Over the past year there has been a lot of talk about bathrooms happening around the nation. The reason being is that many laws were created to either allow or deny transgendered/gender-fluid/or non-identifying people from using the bathroom that they felt most comfortable in. Some arguments against the laws stated that not allowing people to use the bathroom that they feel comfortable in is discrimination. Others who argue for the laws say it is to protect children from the terrors of child predators who could abuse this right. Regardless of your position, a commonly accepted solution to this situation was to start including single-stall gender-neutral bathrooms, or multi-stall gender inclusive bathrooms.
Oregon State University has started including single-stall gender-neutral bathrooms in every new building on campus. However, I had never experienced a multi-stall gender-inclusive bathroom. That all changed last week.
Last week Oregon State University hosted the Fall Drag Show, which was put on by Rainbow Continuum. At the show the main bathrooms of the LaSells Stewart Center were changed to be gender-inclusive. As a cisgendered person, bathrooms have never been an area of trouble for me. However, it was nice to have access to bathrooms that were welcoming for everyone, regardless of how they identified. Below are the stages that both me and many others went through while using these bathrooms for the very first time.
1. Looking and seeing that it says “Gender Inclusive Bathroom” instead of Ladies/Mens Bathroom.
2. Chugging water so you have a reason to go use the bathroom.
3. Waiting too long then having to sprint to the bathroom.
4. Waiting in line while holding your bladder because now the lines in both bathrooms are crazy long.
5. Trying to hide your excitement so you don’t seem weird, but also checking to see if other people are as pumped as you.
6. Trying to avoid eye contact and not look at the people using the urinals.
7. Finally Pee!
8. Wash away the hatred and ignorance of those opposed to gender-inclusive bathrooms… oh and also your hands.
9. Again avoiding making eye contact with the people at the urinals.
10. Leave and high-five a million angels for having the most socially powerful pee ever.
Leave a comment below about your first time in a gender-inclusive bathroom!