Unisex toilet

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pictogram for a unisex toilet in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Caption: "Anyone can use this toilet, regardless of gender identity or expression."

A unisex toilet is a public toilet outside private rooms that can be used by everyone, regardless of their gender identity. There is no gender segregation here. Unisex is derived from the Latin “unus”, in German “one”, and the Latin “sexus” for the biological sex .

background

A gender segregation in public toilets and lavatories was rather unusual until the 19th century. Usually there was a room for both sexes. It was not until the Victorian era , starting in Great Britain, that gender segregation began in the toilet area. According to Barbara Penner, Professor of Architectural History at University College London , this was an expression of the gender ideology of that era:

Ancient forerunners of modern unisex toilets: Latrines in ancient Rome were provided without partition walls and designed to be gender-neutral [2] Ancient forerunners of modern unisex toilets: Latrines in ancient Rome were provided without partition walls and designed to be gender-neutral [2]
Ancient forerunners of modern unisex toilets: Latrines in ancient Rome were provided without partition walls and designed to be gender-neutral

" Prior to the modern industrial period, toilets were frequently communal and mixed. It was only in the nineteenth century, with increasingly strict prohibitions on bodily display and the emergence of a rigid ideology of gender, that visual privacy and the spatial segregation of the sexes were introduced into lavatory design, and they continue to be its dominant features.
(German: Before the industrial revolution, toilets were often communal and mixed. It was not until the 19th century, with increasingly strict prohibitions on physical presentation and the emergence of a rigid gender ideology, that visual privacy and the spatial separation of the sexes were introduced into toilet design where they are still dominant. ) "

Terry S. Kogan, Professor of Legal History at the University of Utah , describes the idea of ​​gender segregation as an expression of a conflict between Victorian gender morality and a slowly emerging modern way of life. He argues that modern toilet segregation emerged from this Victorian gender model. Women were therefore seen as weaker, and to protect social morality, the "ideology of the separate spheres" was established. Corresponding to these morals from the Victorian era of the 19th century, women were distinguished by their virtue and modesty. They were generally seen in the roles of housewives, mothers and wives. As a result, men and women were divided into separate spheres: the former occupied the public (e.g. the workplace), while the latter was assigned to the private sphere (the home).

The Industrial Revolution , coupled with the advent of new technology and a booming economy, began to lure women out of the home and into the workplace - as a result, women began to come out into the open, a domain previously occupied by men. This was a concern for Victorian regulators - they considered the public to be dangerous and believed that women, their morals and their privacy were at stake by the "predatory" man; they pushed for separate toilet facilities for women to protect their "good reputation". Since that time, gender segregation in toilets has been established in the western world, which for historical and traditional reasons still prevails today.

It was only at the turn of the millennium that a trend towards a return to unisex toilets began for various reasons.

Arguments in favor of setting up unisex toilets

Better use of existing space

Unisex toilet on a Japanese Shinkansen express train Unisex toilet on a Japanese Shinkansen express train
Unisex toilet on a Japanese Shinkansen express train

In particular when space is limited, the double design of the sanitary facilities is not possible or only possible to a limited extent. In many forms of public transport, such as rail vehicles or airplanes, unisex toilets are often used

Avoidance of exclusion

For many people, such as intersex people or people with a non-binary transgender identity, it is difficult if not impossible to go to a gender-segregated toilet, as they cannot clearly identify themselves as either male or female. Sometimes these groups of people are even exposed to hostility when using the toilet. Parents of small children also face a dilemma when they want to accompany their small (opposite-sex) child to the toilet.

" Butch women are often run out of 'women's restrooms,' gender non-conforming people lack safe space to pee, trans women who do not experience passing privileges on a routine basis are discriminated against.
(German: Butch women are often chased out of the ladies' room, gender-neutral people have no safe place to pee, trans women who do not enjoy the privilege of routinely passing are discriminated against. ) "

- Justin Adkins, trans activist

Gender equality

In many public toilets, the widespread use of urinals for men means that there are more options for fulfilling needs. Since around 90% of the public toilets are used for the purpose of urinating, there are regular queues in front of women’s toilets with unused toilet cubicles in the area for men. Clara Greed, Professor of Inclusive Urban Planning at the University of the West of England , relates the gender segregation and the associated discrimination against women to the racial segregation at the time of the Jim Crow laws in the USA, which for similar argumentative reasons took place. Referring to the principle of racial segregation: Separate but equal - the colored representative of the Democratic Party in the Texas House of Representatives , Senfronia Thompson, criticized the current situation:

" White. Colored. I was living through that era ... bathrooms divided us then, and it divides us now. America has long recognized that separate but equal is not equal at all.
(German: Weiß. Farbig. I lived through this era ... Toilets separated us then, and they separate us now. America has long recognized that »separated, but equal «is not the same. ) "

- Senfronia Thompson

In the Netherlands , for example, a protest movement has formed under the name Zeikwijven (German: "the wild-peeing women"), which advocates urination equality and takes action against the disadvantage of women due to the restricted ability to urinate . The initiative was triggered after the 23-year-old Geerte Piening to an administrative fine had been convicted because she had urinated in public on the road. Her action, however, was rejected on the grounds that Piening should have used a street urinal common in the Netherlands. The objection that this was only designed for men was not accepted: "It may not be comfortable, but possible". According to an initiator of the campaign, the problem is that:

" [...] it isn't possible for women to urinate in a decent, hygienic and dignified manner in a public urinal designed for men.
(German: [...] it is not possible for women to urinate in a decent, hygienic and dignified way in a public urinal designed for men ) "

- Zeikwijven (Urination Equality in the Netherlands)

As part of this action, women in the Netherlands started to demonstratively urinate in public men's urinals. In the meantime, the Dutch city authorities are planning to increasingly offer a unisex version of the Urilift street urinals , which are now widely available in Dutch city centers and which can be comfortably used by men and women.

However, women are not only disadvantaged by the fact that no urinals are provided for them and thus their ability to urinate is restricted. Proponents of unisex toilets also argue that “toilet apartheid” would also indirectly create a two-class system by excluding women from important networking processes in men's toilets . Feminist and professor of law at the University of Chicago , Mary Anne Case claims that important agreements and decisions are made at the urinal, where women are previously excluded. Accordingly, it argues that:

“ Equality will never be achieved while sex-segregated restrooms persist!
(German: Equality will never be achieved as long as the gender-separated toilets remain! ) "

- Mary Anne Case

Arguments against the establishment of unisex toilets

Health risks to women and girls

Girls feel ashamed of using the toilet with men, especially male adolescents, especially during their period. This leads schools to refrain from urinating and drinking and thereby endangering their health, warned a British doctor.

In many cultures, it is unacceptable for women to be seen relieving themselves, which is why they can only do so in the dark. This results in not drinking and the resulting damage to health and diseases of the urinary tract. This is indicated in a report by UNDESA on the implementation of the goals of the Water for Life Decade in the Gender and water section . UNDESA expressly warns of the need for separate toilets for boys so that they do not use the girls' toilets:

"Moreover, it is important that separate sanitary latrines are constructed for boys, in order to prevent boys from taking over the latrines that are meant for the girls."

"In addition, it is important that separate toilets are set up for boys so that they do not use the toilets that are intended for girls."

- UNDESA : Water for Life Decade >> Gender and water, October 23, 2014

Increase in violence against women and girls

Almost 90% of female sexual assault, voyeurism and sexual harassment incidents in toilets occur in unisex toilets. This resulted in a request from the Times for the UK's Freedom of Information Act . 120 of the 134 reported incidents of sexual harassment in changing rooms also took place in gender-neutral facilities.

In view of these figures, British MP David Davies warned against the magnetic effect of unisex toilets and locker rooms for sexual harassers and advocated the protection of women and girls through gender-segregated rooms. He also spoke out in favor of taking girls' negative feelings into consideration when setting up unisex toilets in schools, not considering their fears to be their personal problem and blaming them for it.

Concepts and problems in implementation

The amalgamation of previously gender-segregated toilets or the construction of new unisex toilets is sometimes associated with administrative and building law difficulties, on the one hand, and concerns from the population are sometimes raised on the other.

Legal basis

The building law in some states prescribes a spatial separation of toilets for both sexes, which makes unisex toilets virtually illegal. For example, the German Assembly Regulations of 2002 regulate in §12 (1) "Assembly places must have separate toilet rooms for men and women."

In the United States, President Trump withdrew a guideline issued by his predecessor Obama that allowed transgender people to use toilets of their choice in public schools in 2017. Here, however, sexually separated toilets are assumed

In the UK , 2010 building codes mandate separate toilets for men and women in the workplace.

Integration of urinals

Freestanding urinals for men (in men's toilet)
Freestanding urinals for women (in ladies' room)

So far, urinals have often only been offered in men's toilets, although there are also corresponding women's urinals . This fact is increasingly viewed as unfair from the perspective of gender equality, so that women should also be given the opportunity to use urinals. One possibility would be to offer both male and female urinals. In the meantime, however, models are also offered that can be used by men and women alike, which enables greater flexibility in use. Bettina Möllring, professor of design at the Muthesius Kunsthochschule in Kiel and an expert in the design of public toilets, sees the provision of women's and unisex urinals as an essential way of achieving gender equality (“potty parity”) in the sanitary area.

Merging the toilets raises the question of how urinals for both sexes should be arranged in the room. While toilets are usually accommodated in cubicles with lockable doors, urinals are usually installed freely in a row in gender-separated toilet rooms. This design leads to a lower space requirement and thus more opportunities to urinate, which is one of the main advantages of urinals in addition to hygienic and economic reasons. One possibility would be to continue to offer urinals in rows. These could be separated by so-called pubic walls , whether separated into male and female urinals or as unisex urinals . It is questionable, however, whether the lower level of privacy compared to conventional toilets would meet with acceptance. Due to sociocultural conventions, the open, communal use of urinals by men and women currently seems unusual for many users. An alternative would be to accommodate urinals for both sexes in cubicles in the future or to continue offering them only for men. However, this would at least limit the advantages of urinals mentioned above. The lawyer, author and moderator Marcus Werner sees a significant disadvantage in unisex toilets if they lead to the abolition of urinals in a classic row arrangement:

“ So it would be very, very sad if the unisex loo trend ultimately resulted in men having to stand in line because every urinal would be housed in a cubicle, which would dramatically reduce the number of basins. In sum, that would be a waste of time across all genders. Men lose time without women gaining any [...] There can be unisex urinals there. But please also have the (men's) pissoire that can be ergonomically mounted in a row. That relieves everyone. "

- Marcus Werner

Urinals arranged in cubicles could often not prevail in previous concepts; the advantages over conventional toilets were not apparent due to the constant space requirements. After 13 years, the four women's urinals in the Salzburg Congress Center were removed in August 2015 due to a lack of interest. They were again replaced by conventional toilet seats.

In the unisex toilets planned for Austin (Texas) in 2017 , the urinals are to be located in an area separated from the entrance area by a door. These are designed as unisex urinals and are openly arranged in a row within this area. This would mean that men and women would use urinals that are freely located next to each other in the room (unless a toilet that is still available) is used. According to the planning architect Richard Weiss, this would create the greatest possible freedom of choice for all genders:

“ The ultimate goal is that everyone should be able to do what they want to do, where they want to do it. "

- Marcus Werner

Morality, Convention and Threat

Unisex toilets are u. a. rejected by conservatives . Sharing toilets is considered uncomfortable, anti-habitual or even immoral. Aspects of cultural identity , aspects of sexual identity, individual needs for protection (especially of women), simple lack of understanding, insistence on habits and a sometimes rejected change in values ​​all play a part in the controversy. A warning is given of possible harassment or danger: Violence and sexual assault would increase. One scenario cited in rare cases is the accusation that transvestites are already abusing children in toilets.

" I think they could be a recipe for disaster - a teenage pregnancy here, a sexual assault there, lots of discomfort and embarrassment for both sexes, a urine-soaked mess of raging hormones, sexual bullying and teenage tears.
(German: I think they could be a recipe for disaster - a teenage pregnancy here, a sexual assault there, a lot of discomfort and embarrassment for both sexes, a urine-soaked mess of angry hormones, sexual bullying and tears. ) "

-

From the Christian conservative side in the US, the introduction of unisex toilets is compared with the abolition of Bible reading in state schools. In some cases, there were escalations between users and opponents of unisex toilets: in Los Angeles in 2016 there were violent clashes between supporters and opponents.

In Germany, too, there are many different reasons for rejecting unisex toilets. The avoidance of unnecessary renovation costs or the fact that a large number of users prefer separate toilets is often cited, depending on the respective social environment or the respective user structure. In university settings, usage preferences seem to be more open-minded, and a "third mix" is often suggested, especially in larger buildings, with separate toilets and unisex toilets next to each other in order to meet the interests of all users . As in the USA, there are excessive counter-arguments in Germany that serve political purposes. B. on the part of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) . The AfD member of the state parliament Gabriele Bublies-Leifert sees the unisex toilet as a danger for German women and puts it in the context of sexual assault by foreign criminals:

“ We are much more excited to see the reactions to our question as to how the model of the standard toilet, which is linked to the denial of biological sexes, can be generally reconciled with the security and protection needs of women in public places. Especially here, in memory of the upcoming events in Cologne or the recent rapes in Freiburg and Bochum, there should have long been a great sensitivity in politics. The AfD repeatedly urges more effective protection of the German population, above all our women, but unfortunately comes up against stubborn and irresponsible trivializations and politically correct thinking bans. This has to come to an end now! "

- Gabriele Bublies-Leifert

By referring to women's rights to privacy, dignity and security, feminists oppose unisex toilets:

"Under the guise of diversity and inclusion, this violates women's rights to privacy, dignity and security."

- Hanna Dahlberg : Why unisex toilets don't work for women

Current distribution

Unisex toilets at Gothenburg University

Unisex toilets have always been common on trains and airplanes. Attempts to offer gender-segregated toilets have not caught on here.

Today, unisex toilets are particularly popular in places frequented by younger people, such as night clubs and universities. Famous locations in the club scene such as For example, the Berghain and Cookies "advertised" the new, relaxed attitude towards life of the techno generation shortly after the turn of the millennium. In 2009, the students at the Humboldt University in Berlin also called for the introduction of unisex toilets as a plea for equality between men and women, but met with severe criticism.

At the end of October 2015, the AStA of the University of Kassel introduced so-called "All Gender Welcome toilets" for one week with the approval of the university management. In this field test, the toilet labels were changed from “men” and “women” to “sit and stand up toilets”. There are over 150 college campuses in the United States that operate gender-neutral toilets, according to the University of Massachusetts' Stonewall Center . In March 2016, Cooper Union introduced unisex toilets in New York City . In October 2016, the University of California, Berkeley converted several toilets to gender-neutral toilets.

Both Austin (Texas) and Berlin are to have unisex toilets with unisex urinals that can be used by men and women.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ O. Gershenson, B. Penner (Ed.): Ladies and gents: Public toilets and gender. Temple University Press, 2009, ISBN 978-1-59213-939-2 .
  2. ↑ Norbert Elias: About the process of civilization. Sociogenetic and psychogenetic studies. Volume 1: Changes in behavior in the secular upper classes of the West. / Volume 2: Changes in Society: Draft for a Theory of Civilization. Verlag Haus zum Falken, Basel 1939.
  3. ^ B. Penner: A world of unmentionable suffering: Women's public conveniences in Victorian London. In: Journal of Design History. 14 (1), 2001, pp. 35-51.
  4. ↑ TS Kogan: Sex-separation in public restrooms: Law, architecture, and gender. In: Me. J. Gender & L. 14, 1, 2007.
  5. ↑ Terry S. Kogan: How did public bathrooms get to be separated by sex in the first place? In: The Conversation. May 27, 2016.
  6. ↑ a b B. Möllring: Toilets and urinals for women and men: the design of sanitary objects and their use in public and private areas. Dissertation at the Berlin University of the Arts, Faculty of Design. 2003. (online)
  7. ↑ a b M. A. Case: Why Not Abolish Laws of Urinary Segregation? In: Toilet: Public restrooms and the politics of sharing. 2010, pp. 211-225.
  8. ↑ Emily Peck: We Don't Need Separate Bathrooms For Men And Women. In: Huffington Post. March 31, 2016.
  9. ↑ D. Kyriakou, J. Jackson: We Know Squat About Female Urinals. In: Plumbing Connection. Autumn 2011, p. 54 (online)
  10. ^ C. Greed: Inclusive urban design. Routledge, 2003.
  11. ↑ a b c d e Kate Wheeling: Stalled Out: How Social Bias Is Segregating America's Bathrooms. In: The Pacific Standard. 4th August 2017.
  12. ^ Gillian Frank: The Anti-Trans Bathroom Nightmare Has Its Roots in Racial Segregation. In: Slate. November 10, 2015.
  13. ^ 'Discrimination Sunday': Texas rushes to pass transgender 'bathroom bill' and measure allowing bias in adoptions, foster care. In: The Washington Post. accessed on December 16, 2017.
  14. ↑ Vrouwen plassen for free at Vendor Washrooms tijdens urinoiractie #zeikwijf In: vendor.nl , September 22, 2017, accessed on December 12, 2017.
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  16. ↑ Protests planned at Amsterdam urinals over lack of women's toilets In: theguardian.com , accessed December 12, 2017.
  17. ↑ Dutch women protest lack of female-friendly public toilets. In: dw.com , September 23, 2017, accessed December 12, 2017.
  18. ↑ Pee'd off: Dutch women test urinals in public loo protest In: thesundaily.my , accessed December 12, 2017.
  19. ↑ Women pee in urinals - in protest. In: Spiegel online.
  20. ↑ Pissoir peeing: Women's protest against too few toilets In: haustec.de , accessed on December 12, 2017.
  21. ↑ Amsterdam just installed the world's first retractable urinal for women and it is a Very Good Thing In: citymetric.com , accessed December 12, 2017.
  22. ↑ Janene Pieters: World's first: Retractable hidden urinal for women set for Amsterdam's Dam Sq. In: nltimes.nl , March 24, 2016, accessed December 12, 2017.
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  24. ^ MA Case: All the World's the Men's Room. In: U. Chi. L. Rev. 74, 1655 2007.
  25. ↑ a b Girls are skipping school to avoid sharing gender neutral toilets with boys after being left to feel unsafe and ashamed , Sanchez Manning, Daily Mail on Sunday, October 5, 2019
  26. ↑ [1]
  27. ^ Unisex changing rooms put women in danger , Andrew Gilligan, The Times, September 2, 2018
  28. ↑ a b Unisex changing rooms put women at danger of sexual assault, data reveals , Rachel Hosie, The Independent , September 2, 2018
  29. ↑ President Trump Just Rolled Back Guidelines That Protected Transgender Students , Katy Steinmetz, Time Magazine, February 23, 2017: schools nationwide must respect the gender identities of transgender students, allowing them access to bathrooms and other facilities or single-sex programs that align with their sense of self. (Article text)
  30. ^ The Building Regulations 2010. Sanitation, hot water safety and water efficiency , G4, PDF, p. 31
  31. ↑ a b Julia Wadhawan: toilet concept for Berlin: Public toilets get urinals for women. In: bento.de , August 7, 2017, accessed December 12, 2017.
  32. ↑ Berlin's new toilets: Would you use a women's urinal? In: bbc.com , accessed December 12, 2017.
  33. ↑ Men & Women - We Pee Together In: Yanko Design
  34. ↑ Lady Loo. In: gbhgroup.com.my , accessed on December 12, 2017 (PDF; 137 kB)
  35. ↑ Injustice: Fewer public toilets for women than for men - Deutschlandfunk Nova
  36. ↑ The name 'Frauenpissoir' can be a deterrent. The women's urinals in Berlin are a big topic right now. In: Now (Süddeutsche Zeitung)
  37. ↑ Markus Werner: Berlin's Pissoire for Women: A Good “Business Model”? With its new so-called “toilet concept”, the city of Berlin wants to turn women into pissers with equal rights. With special urinals. Our columnist is a man - and has an opinion on it. In: Wirtschaftswoche. accessed on December 16, 2017.
  38. ↑ Kongresshaus: Ladies urinals will be removed. In: orf.at , August 12, 2015, accessed August 23, 2015.
  39. ↑ a b Alamo Drafthouse founder proposes gender-neutral bathroom design. In: Fox News.
  40. ↑ a b One toilet for all genders - what's the problem? - Star
  41. ↑ A Transgender Woman Assaulted a Child in a Restroom; New Laws Wouldn't Have Stopped It, and None Were Needed to Lock Her Up. In: Reason.
  42. ↑ Rachel Roberts: Unisex toilets in schools should be avoided at all costs In: independent.co.uk , March 21, 2014, accessed December 12, 2017.
  43. ↑ Transgender 'bathroom bill' leaves Texas Christians deeply divided. In: The Guardian.
  44. ↑ Students, protesters fight outside LA school with gender-neutral bathroom In: abc7.com , accessed December 12, 2017.
  45. ↑ Unisex toilets contradict women's need for protection - AfD Rhineland-Palatinate, accessed on December 22, 2017.
  46. ↑ Why unisex toilets don't work for women , The Troublemakers, March 21, 2020
  47. ^ Eisenbahndirektion Mainz (Ed.): Collection of the published official gazettes. March 2, 1901. Volume 5, No. 9, Announcement No. 93, p. 55: In express trains the Prussian State Railways offered at least one pair of toilets in 1st / 2nd First class and one in third class (if the train ran third class), which were designated for use by gender.
  48. ↑ For little equalizers. In: time online. accessed on September 28, 2012.
  49. ↑ Unisex toilets at the University of Kassel: Reaching the toilet or a good idea? In: hna.de , October 28, 2015, accessed December 8, 2015.
  50. ^ One Texan's solution to the transgender bathroom battle: 'All-gender urinals'. In: The Washington Post.