Sexual Segregation

I have put this comment here, as I do not know where else to put it.

I am a firm believer that females and males should not be segregated by sex. This should be true for bathrooms. Have you noticed at shows, theaters or the like that there are long lines for the Ladies Room? This would not be so bad, if women and men shared bathrooms. In Japan, in the countryside, they have separate entrances for men and women, but they both lead into the same room. One of the funniest things I observe in Japan at the airport is men starting to use urinals, and a cleaning woman starts sweeping up around them. The men zip up so quickly and run out of the bathroom as fast as they can. Fools !! I recall one time at Itami Airport in Osaka, I stopped to pee at the new departure wing, prior to a flight back to Tokyo. While I was relieving myself, I had that feeling I was being watched. When I finished, I turned around, and sure enough, there was a window behind me looking out at the arrival gate. A plane had just pulled in, and everyone sitting on the left side had an excellent view of me peeing.

Let's get out of the Puritan days, and do something that makes sense, and make public bathrooms for both sexes.

To the best of my knowledge some clubs come nightspots here have unisex facilities that have been around for some considerable time... Most have full height (top to tiled floor) granite or terrazzo partitions with lockable doors to each cubicle...Usually inner city establishments not so much noticeable in outer suburbia

One of the funniest things I observe in Japan at the airport is men starting to use urinals, and a cleaning woman starts sweeping up around them. The men zip up so quickly and run out of the bathroom as fast as they can. Fools

The restrooms along French highways are also segregated as per custom, but cleaning ladies are in and out so often - necessary because of the number of people using them during the vacation rush - that there is essentially always a lady or two around. And I've never noticed anyone noticing or caring.

And I've also known instances of one of the restrooms being shut down for maintenance or whatever, with signs indicating that everyone use the other (together of course).

Besides, in both Belgium and France, there are often restroom attendants, ladies most often, who are expected a small payment when someone uses the restroom. It is their job to keep the restrooms clean and hygienic. They sit at the entrance and watch the goings-on in more or less detached interest and from time to time clean up the facilities while customers are inside. I've never known anyone to balk at their presence or care if they are present or not. Btw - these restroom attendants are usually self-employed and bid for the contracts, which, in busy locations, can be worth their financial while.

At the risk of sounding stupid, I've never quite understood the issue with unisex bathrooms. Women use stalls, so no real privacy issue there. As long as there is a divider between the urinals, the urinals are also reasonably private. The only issue might be in those restrooms where there is no urinal divider, but looking at someone while their peeing is kind of a major taboo even among men.

As long as reasonable privacy standards are maintained in the construction of the restrooms, I've never quite understood what the big deal is...

....A plane had just pulled in, and everyone sitting on the left side had an excellent view of me peeing.

Let's get out of the Puritan days, and do something that makes sense, and make public bathrooms for both sexes.

Very funny and you'd be fighting an up hill battle. Crazy sex laws, religious freaks, the list is endless.

Growing up, there were 3 and 3 male and female and we used the same bathrooms at home.

At the risk of sounding stupid, I've never quite understood the issue with unisex bathrooms.

As long as reasonable privacy standards are maintained in the construction of the restrooms, I've never quite understood what the big deal is...

Nor have I ever understood the big ridiculous hysterical fuss some politicians, school board members or parents sometimes make about the issue of transgender people using restrooms of their newly assumed gender identity. You'd think the idiots are expecting Sodom and Gomorrah or satanic visitations to occur because of it ... I really don't understand why people have patience with these nincompoops or take anything they say seriously. I seriously am of the opinion that those who complain are the ones who truly have socially objectionable obsessive thoughts in their minds and can't control their urges.

Here's an on-line follow up on the subject of sexual segregation in rest rooms (in school. At the risk of not being taken seriously, this is apparently a serious legislative proposal in one state nonetheless.

http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/virginia-gop-bill-would-require-schools-verify-childrens-genitals-using-restroom

Take a look at this unisex bathroom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFn5sLFZpIQ

Sensors in the stall sense a person and the doors fog.

The restaurant/bar in SoHo is unfortunalely closed. They had good food and drinks.

The first time we went there our older daughter was about five years old and it was a freaky experience because we didn't know the doors fogged when you went in.

Take a look at this unisex bathroom.

Sensors in the stall sense a person and the doors fog.

The first time we went there our older daughter was about five years old and it was a freaky experience because we didn't know the doors fogged when you went in.

It's certainly ingenious, but so needlessly, over-the-top, technically sophisticated ... I think my organs of elimination would freeze up and refuse to function ... ha ha

The restaurant was of the type that the bathroom fit right in with the cool people who frequented the place.

As a trans guy (gender set as female on here to avoid confusion about posts) there's nothing that makes me happier to see a unisex bathroom. I go to the bathroom for the same reason as everybody else, but the fears some people have in their heads makes that extremely difficult and dangerous at times.

@agracier said

I ever understood the big ridiculous hysterical fuss some politicians, school board members or parents sometimes make about the issue of transgender people using restrooms of their newly assumed gender identity. You'd think the idiots are expecting Sodom and Gomorrah or satanic visitations to occur because of it ... I really don't understand why people have patience with these nincompoops or take anything they say seriously. I seriously am of the opinion that those who complain are the ones who truly have socially objectionable obsessive thoughts in their minds and can't control their urges.

The problem here is religious conservatism that sees anything outside of its own narrow view of sex and gender issues as 'deviant' - and deviants are all sinners of course. People of this persuasion will often assume that a person who is transgender must also be a sex offender; that they are sinning by defying God on gender identity and therefore they must have evil thoughts and commit sex offences. This is an erroneous assumption of course, but that is what these people are thinking.

In general, society has some way to go in learning how to treat transgender people. I have only ever knowingly encountered and dealt with three people who I knew to be transgender, and I simply decided to treat them as members of the human race. I don't know whether that is good enough but at least it's a start.

@agracier also said

Here's an on-line follow up on the subject of sexual segregation in rest rooms (in school. At the risk of not being taken seriously, this is apparently a serious legislative proposal in one state nonetheless.

http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/virginia-gop-bill-would-require-schools-verify-childrens-genitals-using-restroom

This is completely ridiculous - there is absolutely no need at all for any intrusive physical inspection of genitals. The child's birth certificate will state gender. Is this man seriously suggesting that isn't good enough? That children identified as girls on their birth certificates might actually be boys in disguise?

http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/virginia-gop-bill-would-require-schools-verify-childrens-genitals-using-restroom

This bill must have been written by the same type of politicians who invented the "legitimate rape" concept.

This bill must have been written by the same type of politicians who invented the "legitimate rape" concept.

Indeed. Utter creeps.

And what makes it even more creepy is that the legislator doesn't seem to have a clue how border-line paedophillic sex-offender the whole thing is ... don't people like that realize what they are saying about themselves when they endorse things like that?

Hmmm...

If we didn't have different sets of external genitalia, there probably never would have been the perception of a need for segregation.

So, IF segregation is mandated, then segregation by external genitalia is the most obvious way to do it. After all, men's and women's bathrooms are set up differently to accommodate those genitalia. In that respect, the clarification in the proposed law does make sense.

As DrZ pointed out, those genitalia were viewed at birth and so noted (via the "gender" description) on the birth certificate which is a required document for admission to primary school. Peacock's "note" in the article is specious, since each child's "anatomical sex" would have been determined when the birth certificate was presented.

IMO, transgenderism in prepubescent kids makes NO sense AT ALL! A desire to assume traditional roles of the opposite sex does NOT necessarily make for transgenderism.

How many have separate bathroom facilities for each sex at home. Very very few if any. Fromtiniest rental apartment to sprawling mansion, bathroom facilities are shared at home, at least here in the US. So unisex facilities at home is no big deal, we are all accustomed to it. So why we get so tied to separate facilities outside the home never made much sense to me. No, it will never change, but it should.

Many single toilet public bathrooms are unisex, especially the handicapped ones.

It's the multi-toilet bathrooms that probably won't change to become unisex.

I want to say, when it comes to live events, guys tend to drink more, and therefore tend to need that quicker line to empty that bladder. The time it takes for a woman to slide off a pair of tight jeans, sit down, take care of business, fit back into those tight jeans, etc, guys would have to be wearing diapers if we had to stand around & wait for all of that per female on line in front of us. (I meant that in half jest, so relax. Of course the other half is the truth that they WOULD slow the line down)

I don't mind the double standard i've seen where women with their own set of balls have entered the men's room at their own risk to empty their bladders. Of course i would never THINK of using the women's room, for fear a deep voice will warn over a loud speaker "BEWARE OF THE EXPOSED PENIS" where all the women scatter & the cops immediately cuff me as i exit the women's room & haul me away, and oh shoot, now i'll miss the rest of the live event.

Here's an on-line follow up on the subject of sexual segregation in rest rooms (in school. At the risk of not being taken seriously, this is apparently a serious legislative proposal in one state nonetheless.

http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/virginia-gop-bill-would-require-schools-verify-childrens-genitals-using-restroom

Sounds like the perfect job for a pedophile. "If you're too shy to show me, i can just reach in & quickly feel..." Imagine the child going to the bathroom for the 2nd time in a day (afternoon after a morning pee) and gets the same "inspector". "I have to pee. Do you need to see my pee pee again? it's not like I had time to go get a sex change during recess, and my gender didn't change during math class I didn't do any anatomical addition and subtraction."

After they fire the pedophiles, maybe they'll get an x-ray scan like they have in airports.

How bout just have a monitor or restroom attendant stand guard in the restroom to make sure everyone behaves, Virginia ?

Besides, in both Belgium and France, there are often restroom attendants, ladies most often, who are expected a small payment when someone uses the restroom. It is their job to keep the restrooms clean and hygienic.

Reminds me of when i ate at Windows On The World in the WTC, and whenever I attend an event at BB King's Blues Club. There's someone at the sink, ready to squirt liquid soap on your hands as you're about to wash them. Bring your obligatory singles for bathroom visits. Of course there's that bowl with bills in it, right on the sink counter. "Waiter, I can't pay my tab. Guess I went to the bathroom six times & now i'm a little bit short".

Actually, I go to one place where there's a bar connected to a concert hall, so if you attend either, there is a row of 4 individual bathrooms. There's only an attendant there if there is a big event with long lines. Works out pretty well.

You don't even have to wait for those who choose to sit. Just use the model of the Japanese highway rest areas:

Single entrance.

First option is to turn left (or right) to the urinals. There may be abbreviated dividers between the urinals, but the lines of them along the walls are not shielded from the entrance.

Next are the stalls. Options are squat or sit toilets. Wait for the one you prefer...

As I've said before, I am NOT necessarily in favor of segregated facilities (I wonder if we can eliminate segregation based on federal civil rights claims?!?) However, IF the law sez you have to segregate, the external genitalia test is a sane one.

However, IF the law sez you have to segregate, the external genitalia test is a sane one.

When confronted with something like this proposal, in France for instance, people would instinctively think: 'on exagere quand meme'...

Coo-coo clock time.

A couple of years ago, the Unitarian-Universalist Church had its annual convention, I think in St. Louis. It required the hotel to go around and label all of the public bathrooms as unisex. Nobody died as a result of the experience.

hankb

This is a tough issue for me to decide on. I was at a popular outdoor restaurant in San Diego a few years ago on a holiday weekend and as you often see, there was a line for the women's restroom, while I walked right into the men's room. The men's room had two urinals and two toilet stalls. I had just started to urinate and was startled when the door opened and a mom with a young daughter came in and trying to cover my penis I ended up spraying the tiled wall. The woman sincerely apologized and said her daughter just could not hold it anymore and hauled her into one of the stalls.

So it would be fairer to women if they had access to more stalls. The airports are the only places I have encountered a shortage of stalls in the men's room, rarely in other public settings. perhaps the win-win would be to have urinals on a male only side, but the stalls being private could be in a shared area.

By the way, for those that might ever visit Hong Kong, the men's room on the top floor of the Peninsula Hotel is a tourist attraction. The urinals only come halfway up the wall and the top is all glass and you get a spetacular view while taking a whiz. Women actually come in and stand in the back to see it.

I personally would like to see current bathroom signs men and women to be just bathrooms. So many object to this because of bad people around.Those type of people will always find a way to be bad.

Many a time I have seen mothers standing by the men's bathroom door talking to her boys through the door.Or father's by the women's door.Then when my wife had her hands in bandages after surgery needed help with her clothing and wiping.Family restrooms are not always available.

It would be so easy and less expensive just to change the signs to restrooms.Also changing tables are found mostly in women's restrooms.

We are all human we need to urinate or do bowel movements or to gas,

Let's grow up.

Plant more trees and bushes. then we can go behind them and pee. Or, hire more plumbers and architects to put in all the new needed bathrooms.

I actually have dreams at night where men and women share bathrooms. Obviously with my gender confusion of sorts that could be why I dream such dreams at night. It would be a glorious day if both sexes could share a bathroom. If anyone remembers the television series Ally McBeil, there was such a bathroom. Let's make that a reality in real life and everywhere. Schools, maybe not at least for grade schoolers. I agree with that topic 100%!

In my humble opinion I think separate womens and mens bathrooms is a complete waste of space, everybody and every animal alive poops and pees, we learn that very early in life. Bathrooms are not sexual toys or places, there would be no controversy if they were not segregated to start with Unless of course your in a club or somewhere that it is common practice to take someone in the bathroom to have sex, and even there which do you choose the mens or womens. There should be some segregation between pee stalls and poop stalls - and if there are sufficient fixtures wait times should be negligible, There are a lot of women that have used urinals and are pretty good shots too, (better than some men) After all "bathrooms" are not "restrooms" unless you want to lie back and enjoy the sounds and smells of the room. The whole controversy started with transgendered people. There would not be a second thought if there were POOP and PEE rooms instead of MENS ans WOMENS.

Unisex bathrooms also makes it less conspicuous when a man and woman goes in there to have sex! 😁 😁 😁

After all "bathrooms" are not "restrooms" unless you want to lie back and enjoy the sounds and smells of the room.

LOL. There are some people who get turned on by those sights and sounds, though probably not by the smells. A public bathroom isn't the place for that of course.

There would not be a second thought if there were POOP and PEE rooms instead of MENS ans WOMENS.

Hmmm, I wonder where those of us who pee while we poop would go? Couldn't resist.

I personally would like to see current bathroom signs men and women to be just bathrooms. So many object to this because of bad people around.Those type of people will always find a way to be bad.

Yes, if someone wants to do something badly enough, they'll find a way.

We are all human we need to urinate or do bowel movements or to gas,

Let's grow up.

So true.

I agree with the OP's point about no bathroom segregation. We all grew up in homes where the bathrooms were shared by both sexes, whether the house had one or six, it didn't matter. Boys, men, women, girls all used the same toilets. So why do things change as adults in public. If you gotta go, you gotta go. Number 1 or nuber 2, or both, it doesn't matter. Bathrooms are not rest rooms, we don't go there to rest. I just don't get the hang up. I think unisex is the way to go. One stall or fifty, it doesn't matter.

I hear you yet at home we may have al used same bath room yet not at the same time.