With the often close association of trans struggle with access to the restroom, a study found that 30% of people (24% of the women and 38% of the men) felt that transgender people should be required to use the restroom that matches their assigned birth gender.
This is at least in the US, where adameve.com, a source for adult products, asked over 1,000 adults if they felt trans individuals should use public restrooms that match the gender they were assigned at birth. The web-based survey, conducted by an independent third party survey company, involved over 1,000 American adults age 18 and up.
The silver lining: A growing number (48%) of those polled (55% of the women and 43% of the men) said that trans individuals should use the restroom that matches their identity. Twenty-one percent of the respondents (22% of the women and 19% of the men) said they were unsure.
Dr. Jenni Skyler, Adam & Eve’s resident sexologist, finds these number encouraging.
To start, the development of “bathroom bills” inclusive of trans individuals need to be celebrated, said Skyler. “It is my opinion that every human on this planet is entitled to the right to safety in both public and private spheres.”
No study has been done similar to this in the Philippines. However, various institutions have already started introducing gender neutral toilets. In 2017, for instance, the Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) – Manila approved the school’s first gender-neutral toilets; while Eastern Samar State University in Borongan City allocated LGBT-specific toilets for its students and staff. Even earlier, in Ateneo de Davao University, its president Fr. Joel E. Tabora, S.J. released a memo designating all single comfort rooms (CR)/toilets in the Jacinto Campus as “all gender”.
Ateneo de Davao designates ‘all gender’ toilets; initiates dialogue with LGBT community
Toilet access remains a contentious issue particularly among trans people. While cisgender people may not see going to the toilet as a big issue, for many trans people, using a toilet means choosing between using a facility that matches the gender assigned to them at birth or their gender identity. The act of using a toilet could, therefore, carry risks of discrimination, harassment and even assault.
