Inclusive Use Restrooms

What are Inclusive Use Restrooms?

Inclusive use, sometimes referred to as “Gender-neutral” restrooms are typically a single-stall, lockable restroom available to people of all genders and sexes. Gender-neutral bathrooms provide a safe, private facility for transgender, genderqueer, and gender non-conforming people, families with children, and people with disabilities who may need assistance. Single-stall restrooms also more easily meet the accessibility regulations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Why do we need gender-neutral facilities?

According to the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, “trans and gender variant people face severe access problems when it comes to sex-segregated facilities like restrooms, locker rooms, shelters, in-patient drug treatment facilities, prisons and jails, etc.” Everyone deserves equal access to public facilities. No one should have to fear violence or harassment as a result of entering these facilities. This idea dates back to the civil rights movement when activists fought to end segregation of public facilities based on race. To get an idea of what gender-nonconforming people experience when they enter a restroom, try going into the opposite sex’s restroom, or looking for a gender-neutral restroom to use in a public space.

Why should transgender people receive special privileges?

Being able to safely use a public restroom isn’t a privilege; it is a right. And gender-neutral restrooms aren’t only for transgender people. Many people who don’t identify as transgender but don’t appear stereotypically male or female and may experience harassment in sex-segregated facilities. Gender-neutral restrooms would also be helpful to fathers caring for their daughters, or mothers caring for their sons. In addition, disabled people who have a caretaker of a different gender to assist them in restrooms may want gender-neutral facilities.