as part of deconstruction week
a new week long program presented by the uci cross-cultural center
(similar to rainbow festival, and mlk, jr. symposium)
the cross-cultural center decided to reassign restrooms as
gender neutral restrooms on the main level.
this change is also part of the 'deconstruction zone'
where other groups who are a part of reach
present passive and interactive displays to deconstruct
many of the social constructs that our society has created
the response we've been getting so far is really interesting...
Splashback. It's real.
ReplyDeletesplash back? i don't get it...
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure toilet seats are cleaner in a Women's restroom than a Men's restroom. Just sayin.
ReplyDeleteThere is no doubt that many different people, not just trans-gendered individuals, require special needs facilities. However, to designate a public restroom with more than one stall/facility as gender neutral would also open up that restroom to the same problems that strictly male/female restrooms have. The potential to make someone uncomfortable is present in any restroom where the facilities are shared. You can make someone uncomfortable really fast in a restroom ... just because of the natural bodily functions that are occurring in there. To get away from all sources of unease that a public restroom could have, you would need real private facilities ... as in, one room, one stall. Just because you label a restroom gender neutral still would not be enough to make that an inviting or safe place for someone who really struggles to use a gendered restroom. Further, it increases the possibility that someone who is -not- comfortable with gender-neutral public restrooms to feel harassed or offended.
ReplyDeleteIn deciding to make the restrooms gender neutral, we did have two main concerns:
ReplyDelete1. Gender neutral restrooms do typically have a lock on the main door. for privacy. for this reason, we are making available the upstairs set of restrooms that are remaining gender specific.
2. These restrooms are now not ADA compliant, because the braille that we put on are obviously not raised.
In response to Jose's comment. I agree, with public shared restrooms, there is often still a sense of discomfort. I will admit that I often experience that discomfort - even when it's another female in the restroom (especially when it's really quiet).
I am also aware that simply relabeling our restrooms gender neutral doesn't now make the space safe for a person who has difficulty using a gendered restroom. My hopes for this 'demonstration' is to challenge - overall - the myth that there are only two genders, and how gender is reaffirmed through various ways. One common way is through public gendered restrooms. They are everywhere, and it is so common, that no one really stops to think about it - are there only two genders? I know people who accept that as truth, people who internalize this idea, that I am either one or the other. But, that is not the reality.
Another discussion that came about from this relabeling challenged the set-up of male restrooms. Men are expected to pee standing next to each other, with no stall to divide for privacy. It's one urinal, next to another. At a young age, boys are already expected to pee standing next to each other. That is not okay. In the former female restrooms, men have more options to pee in the privacy of a stall.
Overall, from the responses that we've been receiving, I think this program is definitely creating a spark, and allowing many people to question gender as a social construct.
These are not directly related ...
ReplyDeleteOne of the rules I live by is to not poo or pee in the fixture next to one that is being used.
I also do not appreciate individuals who can pee standing up to do so in a stall when there are urinals present. It's common courtesy ... and Donson is right.
Donson is right about men's toilet seats being cleaner than women's?
ReplyDeleteI went into both restrooms.. and there was actually less clean stuff in the women's restroom (tampons, toilet paper, etc). and the men's toilet looked pretty clean to me.
oops. i meant women's cleaner than men's.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I know what you actually meant in those two last posts ...
ReplyDeleteI don't know if generally women's restrooms are cleaner than mens ... I mean that splash back, the phenomenon by which unscrupulous individuals pee into a toilet seat, whereby a concoction of urine and toilet water splash out of the bowl, is real. The situation is further aggravated when said douche bags don't put up the toilet seat.
We should start a new conversation: what bothers you most about public restrooms?
i LOVE public restrooms. endless and free toilet paper. harrrrr.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jose on the urineighbor rule. It's almost so universal that if you decide to pee next to someone when another urinal is readily available, the original urinating individual would be expected to hunch his shoulders over more, and possibly say something to you.
ReplyDeleteThey need a little flange attached to the front of the toilet seat in men's restroom to make it easier for lazies to lift the seat with a kick. I always try to kick up the seat, even if the seat is smaller than the bowl, in which case I have to lift the seat from the inside edge. If you don't do this, you should, because you'll probably sit on it later.