Cartoon by Joaquin Junco Jr.
For most, the decision to use a public restroom is made with little thought and consequence. For others it can be a high-stress situation.
Gender minority students are not always sure where to go.
Southwestern College has a considerable number of students who fall within a gender minority, a term used to refer to the wide range of variance and diversity of gender-based identities within the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) community. Gender minority students feel their gender identity does not match their biological sex. These identities spread over a number of possibilities and labels including transgender, agender and genderqueer.
A college campus like SWC should prioritize creating a safe and comfortable learning environment for all. Safety in public facilities should extend to students who do not feel secure using the men’s and women’s restrooms.
Implementation of gender-neutral restrooms at SWC would be a giant step towards alleviating stress for these students. By making gender-neutral facilities available, students who find themselves mid-transition or not identifying with either label of male or female would have a safer alternative open to them when they need to seek out a restroom on campus.
People whose physical presentations do not coincide with their biological sex are likely to face harassment within public restrooms. A survey conducted in 2011 by the National Center for Trans Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force asked 6,000 transgender identifying people about their experiences in public accommodations, including restrooms. More than half reported experiencing some form of harassment and 10 percent reported being assaulted. There alarming statistics, illustrate why students who are transitioning or aligned to an alternative gender identity would not feel safe using a public restroom.
Transgender students find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place. Mid-transition transgender individuals often find themselves struggling in a societal limbo due to the slow progression of physical change during hormone replacement therapy. A transgender male who was assigned as a female at birth could find himself too intimidated to use the men’s restroom, despite it matching his true gender identity, for fear of harassment or assault by other men.
The alternative suits him no better. Despite his biology coinciding with the women’s restroom, his outward male presentation could startle and alarm women, leading to an equally unpleasant interaction. Even transgender people who have completed their transition and live fully as their presented identity experience disproportionate discrimination and harassment in a gendered restroom.
Implementing gender neutral restrooms gives these students another option. While this will not rid these students of all the challenges they face, it will be a big step towards SWC doing what it can to improve their experiences. Southwestern College students deserve the freedom to work towards an education in an environment that is safe and comfortable for all students, not just the majority.
