Where are the trans people toilets?

[ysabetwordsmith]

Copied from jayblanc for brilliant activism:

Here's a sample letter you might consider sending to your local authority if you live in the UK.

"To Whom it may concern,

I'm making a freedom of information request for information regarding your provision of toilets and changing rooms in Cherwell council operated buildings. As the new legal ruling requires the rights of Trans people not to be discriminated agains, can you please identify the Trans persons bathroom and changing facilities in all [LOCAL AUTHORITY] operated buildings, and certifications that they are of equal amenity to any other present bathroom and changing facilities. I advise that shared spaces currently dedicated to Disabled persons would not count towards such amenity, as it would be dilution of the provision for Disabled people.

Yours - Name and address"

And perhaps we can start a campaign of going into public authority buildings and asking where "The Trans person toilets" are, then explaining they now have a legal obligation to provide one.

Comments

[cmcmck]

Being a woman, I've used the ladies' loos for over fifty years and believe me, that's not about to change in my case.

Does 'er in the pic look like a guy to you?

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

The picture doesn't really look like a guy to me, but I am secure in my masculinity and not concerned about other people's bodies that are none of my business.

I think the best bathroom solution is to have gendered bathrooms to cover the highest traffic, plus one or more (depending on building/population size) bathrooms that are family / nongendered / anyone facilities. These solve numerous problems including but not limited to:

* people who don't fit neatly into the sex/gender binary
* the binary toilets are all busy
* parent with opposite-sex child
* caregiver with opposite-sex recipient
* a place to put less-used equipment like the adult changing table or universal-international toilet or wudumate so it's not in everyone's way all the time
* a place to put a shower so people can rinse off if the toddler has a diaper leak or a bus splashes mud on them
&c &c

Here in America, people have been fighting over bathrooms for a while, and one result of trans-hostile laws is people using restrooms that don't fit their appearance. It winds up making nobody happy. :/ But bigots tend to be stupid.

I'm sorry your country caught the idiot ball this round.