Gender-neutral bathrooms to be expanded at USC
Matt Solowan, a Undergraduate Student Government diversity affairs delegate, believes every student, faculty member and visitor at USC should feel comfortable using the bathroom and has been advocating for more gender-neutral bathrooms on USC’s campus.
Gender-neutral bathrooms are often used by people who do not identify as male or female, by parents and caregivers whose children are of a different gender than they are and by people whose personal attendants or caretakers are of a different gender than they are. These bathrooms serve as a space for many individuals who have special needs or who are gender-nonconforming, featuring signage that uses inclusive language, not just male and female icons but signs that are void of any gender identity.
Only two of USC’s 78 buildings on the University Park Campus feature multi stall, gender-neutral bathrooms, according to the LGBT Resource Center website.
To assist these individuals, USC has been transitioning single accommodation restrooms into gender-neutral restrooms through improved signage. At USC, these bathrooms are located at the Ronald Tutor Campus Center, the Engemann Health Center, Bovard Auditorium, among other buildings on campus. Associate Vice Provost of Student Affairs Timothy Bessolo noted that this action has been essential to fostering an inclusive and safe campus environment.
“Over the past year and a half, gender-neutral bathrooms were designated and new signage was created with the help of the LGBT Resource Center,” Bessolo said. “The University decided to designate these spaces to ensure we were creating a welcoming environment for all students, faculty, staff and guests on campus.”
As a member of the Queer & Ally Student Assembly and the Diversity Affairs committee, Solowan has been working with his fellow delegates and student directors to raise awareness about this issue and create a resolution that addresses and seeks to resolve grievances with the current state of gender-neutral bathrooms on campus.
“Last year, QuASA made it part of their mission to get gender-neutral bathrooms on campus and gender-neutral housing spaces in residence halls,” Solowan said. “While they were successful in getting the conversation about these important resources started, there is still quite a ways to go before our campus is 100 percent gender-inclusive.”
Solowan is looking particularly at what other college campuses are doing, in order to see what resources would be reasonable to request from the University.
“On the Diversity Affairs committee, we are researching what gender-neutral resources are available at other college campuses, working on a list of resources we would like to see implemented here at USC, and hopefully presenting those ideas to the administration,” Solowan said.
Solowan, who frequently uses gender-neutral restrooms since he does not always feel comfortable using gender-segregated ones, felt that there is much more work that needs to be done to ensure that everyone feels at ease using the bathroom. While Solowan claimed that the gender-neutral bathrooms are well equipped, he said that the University has not constructed enough, particularly in residence halls.
“It is imperative for students who do not identify with either side of the gender binary or who may be in the process of transitioning between genders that there be somewhere for them to go to the bathroom,” Solowan said. “It is unfair to these students that they should have to search all over campus just to find somewhere to use the bathroom or that they should have to hold it in all day,”
Total and absolute nonsense. This is just another example of the chaos and lunacy that results when we abandon science, and indulge people who suffer with gender identity. This is quite literally a mental illness in every sense of the term because these people (who deserve our love and respect) are confused about their gender… one of the most easily identifiable and resolute aspects of us as human beings. Indeed, unlike sexuality which manifests across a wide spectrum… gender is absolute except in the rarest of circumstances (namely, hermaphrodite syndrome). Science, folks!! Moreover, many of these people who struggle with their gender identity nevertheless resolve to live in acceptance of their gender.
So, in review: The 99+% of society, comprising the vast majority of normal (yes, normal) and healthy people who do not suffer this most unfortunate disorder, are supposed to reorganize and disrupt their lives in accommodation of the smallest percentage of the smallest percentage of society by pretending gender does not matter, or even exist?.. in of all places, a restroom??!? This is a total disgrace.
Let’s be abundantly clear: Nobody of any disorder should be bullied or treated unfairly. By contrast, all people… no matter their condition or struggle… should be treated kindly and with love, acceptance and inclusion. BUT, public restrooms are NOT THE PLACE for this attempt at “inclusion”. Restrooms are fundamentally private spaces where nobody escapes the most fundamental practice of life: defecation and urination. That is largely their only purpose. They are not social houses or clubs. They are not lounges or meeting spaces. Get in and get out. Most importantly, restrooms should not be political pawns for people like Matt Solowan who wish to advance a social agenda, and normalize a condition that by no metric is normal.
STOP THIS NONSENSE PEOPLE. STOP THE CHAOS. I am sick and tired of hearing about the discomfort that so-called transgender people feel in choosing restrooms. Nevermind that there is no scientific basis for changing gender in the first place, let’s talk about the discomfort of the 99% of normal people who do not wish to be using a public restroom… perhaps standing at a urinal, fully exposed.. while someone of the opposite gender walks in. This is not cool, and people like me who feel this way should NOT be marginalized or made to feel guilty for this position.
I propose one, clear solution that represents a generous attempt at accommodating people who struggle with their gender: Single person, single use restrooms. Let’s build more of these. This is the type commonly seen at Starbucks or Subway, for example. They are intended for one person at a time, though they also accommodate breast-feeding mothers, parents with children, or persons needing a caregiver or attendant. They are also helpful for those who seek additional privacy when using the restroom, or persons needing to change clothes or do some quick grooming. They can be built near or adjacent to traditional multi-stall restrooms. Go in, lock the door, do your business. Nobody is offended, nobody is confused, nobody is bothered. If you suffer from gender identity, or simply wish to pose as the opposite gender, and feel confused or uncomfortable about which restroom to use… use one of these, and leave the rest of us alone. Get in and get out. It’s time for the “transgender” community to learn to process and deal with the consequences of their choices in a more meaningful, mature, scientific, and less selfish way.
Total and absolute nonsense. This is just another example of the chaos and lunacy that results when we abandon science, and indulge people who suffer with gender identity. This is quite literally a mental illness in every sense of the term because these people (who I feel very sorry for) are confused about their gender… one of the most easily identifiable and resolute aspects of us as human beings. Indeed, unlike sexuality which manifests across a wide spectrum… gender is absolute except in the rarest of circumstances (namely, hermaphrodite syndrome). Science, folks!! Moreover, many of these people who struggle with their gender identity nevertheless resolve to live in acceptance of their gender.
So, in review: The 99+% of society, comprising the vast majority of normal (yes, normal) and healthy people who do not suffer this most unfortunate disorder, are supposed to reorganize and disrupt their lives in accommodation of the smallest percentage of the smallest percentage of society by pretending gender does not matter… in of all places, a restroom??!? This is a total disgrace.
Let’s be abundantly clear: Nobody of any disorder should be bullied or treated unfairly. By contrast, all people… no matter their condition or struggle… should be treated kindly and with love, acceptance and inclusion. BUT, public restrooms are NOT THE PLACE for this inclusion. Restrooms are fundamentally private spaces where nobody escapes the most fundamental practices of life. That is largely their only purpose. They are not social houses or clubs. They are not lounges. Get in and get out. Most importantly, restrooms should not be political pawns for people like Matt Solowan who wish to advance a social agenda, and normalize a condition that by no metric is normal.
STOP THIS NONSENSE PEOPLE. STOP THE CHAOS. I am sick and tired of hearing about the discomfort that so-called transgender people feel in choosing restrooms. Let’s talk about the discomfort of the 99% of normal people who do not wish to be using a public restroom… perhaps standing at a urinal, fully exposed.. while someone of the opposite gender walks in. This is not cool, and people like me who feel this way should NOT be marginalized or made to feel guilty for this position.
There is one, clear solution that represents a generous attempt at accommodating people who struggle with their gender: Single person, single use restrooms. These are commonly seen at Starbucks, or Subway, for example. One person at a time, though they also accommodate breast-feeding mothers, parent with children, or persons needing a caregiver or attendant. Go in, lock the door. Nobody is offended, nobody is confused. Get in, get out.