Austin Could Be First Texas City To Make All Single-Person Public Restrooms "Gender Free"

[JoethePleb]

Source: Burnt Orange Report

On August 28th the Austin City Council will consider a resolution to make all single occupancy restrooms "gender free." In practice this means goodbye to the traditional gender binary signage on restrooms intended for individuals -- no changes will be made for restrooms with multiple stalls.

Austin would be the first major city in Texas to make the change that has already made its way on to some Texas University campuses including the University of Texas.

Read more: http://www.burntorangereport.com/diary/15598/austin-could-be-first-texas-city-to-make-all-singleperson-public-restrooms-gender-free

[arcane1]

1. It's common sense, even minus the transgender aspect.

Who wants to wait outside a perfectly unoccupied restroom because the designated one is in use?

Heck I've been in restrooms with stalls that are unisex too. Efficiency!

[Treant]

2. Agreed

In case of...emergency...I always consider a single occupancy bathroom to be gender neutral. That way, nobody has to call the custodian.

[Louisiana1976]

36. Me, too. When the women's single-occupancy restroom is occupied, I always use the men's if

that's empty.

[littlemissmartypants]

49. Ditto. eom

[LynneSin]

3. I have serious issue with this and here's why

You men are fricking SLOBS!!! Sure I have no issue using the men's room if I really have to go and nothing else is available but those rooms are always much more disgusting than the women's room.

I mean seriously can you learn to aim for the damn toilet and put the seat down when you are done!

[PatrynXX]

5. frankly

considering the way my shorts are built and I'm shy I usually take the toilet and sit down anyway if there is one. (blush) I suppose the guys with big members can aim right...

[ChazII]

9. My son does

this as well. His reason - at home it is more sanitary and at school/work/public places ... who cares how a guy pees is his attitude.

[Sparhawk60]

84. Actually........

"I suppose the guys with big members can aim right... "

Actually, a big member means having to use both hands to keep it steady, and after a while muscle fatigue sets in and the hands start to shake a bit, hence the mess. But I always try to clean up after my self.

/it's on the internets, so it must be true.

[MillennialDem]

7. This is actually funny from a trans perspective

I'm trans (mtf) and so I used to use the men's bathroom now I use the women's bathroom. Since I transitioned 10 years ago and we don't have any men in the house...

I sit/squat to pee (regardless of not having surgery)

And about a month ago I was in a gas station and had to throw a piece of paper away. The men's bathroom had the door open and lights off so I knew no one was in there. I saw a trash can right at the entrance so threw the paper in it. But oh my god... even taking one (and only one) step into that bathroom and yes men are slobs. It "stank" like pee in there so bad.

[randome]

89. I would think gas station rest rooms are not necessarily representative of ALL men's rest rooms.

In general, yes, I agree, we men are more sloppy. But not always.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Precision and concision. That's the game.[/center][/font][hr]

[MillennialDem]

92. Women are slobs too - just not as bad IMHO. And of course I would expect better in certain

bathrooms than others.

But yeah I've seen the following in women's rooms: pads/napkins on the floor or in the toilet, pee droplets on the seat, and ladies that... I'm not sure what the fuck you ate but light a match or use some air freshener or something.

In men's rooms I've seen that (except the pads) and worse. But the worst thing of all is the piss stank.


Now when I say "not as bad" after reading that I mean it in the sense of Hitler vs Himmler.

[OnlinePoker]

10. Why don't women lift the seats when they're done?

Why should the seat positioning be the men's responsibility? Look at the damn thing and if it's up, put it down.

[LynneSin]

12. It's not like you men stand 100% of the time in there

if you did you'd have a good point. But since some functions require you to sit just be kind and put the damn seat down when you are done please

[Skittles]

39. you put it up, you put it down

unless you crap with it up, the normal position should be DOWN

[Thor_MN]

67. Why? There is no "normal" position for a toilet seat.

I could as easily say you put it down, you put it up. Doesn't make either of us right. No one is appointed guardian of the toilet seat and gets to declare it's natural position.

[Skittles]

83. actually would prefer it to stay up

since guys have a thing about pissing all over the seat

[Thor_MN]

86. Then why insist that it is "Normal" to be down?

Honestly, up or down is subject to the whims and personalities of the people that use that particular toilet.

Trying to determine what is "Right" for everyone else makes as much sense as the toilet paper over the top or down the wall argument.

The ONLY rationale that makes any sense is for a home toilet seat to be down, with the lid closed as well, if there are toddlers or pets in the house. Every other argument I have heard is purely arbitrary and capricious.

[cannabis_flower]

90. I prefer that the man ...

leave the seat up, because quite a few of them just try to pee through the toilet seat and get it all wet. Better up than with pee on it.

[Skittles]

93. because the guy using it next might need it down?

HELLO

[BlueJazz]

13. I was thinking the same thing. Even when I go up to the trough/bowl/whatever, there's piss ...

...and god-knows-what on the floor around those things.
And I'm sure some men just piss all over everything to "Mark their Territory"

Again..I can just see some Woman sitting down on a commode and having her dress/slacks dragging up all the piss/cum/shit in men's bathrooms.

Geez...like Totally gross me out

[LynneSin]

14. Amen!

You want to see the 'Worst Bathroom in Scotland' just check out any men's room at a local bar.

[cbdo2007]

18. I grew up with three sisters....and now have a wife and two daughters....

trust me...women have their own bathroom/toilet issues that are equally as gross and annoying as anything men do in there.

[LynneSin]

21. So wouldn't you prefer we women keep our messe to ourselves

and same for you men

We're on the same page!

[cbdo2007]

24. haha, good point....but at this point I have a pretty high tolerance for grossness.

[upaloopa]

30. Well at least you can't blame us for not changing

the empty tp roll for a ful one.
As a man I am disgusted by men's rooms too.

[tammywammy]

57. I've cleaned bathrooms at previous jobs.

Both can be pretty disgusting.

[gvstn]

97. Having worked in retail...

I have to say both sexes are pigs in public bathrooms. But the women's bathroom was the worst of all on those occasions when things went untoward. Maybe, we had a few crazy women frequenting out store but guys bathroom was paper on the floor not stuff smeared on the walls.

It is just shocking that adults can't use a bathroom and keep it clean. I just can't fathom it. My mom's rules were kitchen and bathroom are kept clean, rest of the house can get untidy. I just never understood how people can not use a bathroom without making a mess.

[ballyhoo]

6. This is a bridge too far for me. When will the

THX 1138 signs for our foreheads be ready.

[littlemissmartypants]

51. You will get it with your standard issue iwristwatch.

And they are both on back order.

[ballyhoo]

54. Good. I was worried I'd have to keep wearing this sundial.

[littlemissmartypants]

55. ~chuckles~ nt

[ballyhoo]

56. Is that a picture of you in your posts?

[littlemissmartypants]

80. I am sorry I missed this earlier. nt

[Chemisse]

8. I don't see why single-occupancy bathrooms should EVER be for a specific gender.

Now multi-stall bathrooms I can see segregating, unless the stalls go from floor to ceiling so nobody can peek.

Frankly, I don't care which ones transgender folks choose to use.

[closeupready]

11. Very bad idea. I will strongly oppose this if it ever gets proposed here.

[KamaAina]

15. Why?

These are single-occupancy bathrooms. The doors lock, and the little sign on the outside reads "Occupied". You don't have to work yourself into a frazzle over someone with a different gender identity barging in on you.

[closeupready]

19. I don't want to see opposite gender couples having trysts

in these spaces - they already think it's okay to do it during rush hour on the subway, right in the open, in front of everyone (okay, the dry version). This practice would, I'm sure, be interpreted by Americans as license to have sex in these 'bathrooms', just like they do on airplanes.

No freaking thanks. I repeat -

[Humanist_Activist]

22. That makes absolutely no sense.

Seriously, can someone parse this post for me? What the fuck does having sex in the bathroom, which isn't encouraged by any facility I'm aware of, have to do with genderless single occupancy bathrooms?

In addition, I didn't know having a sign up that says "Men" or "Women" actually discouraged this practice.

[Regrell]

43. Yeah, some serious derp in that post.

For people who want to fuck in a bathroom, gender tags of any stripe are not going to be a deterrent.

[merrily]

28. "single" occupancy means only one person of any gender in the john at a time

[closeupready]

32. "Single occupancy," except when two people enter.

As they may sometimes do on, for example, long flights in order to engage in sexual intercourse.

[shenmue]

44. So don't have bathrooms for anybody

Let's all just go in a bucket. You know, so you can make sure there is no hanky-panky going on.

[Humanist_Activist]

45. And? What does that have to do with the subject in the OP? n/t

[closeupready]

59. Everything, IMO.

And...?

[kwassa]

61. well, the same gender was having sex together in the bathroom I walked into.

I could tell by the, um, descriptive noises coming from multiple stalls.

An urban fast food restaurant, where I had to ask for a key at the front counter.

Within two blocks of the White House, I might add.

Freaked me out.

[closeupready]

68. There's been a lot of frank sex discussion recently here on DU.

People stating they like sex with strangers, talk about being a dominatrix, about enjoying being whipped... I mean, stating you don't want to see heterosexual couples engage in frottage during your morning commute is ... something bad - paternalistic? oppressive? 'derp'-y? LOL

You have to step back sometimes, I find, and remember that many people here are essentially 18+ aged kids, with no children, and likely no spouses, and so ... anything goes (it is mostly suggested). Another person stated he didn't need to ever use deodorant, because he said so.

Hard to take this board seriously. Or perhaps I've become too serious-minded? Who cares. I have my opinions. They are often contrarian, but once put down here in e-form, I don't really change them for the benefit of people here, without persuasive arguments to the contrary.

Peace to you.

[kwassa]

71. I was in a unisex bathroom in Belgium in 1973 ...

I didn't realize it at first. I was standing at a urinal with a mirror above it, when I saw one of the female friends in our group waving at me as she walked behind me to a stall. The stalls were labeled "Men" "Woman" and "Private", in French.

Later in the same trip, I stayed at a youth hostel in Amsterdam. There was a plumbing problem in the women's shower room, so the women showered with us. It was individual showers, not group showers, but it was quite public.

Cultural differences. And, no big deal.

[Humanist_Activist]

76. How? n/t

[LeftyMom]

50. You're right. We should also ban unoccupied offices, storage rooms, elevators and dark hallways.

And cars. Definitely need to do something about cars.

[littlemissmartypants]

52. HAHAHA!!!!!!!

Hell... ban sex and toilets. That'll teach 'em.

~ Lmsp

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

53. And zoo parking lots.

And computer labs, and... actually, I suppose I shouldn't be listing places out.

[christx30]

64. No, keep going.

I'm taking notes. You know... for science. Yeah... that's it.

[CreekDog]

81. i expect less stupidity from DU posts than this

have you ever been to a small restaurant? half the time those places have one restroom...

unisex.

and no, i don't think i've ever seen people who just had sex come out of there.

and neither have you, that's why you phrased it hypothetically.

and you act like you've never seen a unisex bathroom. false. you have.

[upaloopa]

33. We have them here in CA all over. People will have sex

No matter what is on the door.

[closeupready]

35. Well that's CA for you.

No thanks. Don't want that here.

[shenmue]

46. Uh, no

People have sex in other states than California.

You don't want people having sex? Or are you just really creeped out by public bathrooms?

[closeupready]

60. I don't want unisex bathrooms. End of discussion.

Absolutely not.

No, no, a thousand times, NO.

[Humanist_Activist]

75. I'm assuming you have a men and women's bathroom at home?

Seriously, your argument makes absolutely, and let me reiterate it here, absolutely NO sense whatsoever. Its not even tangentially related to what the OP is talking about.

[LanternWaste]

87. Yours is an irrational position predicated on little more than emotion

Yours is an irrational position predicated on little more than emotion and bias, regardless of whether the discussion is at an end or not.

[PersonNumber503602]

95. I think if people are in the mindset to have sex in a public bathroom

they are not going to let the little gender signs stop them.

[ballyhoo]

16. I will do more than that. I will not patronize

businesses that begin this practice. God, let me and my family die before unisex takes over and all the serfs have to pee pee in the same Home Depot Orange Bucket.

[HERVEPA]

27. My My, aren't we sensitive.

I hope you give your family the choice as to whether they want to die.

[ballyhoo]

31. An inappropriate comment...

[HERVEPA]

38. Nope.

What in the world is the big deal with men and women using the same bathroom at different times.
Don't you perhaps do that in your home?
And if you had to use a multi-stall bathroom with both men and women, which is not at all what was being discussed. what in the world is the harm?
Sorry, my comment stands.

[ballyhoo]

41. With specificity, what was your comment?

"I hope you give your family the choice as to whether they want to die." You query an unknown person whether he/she will give his family the choice of whether they want to die for ANYTHING, let alone choosing what accommodations they want to use for going to the bathroom. Sterling...Bye.

[merrily]

29. Quick, add the sarcsm thing.

[ballyhoo]

34. No, being truthful. I am old and remember

how it all used to be prior Reagan and those after him. But thanks for the reminder.

[Dustlawyer]

17. True men pee on the seat (not all of us) and that is terrible, but women leave used feminine

products, tissues, and all manner of nasty things too! As a teenager I worked as a stock boy at a mall department store. We had to clean the employee bathrooms in the stock room and outside the break room. Oh my God it was nasty! I had never seen crap like that in my life!
Let's just say we can ALL DO BETTER!!!

[leftyohiolib]

37. my wife says women are the worst cause they dont sit they hover over the bowl

sometimes it goes in the bowl but usually it's all over the seat, the floor etc

[shenmue]

47. Uh, no

Not usually.

[SoapBox]

20. One of my doctor's buildings...

Only has handicapped, unisex restrooms.

BUT at work our work group (where we are supposed to be all professional and well dressed) is sharing (construction) the restroom with another group that works outside (meathead doofs) and the construction workers, hell, what a stenchy, wet mess. These jackasses spray piss all over the toilet seat and floor, wipe themselves off, throw the TP on the floor and walk out the door. What the hell! Talk about needing some education. (Sorry ladies for all the visual.)

[happyslug]

23. I have seen that is the smaller Sheetz stores in Rural Pennslyvania.

Sheetz is a nice size Convenience Store Fast Food Store Gas Station from from Ohio to New Jersey and south to North Carolina.

In their older smaller stores in the more rural parts of the State, when the stores were remodeled to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), they ended up taking out both men and women bathrooms and installing a much larger and ADA compliant single bathroom. Thus this is NOT that significant an event, many businesses have been doing this for decades. I was in some really old buildings and all they had were small bathrooms for both sexes.

[Mike Daniels]

25. I kind of accepted this as pretty standard now

Even if it's marked as gender specific as long as it's a single stall I see men using the women's bathroom and vice versa.

Hardly an earthshaking development but I'm sure FOX will find some way to blame Obama for this development.

[merrily]

26. Right wing used the rest room issue to defeat the ERA.

Technically it's not defeated, only in limbo. I guess the prospect of millions of women demanding equal rights to use urinals scared the piss out of voters.

[Reter]

40. It had an expiration date

So on paper it's defeated. Or maybe not.

[valerief]

42. First and probably only in Texas. nt

[alphafemale]

48. Port-a-jons are single seaters that have always been next in line served.

Just common sense.

[truthisfreedom]

58. Oh great, now ALL toilet seats will be soaked

From hoverers!

[Lars39]

62. I got put on ignore for my last rant about that.

What can be almost as bad as a wet seat is a wet floor in front of the toilet. Dunno if it's short little boys or men "shaking" too soon but it's aggravating.

[Psephos]

63. That will permanently disenfranchise many who object from using public restrooms.

Forcing one's political beliefs on others isn't very progressive when you think about it.

[LeftyMom]

65. Do they object to using private homes' restrooms? How about small businesses with only one bathroom?

Because those have always been gender neutral.

[Psephos]

66. It's not about the private restroom, it's about the public who uses them.

Seriously, you're arguing that my bathroom in my house is the equivalent of a public restroom in a public place?

ooooookkkkkkaaaaaaayyyyyy

Meanwhile, you didn't address the simple point of my post, which is that this effectively eliminates a good chunk of the population from using these facilities. Disenfranchising one group to benefit another only shifts the problem from one group to another. Hardly my idea of progressive.

[LeftyMom]

70. No, making single stall bathrooms gender neutral makes them useful to more people.

If people who are idiots opt not to use them because they object to the idea that somebody they disapprove of might use the bathroom at a different time (even though they already share other bathrooms with those people at various times without noticing) then that is their problem.

Public policy should not be decided based on stupidity or bigotry. If it were huge swaths of this country would still have racially segregated facilities.

[Psephos]

72. And your definition of idiot is the only true one, right?

"Public policy should not be decided based on stupidity or bigotry."

Unless the victims of that bigotry are people we decide are stupid, because they hold different views on privacy and separation of facilities for the sexes.

That's actually called authoritarianism.

[LeftyMom]

73. This rule would only apply to single stall bathrooms.

Since they are, by definition, used by a single person at a time, the gender of other people who use the bathroom at a different time is entirely irrelevant.

There is no reason based in logic to object to non-gendered labeling these restrooms. Most single toilet restrooms are already gender neutral, to absolutely no ill effect.

Objections based purely in bigotry should be discarded out of hand.

[Psephos]

74. Again, my point is we should not use law this way.

I actually would (and do) use neutral-sex single person restrooms.

But I respect that others have strong beliefs not to.

This should be a matter of choice, not law. Official encouragement sounds good. Official coercion not so good.

I have no problem with fostering acceptance and working toward normalizing this in society - and if the argument is sensible, society will come around. That's the progressive way. Using law to cause people to subvert their own lawful beliefs is petty diktat.

[Thor_MN]

69. Everybody poops.

[BeyondGeography]

77. A classic solution in search of a problem

[Niceguy1]

78. sounds like a stupid idea

How can you tell which one has the urinal?

Urinals are an important tool in maintaining a clean restroom. Somehow I dont think the real world, practical drawbacks were considered.

[littlemissmartypants]

79. I remember when there were

Three choices...men, women and colored.

Love, Peace and Shelter.
Lmsp

[olddad56]

82. I don't give a shit.

[Gothmog]

85. I love Austin

Keep Austin weird

[snooper2]

88. as long as women clean up after themselves I am fine with it

[Enrique]

91. i'm trying to think of a single-person men's room

I can't think of it. The only single-person restrooms that come to mind are in gas stations, which are usually gender-free.

[ohnoyoudidnt]

94. So what is the big deal?

Most small businesses only have a single occupancy restroom. What is the difference?

[PersonNumber503602]

96. I'm at a loss to figure out the objections to this

I understand the objections to multi-occupancy bathrooms, but I don't get the problem with single occupancy bathrooms being gender neutral.

So far I've seen the following reasons mentioned.

"Men are slobs!" That was said jokingly, but that probably the most valid reason... heheh

"it would encourage people to have sex in them." I don't understand that argument at all. As people who want to sex in a public restroom would do it no matter what the sign says.


"No one will know where the urinals are." Seems like a non-issue for the most part. Worst case is that a guy will have to pee in a toilet. We all do that at home, and probably on occasion in busy public restroom. If it proves to be a major issue, a simple solution would be to put a urinal symbol or the letter U or something similar on the door.


There have been a few times where I was out in public and I had to use a restroom at a place that had single occupancy male and female bathroom, and the male bathroom was being occupied by someone for a really really long time, and I had to go really really bad. Meanwhile the female bathroom was sitting unused. After what seemed like several decades of waiting, I just gave in and went into the female restroom. I got a couple awkward looks, but I mean, come on... Why have situations like that? Highly inefficient for no reason whatsoever.