Gender-Neutral Bathrooms
What are they?
- Bathrooms are generally separated into male and female sections, and are strongly regulated by how masculine or feminine one appears on the outside. Gender neutral bathrooms have been established in order to create a space that is safe and comfortable for ALL individuals. This allows transgender people and others to avoid harassment and violence.
Where are they?
- Curious about where to find a gender neutral bathroom in your area? Refuge restrooms is a great resource, and is constantly updating as more individuals share gender neutral bathrooms in their area.
More resources:
- FAQ About Restrooms & What to Do If You’re Hassled
- Advocates for Youth, Student Organizers
- Excerpts on School Bathroom Policies (from Gender Spectrum)
- Transgender Students and School Bathrooms FAQ (from Gender Spectrum)
Advocate for Gender Neutral Bathrooms at Your School
- The GSA Network’s Beyond The Binary Campaign: This campaign focuses on making schools safer for transgender and gender non-conforming youth. This page contains a guide to how to start a campaign, a tool kit for gender-identity activism in schools, and tips on getting started.
Victories
- Frequently Asked Questions: A victory for transgender and gender-nonconforming students, California’s AB 1266 “makes clear the obligation of California schools to allow transgender students to participate in all schools activities, programs, and facilities.”
- Philadelphia passes sweeping LGBT-friendly legislation that includes gender-neutral toilets: “The legislation requires that new or renovated city-owned buildings include gender-neutral bathrooms in addition to traditional men’s and women’s restrooms.”
- Arcadia Unified School District To Treat Transgender Teens Equally: “Now the federal government has worked out a resolution with the school district that would give transgender students –- as well as other students who do not conform to sex stereotypes — the same privileges and rights as their peers.”
- Multnomah County becomes one of first in nation to require gender-neutral bathrooms for transgender users: “Multnomah County is jumping to the forefront of a national debate by becoming one of the first in the country to require single-occupancy, gender-neutral bathrooms in all new construction projects for the county.”
- Trans Student Rights and Restrooms (Maine) (by Abigail Curtis)