Transgender Bathrooms

Flushed with Uncertainty.

As it stands now, if you have a penis you're supposed to use the men's bathroom. If you have a vagina you're supposed to use the female bathroom. If you have both, you must use both bathrooms simultaneously. Pretty simple right? But there is a movement growing that wants to allow transgender people to use the bathroom of the gender that they present themselves as rather than the gender assigned to them at birth.

First, it's pretty sad we have to live in a world of gendered bathrooms. If it has a handle to flush water into the sewers and a door for privacy, why does it matter where I go to lighten the load? If I'm just looking to make my bladder gladder, why can't I just go anywhere that has a drain? For that matter, why can't I water my neighbor's plants from time to time? (Ok maybe that's a little too far). Well because somehow, going to the bathroom has some sexual undertones. And unfortunately, America is pretty uptight when it comes to topics of a sexual nature.

I've been in public bathrooms many, many, many times in my life. Some were even unisex bathrooms. I can say in all my years, I have -never- seen another person's private parts while in the bathroom. And I don't know (nor really care) if someone else saw mine either. So it's a little hard for me to relate to this. But apparently the main arguments around transgender bathrooms have to do with 1) sexual privacy, and 2) sexual assault.

It would seem that people (mostly women) are afraid of someone of the opposite sex using this bathroom issue as an opportunity to either leer at them or to assault them. They suppose that if someone has a penis their chances of being perverted or even a sexual predator are much higher (ok I guess I can't argue with that). But if that's true does that mean men should be fearful of gay men who use the same bathrooms as them?

You may scoff at that last idea, but believe me I'm sure someone's thought of it before. For being such a "United" States, America sure loves division. It will find almost any reason to divide people when possible. So where do we draw the line exactly? It seems like everything offends someone these days. And to be fair, it seems like everyone thinks they're more entitled than someone else. I guess I can see both sides of this argument, but...

Debating is probably a Waste.

I must live in a different world than everyone else. In my world, public bathrooms are a pretty disgusting place. I tend to do my business, perform some hygienic grooming, then leave as quickly as possible. Do other people linger in bathrooms, leering at others as they walk in, waiting for that "golden" opportunity to see a glimpse of someone else's privates? Do they hide in the stalls waiting for that chance to to sexually assault someone? Ok sure, there are always perverts in the world. But I'm guessing the majority of people are not like that. If indeed they are, which bathroom we're using is the least of our worries.