Recently, the issue of allowing transgender people access to public facilities according to the gender they identify with has caused much debate throughout the United States. The bathroom bill seeks to control access to public facilities of transgender individuals, based on the gender they were assigned at birth. In 2015, bills were passed stating entering a bathroom not assigned to a person at birth was a crime. Surrounded by misconception, the bill does “not legalize harassment, stalking, violence, or sexual assault.” Since the bill arose, there have not been a rise in violence or other incidents in the states protecting the transgender rights (Transgender Equality). The bill simply states if one is living as a woman, to use the women’s restroom,
Most don’t explicitly look into the complexity of a transgender person’s life and all the questions or problems one might face: Do I use the men’s or the women’s bathroom? Is it appropriate to use this locker room? Those are only two of the many questions a transgender person might run into on a daily basis because of how others would see the situation, how the people who may have a sneaking suspicion that the woman they saw go into the ladies’ bathroom isn’t actually female by their definition, or how it could also seem strange to see that same person go into the mens’ bathroom. These all lead to dysphoria in any person’s situation in public places due to the fact that many choose to taunt or mock the person; however, with the help of Title IX these questions could start to vanish from the thoughts of many transgender students which Blad exemplifies with a quote in her article:
Here in Canada, this issue has been brought forward in both communities and provincial level of concerns. To take a look closer to home, the city of Toronto had witnessed the complexity of this issue in the past years. A Toronto transgender teen who identifies as a male, was banned from using his high school boys restroom, and was forced to leave school grounds and search for a public bathroom at a gas station. Concerns were mentioned for the safety of Spencer, and also how he felt uncomfortable being forced to use the women’s restroom; however, several parents and students agreed with how the school was taking action to this problem. After a petition was enacted by fellow supportive students, Spencer was allowed to freely use the restrooms at his high school.
More and more kids and teens are realizing that, they are not who they want to be. Meaning that, they want to, or have already changed their gender identity. This doesn’t seem like the problem, but these kids, teens, and even adults don't have the rights we have on a regular daily bases. According to Discovery Education, it says that, these kids and teens aren’t allowed to use the bathroom of the gender they choose to be. This is a big problem throughout the United States, especially in elementary, middle, and high schools. The government also took away the law stating that transgender people, are to use
They deserve to feel safe in school, be protected from physical harm, and use the bathroom of their choice. The progress to giving them the liberties they yearn for, however, is slowed by the naive human beings that compose our society. Our country is filled with people that view themselves as kind, forgiving and welcoming, but they do not fight for what is right. Because our population is trapped in a utopian version of humanity, we cannot promote righteousness. Nevertheless, transgender students need us see the legitimate nature of civilization. In order for our world to match our currently inaccurate picture of life, we need to step out of our distorted reality. Since transgender students constantly face discrimination and violence, it is urgent that we create laws that specifically outline the freedoms belonging to transgender students, instead of mimicking the vague list of rights already part of federal law. With definitive legislation, we can effectively implement change. By making laws regarding the rights of transgender students, and then rigorously administering those rulings, we can change the way our society treats transgender students, and dramatically increase their quality of
"Most New Yorkers take their unfettered access to bathrooms for granted, yet every single day transgender and gender non-conforming individuals must grapple with the fact that their choices
The hot topic of current events centers around the heated debate over whether Transgender kids should be able to choose what restroom they would like to use based solely on their gender identity. Breaking new ground and blazing new trails to create equality for all is the state of California. Democratic Governor, Jerry Brown, signed Assembly Bill No. 1266 (known as AB1266), which was an act to amend Section 221.5 of the Education Code, relating to pupil rights. The new law gives all students the right “to participate in sex-segregated programs, activities and facilities” based on their self-perceived orientation regardless of their birth gender. AB1266 and Section 221.5 of the Education Code provides equal rights for transgender individuals and promotes anti-discrimination. By allowing transgender boys and girls the right to use a restroom that corresponds to the student’s gender identity– regardless of the student’s sex assigned at birth– you essentially teach children acceptance from a young age. This creates a diverse culture which will help sway the profound perceptions that transgender individuals are oddities and will lend a hand in breaking the generational cycle of discrimination.
Why should this sign read we don’t care? Obviously I do care, that’s why I choose this debated topic. Normally I am not a prejudice person, but to this debate I am. I know there are people that will disagree with me, but I just cant sit back and say nothing. I have nieces and I just want them to be safe when they go into a female bathroom. They don’t need to see all these people that may not look like females, but they are far from not in the bathroom they are using.
Kira said, “I think gender neutral bathrooms are great things for all schools to have because at our age, people are figuring out who they are and they might not feel comfortable changing around
Not only do students have mixed feelings but there are also parents who oppose the idea of allowing transgender students to pick their bathroom and sport team to join. Parents worry that there could be certain criminal activity if transgenders were allowed to choose which bathroom to use, but the law reflects the modern times and calls for change. Worries about having transgenders pick their own bathroom or locker room is preventing them from having the sense of security and importance that they should feel within their schools. A testimony from a 16 year old transgender boy from Manteca, California shows that all he wants is to not be deterred from the same options that normal high school boys at his school get, “I just want to be treated the same as all the other boys… my school forces me to take a gym class with all girls… leaves me feeling isolated and alone… (Yan).” Although there are worries of allowing transgenders to pick their bathrooms; transgender are citizens of America and deserve the same opportunities, such as choosing which sport team to participate in or which bathroom and locker room to use, as other citizens. They are being alienated and all they want is to be able to have the same choices, such as restroom rights, available to them. Jocelyn Samuels, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division states, “All students, including
Some people have a problem with transgender people using the ¨wrong restroom.¨ In the article “Seat of Unrest” by Sara GoodYear she explains that ¨The board is voting on whether he should be allowed to use the boys restroom at Gloucester High
In 2016, the “toilet wars” began; some states passed legislation for transgender people to use the bathroom that correlates with the gender they identify
People tend to look passed the ones whom this debate affects. A survey was taken of over 2,000 transgender college students on the effects of the bathroom debate. This survey showed that the suicide attempt rate "increased 40% among those who said they had been denied access to a bathroom" (Scherer et al n.p.). People who are not considered normal by societal standards may have a hard time coping with the hate they receive. This hate can lead to extremes such as the attempt to commit suicide. The allowance or denial of access to a bathroom led to an increase in suicide attempt rates. Those not affected by the issue do not realize the emotional and physical hardship that transgender people go through. In Washington, D.C., a survey of 100 transgender people was taken. In this survey, "70% said they had been denied restroom access or harassed, and 58% said they has avoided going out in public because they feared being able to find a bathroom" (Scherer et al n.p.). The accommodations of both sides of the debate would allow everyone to feel safer in his or her own community. Family restrooms allow complete privacy and do not discrimination based on gender. Access to these types of facilities would never be denied. Allowing people access to the bathroom they choose opened an entire new side of the issue in
Spearheaded by Sophomore Abby Snyder, this group of students are fighting to create an inclusive community where students that identity as transgender can feel comfortable and have a safe place to use the restroom. After talking with Abby Snyder and Kelly Doran, the assistant director for capital planning and construction at Colby, it is clear that there are many possible ways of implementing gender-neutral bathrooms on Colby’s campus. For example, a short term solution would be to to make all bathrooms in the dorms coed. Since Hillside buildings only have space for one bathroom on each floor. As a result, when someone whose sex does not correspond with the gender indicated on the bathroom sign, they have to go downstairs. In these buildings, if everyone is okay with making these bathrooms coed, it should be allowed by the school for them to do so. This acts as a quick and easy fix that benefits the transgender community as well as the cisgender community because it means that men and women do not need to travel to certain floors to use the “appropriate” bathroom. Since a majority of this school states that they feel comfortable with using bathrooms with someone of a different sex or gender, the Colby rule preventing coed bathrooms should be revoked. Secondly, if a dorm has two bathrooms on one floor, they could make one of these bathrooms gender-neutral to benefit those who do not mind it, and then bathrooms for specific genders could alternate by floor. A third possible idea would be to have student indicate on their housing application whether or not they are comfortable sharing a bathroom with another sex or gender. This way, multiple dorms could have all gender-neutral bathrooms and only have people who feel comfortable with it, while other dorms could have people who are not comfortable with it. These are a few of many possible ways to
Passing Restroom policies to allow transgender children to use public school restrooms is not a bad idea. Although, I would suggest that lawmakers need reconsider, allowing them to choose the public bathroom based on their biological gender. Which could cause of confusion in an adolescent perspective; children would assume that boy can go walk in a girl‘s restroom and vice versa. However, it would better for transgender to choose the restroom based on their gender transition.