by JayTee Shaw

Created on: October 25, 2009

(I wrote this originially as a project for class at the college I go to. I got 100 on it somehow and I believe it makes a lot of sense regardless of whether or not you go to campus.)

In this time and age, many people in the United States are coming out at younger and younger ages at lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender. (Beemyn). At a Queer Youth Summit earlier this year, a group of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning) teens identified gender-neutral bathrooms as the number one thing that would make their school life better (Slota). I believe that Hudson Valley Community College (and other public campuses and buildings) should step up to the plate and make more gender-neutral bathrooms available.

The move for gender-neutral bathrooms largely stems from the need to provide a safe and comfortable environment for those who may feel "ostracized" by strict gender definitions (Bissel). This includes, but is not limited to, those whom are LGBTQ identified. Gender-neutral bathrooms would also create a safe and comfortable environment for families (such as mothers bringing their sons to the bathroom or fathers bringing their daughters) and people with disabilities who need the assistance of someone of the opposite gender to help them (Beemyn). People who are uncomfortable with their bodies would also be able to use this bathroom.

The real fight for gender-neutral bathrooms stems from the fact that there are transgender identified people on campus and that they need a safe place to pee. Assistant Professor of Religion and Gender Studies at Whitman University Melissa Wilcox states that "the strict division and gender specificity of bathrooms can make using one a "humiliating or dangerous" experience for those outside gender norms." She goes on to explain how androgynous (those whom seem without gender) or other gender-variant individuals often "feel torn or uncomfortable making a definitive decision about their gender identification, especially in areas such as private bathrooms." (Bissel) Not only can it make a transgender-identified person feel "torn", but choosing a sex-coded restroom is one of the most frequently reported sources of anxiety in transgendered individuals. More often than not, a transgendered person will go way out of their way to find a bathroom that they are comfortable in or they will wait until they can go home to use their own private bathroom. (Beemyn) By making more gender-neutral bathrooms available on campus,

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