Recently I read an article in TIME Magazine about a concept called “Potty Parity.” I had never heard of the term before but it got me thinking: do we have potty parity here at American University?
But first, what is potty parity anyway?
Potty parity is working towards equality in the restroom. Now that may sound crazy but there is this idea that practices that generally favor men’s bodies and needs mean women’s restrooms are not properly equipped to deal with the needs of women. Basically, if you’ve ever been waiting in line at a public women’s restroom and it seems like the line goes on forever, and you look longingly over at the men’s restroom to see no line, that’s a lack of potty parity at work.
Unfortunately, the worst offenders of this practice are in places like the Senate. The article talks about how there wasn’t a women’s restroom near the Speaker’s Lobby in the House of Representatives until 2011. Up until that point, the time allotted for breaks was not enough for women to go to the only available restroom and be back in time.
When women speak up about potty parity, such as the author of the TIME article, there is a great amount of backlash. Yes, potty parity is a feminist topic. Yes, a lack of potty parity is everyday sexism. But this in no way means that we shouldn’t critically look at potty parity in our own lives. In fact, it should encourage us to work towards equity (in the bathroom).
The day I was reading this I was waiting for my class on the first floor of Leonard Hall. As soon as I finished the article, I looked at the time and realized I had a couple minutes to run to the restroom before class started. So I get up and look for the bathroom. What I came to realize is that in fact, there are no women’s restrooms on the first floor of Leonard. There is one men’s restroom and one all-gender restroom. While I could go to the all-gender restroom, the only two stalls are usually taken up by other guys in my class. While it’s great that AU has all-inclusive bathrooms, 1) the bathroom is usually full and 2) it can be awkward and uncomfortable to go into a restroom filled with guys.
I realized that this was yet another example of a lack of potty parity in public spaces. There are two restrooms for men and only one for women. And that one is small and shared with men, who like the guys in my class, choose to use that one instead of the men’s only designated one just down the hall. To add to that, many other of the older buildings at AU lack the proper facilities. In buildings like Hurst and Ward, there is only one restroom available in the basement.
This unfortunate practice of disadvantaging women’s bodies is outdated and needs to change. I challenge AU to support potty parity on campus. No student should have to worry if their school is providing them with the proper facilities for our basic human needs.