Why We Should Be Gender Neutral Bathrooms

A man made up of facial hair, bright red lipstick, and a pink pencil skirt. Not a man, but a woman. Is it wrong for this transgender woman to use the women’s restroom? Should this woman feel at risk just by going into the same gendered bathroom that they identify as? Gendered bathrooms are not only degrading for the transgender and lgbt community, but they are the definition of opposing equality. A person should feel safe and comfortable with themselves in a bathroom, no matter the gender. Did society really fight for equality for so long just for it to be abused?
For a gender nonconformist, choosing which gendered bathroom to go to can be very unnerving. If a transwoman went into a male’s restroom they would risk getting teased or possibly even physically hurt. But if a transwoman used a woman’s restroom they would immediately be labeled as dangerous. Either way they are put at risk. According to Jacob Tobia, author of “Why All Bathrooms Should Be Gender Neutral” and who identifies as genderqueer says, “For most trans people, particularly young trans people who are still understanding their identity, no gendered restroom is safe.” If college students feel safe in co-ed bathrooms, why shouldn’t they feel safe in gender neutral bathrooms? It’s not fair for a transgender to put themselves at risk in a
Many people are afraid they might get violated or even assaulted. According to Traci Lowenthal, author of “Why Gender Bathrooms Matter’, “The truth is that transgender individuals themselves are more often the victims of violence than just about any other group.” Saying that people are unsafe in a gender neutral bathroom is deepening the division that has already been made between genders. The idea that transgender people would use a gender neutral bathroom just to be a sexual offender is a stereotype. In reality, a cisgender person is more likely to abuse gender neutral bathrooms than a transgender