Bathrooms for Transgendered People: What is Fair?

We humans, as a species, are ever evolving. That’s a good thing! Most of us have learned from peaceful demonstrations and further education that African Americans can and should be treated as much, much more than dogs or cattle. We are learning that gay couples do exist and they should have the same legal rights as conventionally married couples. Now, in all fairness, we must evolve to create fair laws to establish where transgendered persons can use public bathrooms.

To evolve in this way, we must realize that being a transgendered person is not equal to being a pervert. A transgendered person does not become so in order to have a sexual encounter in the bathroom. Transgendered people are not wired the same way most of us are. It is not a choice or game to want to be a different gender. It is a very real predicament that no one asks for.

Perhaps if we try to put the shoes of transgendered people on our feet for a while, we might understand the dilemma transgendered people face. As a little boy, you for some reason want to play with tutus and magic wands over trucks and salamanders. You may find comfort and acceptance at home, but what about school? You want to play with the girls and the boys call you a cissy. Your femininity attracts bullies. You become a teen in a boy’s body attracted to boys. Now, I ask, who should not be in that boys’ bathroom?

We must realize that a transgendered girl only wants to use a restroom as any other girl does – to use the facilities or to freshen up her face or gossip with friends. And transgendered boys only want to use a restroom as any other boy would. How uncomfortable it would be for a transgendered girl to have to use a boys’ bathroom. She’s got a skirt and blouse on and has to pull out her male organ to urinate. Doing her business in the privacy of a stall in a girl’s room would spare embarrassment and fear for both the transgendered girl and any boys in the boys’ room. As well, stalls in the boys' room would shield a transgendered boy from embarrassment and undue shame. It would also delay the conversation until young students are old enough to process this information so contradictory to any norm experienced at a tender age.

So are we going to be fair about this? I cannot believe that we would want to be otherwise. Think before you judge!