Men use
the men’s restroom, and women use the women’s restroom; this is a rule we’ve
all accepted for many years. In recent years, however, the issue of which restroom
that transgender people use has become a hot button topic. Some believe that people
should have the right to use the restroom of their identified gender; others think
that restrooms that are exclusive to one gender should remain available. Several
states have considered laws that would restrict people to using the restroom of
their biological gender, and one, North Carolina, passed such a law on March
23, 2016, which applies to public buildings.
Those
who believe that transgender people should be able to use the restrooms of
their choice often call it an issue of civil rights; those who believe that
bathrooms should remain gender separate cite safety issues. Ted Cruz said “Men
should not be going to the bathroom with little girls.” (source: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/ted-cruz-supports-hb2-north-carolina)
Alternative,
gender-neutral restrooms, allow either gender to use designated restrooms.
I asked
two female WKU students, Rachel, 19, and Cory, 21, and one male student, Devin,
19, their opinions regarding transgender people using the opposite restroom
from their birth gender.
All
three agreed that a third option of gender-neutral restrooms were a good idea,
with Cory saying that “Gender neutral restrooms are a good solution.” As for
use of the opposite restrooms, all three agreed that if an actual sex change
operation had been performed, it would be acceptable, but expressed
reservations about other cases. Rachel called it “a grey area” but said that
people who haven’t undergone a sex change should use the restroom corresponding
with their birth gender. Cory agreed, saying that it “could be scary if a man
chose to use the women’s restroom claiming to be transgender.” Devin said that “people
should use the restroom of their birth gender.”
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