Gender Neutral Restrooms

[LittleNipper]

In a small businesses I see the total logic. Antique shops, small art shops, doctor's office, etc., often have one bathroom with one toilet and one sink and people simply lock the door while using it. Large open bathrooms in public areas is a great place to be either raped or accused of attempted rape. If the swank stores, malls, and fancy public places can afford the glitter, they certainly can afford two bathrooms. Ladies are most vulnerable and have enough modesty issues.

 

[Lynden1000]

I'd be a little less concerned about the adults, and more concerned about youngsters of either sex trying to peek at one another. What teenage girl wants to change a tampon in a bathroom stall when there are giggling boys in adjacent stalls?

I guess I'm cynical. In addition to being neurotic about my privacy, I also have zero faith in the general population's ability to handle mixed-sex bathrooms with maturity and propriety.

 

[Lisa0315]

I'd be a little less concerned about the adults, and more concerned about youngsters of either sex trying to peek at one another. What teenage girl wants to change a tampon in a bathroom stall when there are giggling boys in adjacent stalls?

I guess I'm cynical. In addition to being neurotic about my privacy, I also have zero faith in the general population's ability to handle mixed-sex bathrooms with maturity and propriety.

I think this is the best point that has been made so far.

Lisa

 

[keith99]

I know I'm a relic, but by breed is not entirely dead yet. I'm part old school gentleman and part barbarian.

I'd say unisex restrooms are if anything a little safer. After all a guy like ma just might walk in. Rape rarely happens where discovery by someone who can do something about it is likely.

There was a thread in OBOB about this but since I am not Catholic, I could not argue there. So, I am starting another thread.

There is a movement to make public restrooms gender neutral. IOW, there will no longer be a Ladies and Mens Room. They simply will be for all folks, period.

Now, I am not completely agains this idea but I am a bit wary of it for one reason. As a business person, I sometimes have to travel late at night. If I need to stop at a restroom, I realize that gender specific is not going to keep me from getting raped, or whatever. However, do you think having one bathroom for both sexes might increase the chances for violence against women? Why or why not?

Lisa

 

[Miss Shelby]

I take it you have never been in a men's room before. Most men are so pee shy they very nearly climb into the urinal lest anyone see their manhood.

I'm not. I can pee in front of a live studio audience if I have to but there are usually dividers in between urinals. And if not men typically don't wave their genitals around while they use the facilities. That would be messy and would ruin your shoes anyway.

yeah well. If the pee-wax is beyond the zipper it's too far out for me. and why ya need a urinal in the first place? why can't you pee in the toilet?

 

[Chajara]

I'm pee-shy so my only real beef with this idea is the idea that now there are more people that might be walking into the bathroom when I'm trying to relieve myself.

I never understood how men could just stand at a urinal and pee in front of others. I don't even know why I'm so weird about this since I wasn't raised this way at all. Just a personality quirk I suppose.

 

[Skaloop]

My dorm at university had co-ed/unisex bathrooms. Two urinals, two stalls, four showers, eight sinks. It was never an issue. I mean, for the first little bit I'd get a bit of a start if a girl walked in while I was peeing, especially since the urinals were right next to one of the doors. But I soon got over that.

I have no problem with them whatsoever. I don't necessarily think they should be mandatory, but the more the merrier...

And for those concerned about them or their kids having to see a man's penis (note-please don't destroy fond cinematic memories by calling a penis a "willy-wonka"), that's not gonna happen unless you are really trying to get a look. It's not like we lumber around the bathroom shaking our hips and making elephant noises. Not in public washrooms, anyway.

 

[Lisa0315]

My dorm at university had co-ed/unisex bathrooms. Two urinals, two stalls, four showers, eight sinks. It was never an issue. I mean, for the first little bit I'd get a bit of a start if a girl walked in while I was peeing, especially since the urinals were right next to one of the doors. But I soon got over that.

I have no problem with them whatsoever. I don't necessarily think they should be mandatory, but the more the merrier...

And for those concerned about them or their kids having to see a man's penis (note-please don't destroy fond cinematic memories by calling a penis a "willy-wonka"), that's not gonna happen unless you are really trying to get a look. It's not like we lumber around the bathroom shaking our hips and making elephant noises. Not in public washrooms, anyway.

Oh, boy, did you bring back a funny memory when I was a newlywed nearly 22 years ago! Ta Dah! LOL!

 

[Miss Shelby]

And for those concerned about them or their kids having to see a man's penis (note-please don't destroy fond cinematic memories by calling a penis a "willy-wonka"), that's not gonna happen unless you are really trying to get a look. It's not like we lumber around the bathroom shaking our hips and making elephant noises. Not in public washrooms, anyway.

I really don't care if you're not shaking your jingle-jangle around and doing a rain dance in the can--
I do not like the idea of my 8 year old daughter walking into a public restroom and seeing a grown stranger man scooted up against a urinal and taking a leak. Awkward. ‘Oh don’t mind the nice man honey, he’s just got his zipper down and his goldschlager out, just mind your own business, now and go potty.’

And I wouldn’t have to resort to using silly terms like willy wonka if this board allowed words like s chlong to go uncensored.

 

[Lisa0315]

I really don't care if you're not shaking your jingle-jangle around and doing a rain dance in the can--
I do not like the idea of my 8 year old daughter walking into a public restroom and seeing a grown stranger man scooted up against a urinal and taking a leak. Awkward. ‘Oh don’t mind the nice man honey, he’s just got his zipper down and his goldschlager out, just mind your own business, now and go potty.’

And I wouldn’t have to resort to using silly terms like willy wonka if this board allowed words like s chlong to go uncensored.

And some men get off just by exposing themselves. If they are in the gender neutral restroom, prove that it was intentional!

 

[sinan90]

And I wouldn’t have to resort to using silly terms like willy wonka if this board allowed words like s chlong to go uncensored.

Why not just cut the euphemisms and call it a penis?

 

[Skaloop]

I really don't care if you're not shaking your jingle-jangle around and doing a rain dance in the can--
I do not like the idea of my 8 year old daughter walking into a public restroom and seeing a grown stranger man scooted up against a urinal and taking a leak. Awkward. ‘Oh don’t mind the nice man honey, he’s just got his zipper down and his goldschlager out, just mind your own business, now and go potty.’

And I wouldn’t have to resort to using silly terms like willy wonka if this board allowed words like s chlong to go uncensored.

If you didn't draw attention to it, I doubt she'd make much of a fuss at all. You make it sound like urinating is some lewd, disgusting act of perversion. He's in there doing the same thing you're there to do; why not just explain it to her simply? "That man's just going pee, too, but he can do it standing, just like daddy."

Little boys see men urinating all the time. I don't see why it would be much of an issue for a little girl to do the same.

 

[Miss Shelby]

If you didn't draw attention to it, I doubt she'd make much of a fuss at all. You make it sound like urinating is some lewd, disgusting act of perversion. He's in there doing the same thing you're there to do; why not just explain it to her simply? "That man's just going pee, too, but he can do it standing, just like daddy."

Little boys see men urinating all the time. I don't see why it would be much of an issue for a little girl to do the same.

Little girls don't usually share the can w/ daddy much less strangers.

I don't think it's appropriate for a little girl to see a grown man that she doesn't know urinating.

 

[Miss Shelby]

Why not just cut the euphemisms and call it a penis?

I like to be colorful. It's a saggy bag of skin.

 

[Paulos23]

I really don't care if you're not shaking your jingle-jangle around and doing a rain dance in the can--
I do not like the idea of my 8 year old daughter walking into a public restroom and seeing a grown stranger man scooted up against a urinal and taking a leak. Awkward. ‘Oh don’t mind the nice man honey, he’s just got his zipper down and his goldschlager out, just mind your own business, now and go potty.’

If it is a uni-sex bathroom, I doubt there will be urinals anyway. Those are mostly there to take advantage of the male anatomy for a quicker pee (sorry to sound sexist here, but it is a fact). If it is uni-sex then it should have more stalls and toilets and no urinals.

I find it fascinating that, outside of rape (a genuine concern) the other thing people are expressing concerns about is exposer of the human body. In a uni-sex I think you will get a few that will willingly expose themselves, but not on the scale people are worried about.

 

[Lisa0315]

I like to be colorful. It's a saggy bag of skin.

Not always the case...

 

[Skaloop]

Little girls don't usually share the can w/ daddy much less strangers.

I don't think it's appropriate for a little girl to see a grown man that she doesn't know urinating.

If a little girl is out with her father, and she needs to go, he'll take her to the men's room, where men may be urinating. Do you have a problem with that?

And what's the problem with seeing a man urinating in the first place? He's doing the exact same thing she is going to do. All she's really going to be seeing is a man standing up against the wall. What's objectionable about that?

 

[Miss Shelby]

If a little girl is out with her father, and she needs to go, he'll take her to the men's room, where men may be urinating. Do you have a problem with that?

I have a problem if she's an 8 year old, old enough to walk into the ladies room while dad wait's outside.

And what's the problem with seeing a man urinating in the first place? He's doing the exact same thing she is going to do. All she's really going to be seeing is a man standing up against the wall. What's objectionable about that?

I have to wonder about grown men who don't feel a little bit weird about the prospect of a little girl walking in while they're peeing on a urinal. If you're in a stall, at least you'd be out of sight.

 

[Skaloop]

If it is a uni-sex bathroom, I doubt there will be urinals anyway. Those are mostly there to take advantage of the male anatomy for a quicker pee (sorry to sound sexist here, but it is a fact). If it is uni-sex then it should have more stalls and toilets and no urinals.

I find it fascinating that, outside of rape (a genuine concern) the other thing people are expressing concerns about is exposer of the human body. In a uni-sex I think you will get a few that will willingly expose themselves, but not on the scale people are worried about.

All the uni-sex ones I have been to (which admittedly only amounts to a handful) have had urinals. They take up less space, so you can fit more in and allow for a faster overall turnover. Three stalls and three urinals is better than four stalls.

Then again, the ones I've been to have been retro-fitted from previously single-sex washrooms, so maybe new designs will be urinal-less.

 

[Skaloop]

I have a problem if she's an 8 year old, old enough to walk into the ladies room while dad wait's outside.

Fine. What if she's 4? What if there are two entrances/exits? What if the women's washroom is inside some other women's-only area (say, a locker room at a pool) that he isn't allowed?

I have to wonder about grown men who don't feel a little bit weird about the prospect of a little girl walking in while they're peeing on a urinal. If you're in a stall, at least you'd be out of sight.

Many grown men would feel a little weird. They still need to pee. If they're in a stall, there's still the possible issue of having to now explain what all the loud splashing is about. 'Cause most guys aren't gonna sit to pee.