society, leading to a phenomenon known as internalized homophobia.

Homosexual: The clinical term, coined in the field of psychology, for people with a same-sex sexual attraction. The word is often associated with the idea that same-sex attractions are a mental disorder, and is therefore offensive to some people.

Intersex: Term used for a variety of medical conditions in which a person is born with chromosomes, genitalia, and/or secondary sexual characteristics that are inconsistent with the typical definition of a male or female body. The term disorders of sex development (DSD) also describes these conditions. Replaces the inaccurate term “hermaphrodite.”

MTF: An abbreviation for male-to-female transsexual. This person most likely prefers feminine pronouns.

To Pass: To represent one’s self as a member of a social group other than one’s own. For example, a lesbian who passes for straight, or a biological man who is perceived to be a woman.

Queer: Term describing people who have a non-normative gender identity, sexual orientation, or sexual anatomy—includes lesbians, gay men, bisexual people, and transgender people. Since the term is sometimes used as a slur, it has a negative connotation for some LGBT people; however, others have reclaimed it and are comfortable using it to describe themselves.

Questioning: The process of examining one’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Can be used as an adjective.

Sex: 1. A biological term dividing a species into male or female, usually on the basis of sex chromosomes (XX = female, XY = male); hormone levels, secondary sex characteristics, and internal and external genitalia may also be considered criteria. 2. Another term for sexual behavior or gratification. Sex is a biological fact or a physical act.

Sexuality: The complex range of components which make us sexual beings; includes emotional, physical, and sexual aspects, as well as self-identification (including sexual orientation and gender), behavioral preferences and practices, fantasies, and feelings of affection and emotional affinity.

Third Gender: A term for those who belong to a category other than masculine or feminine. For example, Native American two-spirit people, hijira in India, kathoeys in Thailand, and travestis in Brazil.

Transgender: An umbrella term for those individuals whose gender identity does not match with that assigned for their physical sex. Includes, among others, transsexuals, genderqueer people, and crossdressers. In its general sense, it refers to anyone whose behavior or identity falls outside of stereotypical expectations for their gender. Transgender people may identify as straight, gay, bisexual, or some other sexual orientation. Sometimes shortened as trans.

Transphobia: Fear of, hatred of, or discomfort with people who are transgender or otherwise gender non-normative.

Transsexual: Term referring to a person whose gender identity consistently differs from what is culturally associated with his/her biological sex at birth. Some choose to undergo sexual reassignment surgery.

Two-Spirit: Contemporary term chosen to describe Native American and Canadian First Nation people who identify with a third gender, implying a masculine and a feminine spirit in one body. Replaces the offensive term berdache.

“No glossary could encompass the range of identities and terms that are used within LGBTQA communities. If you hear a term you don’t recognize, or feel like someone is using a term in a new way, ask the individual what the term means to him or her.” (Gender Diversity at WSU Vancouver, 2013)

Reference

Gender Diversity at WSU Vancouver. (2013). Gender diversity glossary. Retrieved from

http://wsuvgenderdiversity.wordpress.com/gender-diversity-glossary/

Gender Neutral Bathroom Week

A quick Google search of ‘Gender Neutral Bathroom Week’ reveals that there are many universities that are experimenting with a week of changing all or some of their public washrooms to be inclusive of all genders. The action seems to be done in an effort to spread awareness about the exclusivity that these spaces offer to those that do not conform to one of the gender binaries. Washington State University (WSU) Vancouver was one of the universities that held one of these weeks this year.

This week helps to spread awareness of the inaccessibility and heteronormativity that these types of landscapes reproduce. Public washrooms that support the division of the binary genders render all other identities, “invisible” as they create a space that does not acknowledge them (Cavanagh, 2010, p.53). People that have non-binary gender identities are forced to either choose a binary gender to identify with, or not to use these spaces. By choosing a gender to identify with, people can be faced with scrutiny or violence by other users of the washrooms depending on whether or not they ‘pass’ as that gender. The scrutiny of discrediting other genders and invalidating these identities has been called a, “psychic act of violence” as it can mentally scar individuals (Cavanagh, 2010, p.53).

‘Gender Neutral Bathroom Week’ and similar movements are a start to promoting inclusivity and eliminating these violent and scrutinous acts. Organizers of this week at WSU Vancouver urge people to, “think about why [gender neutral washrooms] make [them] uncomfortable–what is in our beliefs about gender and/or sexuality that makes [us] feel discomfort?” (Gender Diversity at WSU Vancouver, 2013). Clearly there are underlying structures of heteronormtiviy in these spaces that need to be altered.

References

Cavanagh, S. (2010). Trans subjects and gender

misreadings in the toilet. In S. Cavanagh,

Queering Bathrooms: Gender, Sexuality and the Hygienic Imagination (pp. 52-78). Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press.

Gender Diversity at WSU Vancouver. (2013). Gender

neutral bathroom week. Retrieved from http://wsuvgenderdiversity.wordpress.com/gnbw/

Philadelphia Law for Gender-Neutral Bathrooms

On Thursday October 31st, 2013, Philadelphia became a city required by law to include gender-neutral bathrooms in addition to traditional men and women’s bathrooms in city-owned buildings. In signing legislature, Mayor Michael Nutter afforded equal rights to people who may not feel at ease in the binary ‘male’ and ‘female’ categories, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. In addition to the legal enforcement of the inclusion of gender-neutral bathrooms, this legislature also offers tax credits to health care companies that give equal coverage to these employees’ partners and children as they would to heterosexual families, making Philadelphia the first city in the country to do so. Though the city prides itself in becoming “one of, if not the most, LGBT-friendly cities in the world and a leader on equality issues”, the state of Pennsylvania does not legally allow for gay marriage or civil unions (NBC 2013). While the transgender community will likely largely feel the proactive intentions of Mayor Michael Nutter and the city of Philadelphia, the rest of the state falls behind in creating equality beyond the continually enforced heteronormative society.

References

NBC10.Com Staff (2013 November 5). Gender-Neutral Restrooms Becomes the Law. NBC.

Retrieved from:

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/LGBT-Gender-Neutral-Restrooms-206932591.html

This image is representative of the gender stereotypes held within society and enforced through gendered bathroom signs. Though the “Men” and “Women” washroom signs have been analyzed and criticized for representing heteronormativity and displaying binary gender roles, the fourteen signs below have also commonly been used as icons signifying certain professional jobs. Similar to the attire displayed in the bathroom signs (men can only wear pants, women can only wear skirts), the signs below suggest that only one gender can hold each career. This expresses the idea that women and men are not equally represented in the work place, nor can they attain similar careers in this heteronormative society. In keeping with the image of men as wearing pants and women as wearing skirts as denoted by the washroom labels, ten of the fourteen worker images are men and only four are women. Further, the roles given to men are seen as economically or socially productive, such as a white-collar businessperson, firefighter, and construction worker. Conversely, the women are shown as dancers or bikini models, enforcing the inequality of workplaces in society.

Beemyn, Curtis, Davis, Tubbs (2005) asserted that washrooms and locker rooms that are labelled to be gender-specific are considered one of the most dangerous place for transgender students. Transgender students are more prone to verbal and physical attack and being investigated or arrested by police when they use gendered washrooms. This clearly shows that just because transgender people do not fit into the heteronormative society, they are being treat badly and unfairly in a situation where they did nothing wrong. Some of the transgender people walk farther to the washrooms that are more personal, safer or they do not use the campus' washrooms at all. Campus' washrooms are public bathrooms that are open to everyone, but for transgender students they are not consider as “public” bathrooms.

Beemyn, Curtis, Davis, Tubbs (2005) stated that to solve this issue, universities or colleges should start thinking about creating gender-neutral washrooms. Giving an example from San Diego State University, in 2003 they come to a decision to provide safer washrooms for transgender people. For the beginning step, the group got funds to change the door signs and modify the door locks of women's and men's washrooms in the student union into the gender-neutral washrooms. In addition, the location of gender-neutral washrooms are displayed in the university's directory. This is a very thoughtful idea for transgender students. Furthermore, the students at the University of Chicago and at Beloit College (Wisconsin) successfully persuade their university to build gender-neutral washrooms in the most commonly used campus's buildings.

References

Beemyn, B., Curtis, B., Davis, M., & Tubbs, N. J. (2005). Transgender issues on college campuses. New Directions for Student Services, 2005(111), 49-60.

Funny and (slightly) true image about rules in the bathroom.

Canadian Universities

The idea of gender-neutral washrooms is a structure that is being introduced to the University of Alberta. The Huffington Post reports that students at this Alberta university have been looking for one more option when looking for a washroom to use between classes. The university has introduced these washrooms in hopes that more students will feel safe, welcome, and comfortable while attending the institution. The university is hoping that this will especially benefit transgender and gender variant students and staff. Another Canadian university that is taking action to create a greater health and wellness among students on campus is Dalhousie University. On the Dalhousie University website, it states gender-neutral washrooms matter because LGBTQ persons face discrimination when they enter or exit gender-segregated washrooms.

When these Canadian universities first made it public that they wanted to introduce gender-neutral washrooms, it caught a lot of attention from the news. CTV news caught wind of when the University of Winnipeg first made the push for gender-neutral bathrooms in October of 2011. They also reported on how at the University of Regina, the single stall washrooms were always full, but not with disabled students, which is how they determined the need for a bathroom where all genders are welcome. It is reassuring to hear that the administrators at these universities are accepting to the new idea. Although they were surprised at first, they are working to facilitate the needs of all students and staff. The administrators stated "Currently students are not feeling safe going into either a male washroom or a female washroom so we obviously do need to create safe spaces where they feel comfortable accessing facilities on campus”.

#university #bringthechange #uva

The YouTube clip “Male Restroom Etiquette” is an excellent example of the unwritten rules defined by society on bathroom manners. Satirical in form, this clip describes the ways men should conduct themselves in the bathroom based on the social standards set up by men themselves. From urinal spacing to eye contact (or complete lack of), this clip highlights the informal conventions of the male bathroom space. However, it simultaneously demonstrates the correlation of growing discomfort and a growing list of rules in our heteronormative society. This clip, in fact, warns men of doing specific actions specifically so they do not appear to be homosexual or of a sexual orientation other than hetero. Though this clip represents the average society’s restroom manner, it was created through a heteronormative lens and therefore only refers to the stereotypical straight male, completely disregarding the idea that men of other sexual orientations could use those restrooms as well. This video form of bathroom media is relevant to our “Where do You Poo?” research project because it shows both the influence of the heteronormative society on the landscape of public washrooms as well as the limiting and negative effects of these spaces on people who do not identify as either heterosexual or as one of the binary genders.

Washroom status made graduate feel 'like an alien': Transgendered Student Segregated

Who knew that going to the washroom was something people made a fuss about? In many cases, it is an extremely sensitive situation, one that creates a lot of anxiety about where students fit in to society. Emma Reilly, an author for the Spectator in Hamilton Ontario, reported on high school student, Robert Zver and how throughout high school he felt, ‘like an alien.’ The Catholic school board where Zver attended turned a blind eye to this subject matter arguing that they had no idea there was any discomfort around the subject. Zver considers himself gender neutral, and this was deemed unacceptable in his school. Robert Zver is only 18 years old and has already experienced alienation over what public washroom to use. He was isolated by the two vice-principals at his school the day before his graduation dance and was asked to use a separate washroom. “I felt a little bit offended by this – actually a lot offended by this,” said Zver. “I didn’t know what to say. It was two against one.” Robert Zver feels the effects of heteronormativity from the fact that there are no gender-neutral washrooms at his high school.

It begins with your heart

The former Tom Gable, singer of the Florida Punk Band "Against Me!", became known as Laura Jane Grace in May of 2012. The singer had been struggling with gender dysphoria for many years and eventually reached the decision to make the transition to becoming a women.

"The cliche is that you're a women trapped in a man's body, but it's not that simple. It's a feeling of detachment from your body and from yourself" - Laura Jane Grace

This outward confession of a punk celebrity identifying as the opposite sex is a statement that carries a powerful message to the contemporary world we live in. It is a message of courage, of love, and of hope. It is a statement that is meant to erase all shame and replace it with a sense of belonging and acceptance.

The same must be said about our gender-segregated bathrooms. It is a condition that needs to be changed. People do not all identify as "male" or "female" and many people have felt the sting of discrimination and/or abuse because they used the bathroom they deemed appropriate.

"For the gender non-conforming person, the public washroom is a site of contention, danger and potential violence" - J.C. Ingrey

Installing gender-neutral bathrooms in public areas, universities, and airports is the first step in achieving equality, the second step comes from a change of attitude within a person's heart. That is where the real change begins to take place. It does not happen overnight or even over a decade, but every second that ticks away is a second that can be used to change the world into a better place.

See link below for the story of Laura Jane Grace

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-secret-life-of-transgender-rocker-tom-gabel-20120531

References

Ingrey, J. C. (2012). The public school washroom as analytic space for troubling gender: Investigating the spatiality of gender through students' self-knowledge. Gender and Education, 24(7), 799-817.

#bringthechange #equality #bathroom

All you need to know about gender-neutral bathrooms:

Bring.Your.Own.Pee.

#funny #truth #sosimple

Portland Community College has identified some arguments that are used to counter the progressive movement of gender-neutral bathrooms.

“Gender neutral bathrooms are unsafe for women and children.”

"Gender neutral bathrooms are a special privilege for transgender or gender nonconforming people. Spaces should not be required to go out of their way or spend money on creating a space for such a small population.”

"If only gender segregated bathroom options exist, which bathroom should we let transgender people use? What if they do not present in a gender normative way?”

"Men are messier and stinkier than women, so women shouldn’t be forced to share a bathroom with them.”

"Gender neutral bathrooms will make cisgender people (often communicated as “real,” “natural,” “regular,” or “normal” women/men) uncomfortable. Also, sharing the bathroom with the “opposite” sex will be embarrassing.”

"I understand that gender-neutral bathrooms increase safety and health of trans* and gender nonconforming people, but we just don’t have the money or space to build more bathrooms. I also don’t have the power to change the bathrooms we have into gender-neutral options.”

To see the rebuttals in response to these arguments click on the link below:

http://www.pcc.edu/resources/aspcc/rock-creek/qrc/gender-neutral.html

#gender equality #bathroom #fight4freedom

PooPourri for Girls is a funny advertisement that reflects society’s views on female elimination. There is negative stigmatism towards women using bathrooms in public space and leaving a smell behind as it is not viewed as 'lady like' in our society. They use the examples of the workplace, a party, and at your significant other's. This advertisement reinforces the idea of femininity that is enforced in our society of female socially expected behaviour in the bathrooms.

Washrooms reflect the historical gender normative views of society and the discrimination that has long occurred when dividing space. The gendered public washroom is a space made for the stereotypical hetero male or female. It is a gender separated space that reinforces the cultural norms of our society. This discriminates against individuals who do not associate with the gender binaries of male or female. Just because it is the norm in society to have gendered segregated bathrooms doesn't mean that it is acceptable. This might seem like a grand statement or like the creation of a problem out of a space that is not there, but there was a time when bathrooms where separated for African Americans and for white Americans. We can all agree that is this not OK and is discriminatory and racist. At that time it was viewed as the social norm for African Americans to be separated from white Americans, and many saw no problem with this as it was simply how society operated. During that time they had many excuses to separate the bathroom between the African American and the Whites, as people asserted that they were subhuman and not to be associated with “normal” citizens of America. (Cavanagh, 2010, p. 298) The gendered bathrooms of today are discriminatory and create inequality. Transgender and genderqueers who do not identify with the social norm of male or female feel the discrimination every day and are fighting for equality. A solution to the equality of the bathroom space is gender neutral bathrooms. Similar to the past, we are creating excuses to not combine the bathrooms and create equality as it could upset the cultural norms of society. I hope that as a society we can find it in ourselves to change and end the discrimination of bathrooms space, and make it equal for everyone.

Reference

Cavanagh, L. S. (2010). Gender, Sexuality, and the Hygienic Imagination. University of Toronto Press, 60, 295-299. ISBN: 9780814795897.

Understanding that the space of the bathroom is created by the dominant power of the heteronormative in society is the key to understanding how these spaces reinforce ideas of masculinity and femininity. Our modern day bathrooms are very gender-oriented. They are not just a space to relieve your natural urge to eliminate, but also to declare to the world that you are male or female. The bathroom is a heterosexual space that socially reinforces femininity and masculinity. Even on the door before you enter the bathroom has symbols of the 'male' and 'female' body. These signs tell you what room to enter and further engrain the stereotypes associated with the male and female genders. The male symbol is a man with broad shoulders, and pants whereas the female symbol is a slight woman, wearing a dress. These symbols are created by the dominant heterosexual society and they influence the space and how that space is used. The way that our society separates men and a women into different rooms reinforces the difference between what it means to be a man in society and what it means to be a female in society. Society engrains in us through spaces like the bathroom that men and women are different in every way especially when it comes to elimination (Valentine, 1992, 395). We use these facilities every day from a young age and the gendered public bathroom space reinforces the ideas of femininity and masculinity in our society. Many of us never give a second thought to bathrooms and how they shape our views of femininity and masculinity. Every day, these spaces in our society mould our perception of who we are, and what we should be.

Work Cited

Valentine, G. (1992). (Hetero)sexing space: lesbian perceptions and experiences of everyday spaces. Environment and Planning D, 22(11), 394-413.

The documentary Toilet Training was created to showcase the harassment and discrimination experienced by many gender non-conforming individuals in public washrooms. This documentary was produced by the Sylvia Rivera Law Project (SRLP) with the help of Tara Mateik, a transgender videomaker. The SRLP is an organization that advocates for the right to choose and to express one's own gender identity without fear of being harassed or discriminated against (http://srlp.org/).

The above trailer for this documentary shares some of the stories from gender non-conforming individuals that are depicted throughout the movie and discusses many of the overarching themes and problems with having gender segregated public washrooms. These spaces force people to conform to stereotypical gender norms and the appearances associated with these norms and ignore the overall reason for washrooms, which is not to segregate people based on gender, but to allow people to perform their natural bodily functions. Using washrooms is something that we all have in common and is not something that should force us to separate ourselves from others, but as a basic need, should allow us to unite around this issue and support the right to have this need met. This trailer touches on some of the health concerns associated with not relieving this need and instead "holding it" as well as with some of the legal concerns surrounding the issue. It appears that there is a disconnect between the legal rights of everyone to choose which gender they identify with and public opinion on the matter. One issue that we find concerning is the lack of knowledge demonstrated by the police surrounding the legal rights of individuals. How can we expect the public to understand that individuals have the right to choose which washroom they use, when the very people that are supposed to be upholding these laws do not?

One issue not addressed in the trailer, but addressed in the documentary, is the argument that washrooms need to be segregated by gender for the safety of women. The following clip debunks this argument, showing the outdated opinions surrounding stereotypical gender and rape that are used to support it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5eJZn_xq1M. It is important to understand that a sign on a door does not act as a lock or cause a space to be more safe. The creation of these 'women-only' spaces could actually be argued to have the opposite affect, as they are in the documentary. These provide ideal spaces for predators while being covered by the assumed safety provided by the sign on the door. This video suggests a solution for both the gender discrimination and the safety issue, pointing out that individual washrooms witha lock would best meet the needs and concerns of those involved while eliminating the fear of assault for both groups of oppressed individuals.

Lastly, an interesting connection between the need for washrooms and the arguments against gender neutral washrooms is the importance of biology in both cases. As stated in the trailer, using the washroom is a biological function. Similarly, science, and biology in particular, has long been used to justify the inequalities and differences between men and women. We need to move away from the idea that there are two biological sexes and come together on the idea that we are all human beings and deserve the same rights. We shouldn't have to fear being discriminated against, harassed, or assaulted based on our difference, but rather, should be accepted and embraced based on our similarities.

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