Subject:
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Re: I think I'm going to puke....
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Thu, 9 Jun 2005 19:55:13 GMT
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Viewed:
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2235 times
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Dave Schuler wrote:
> In lugnet.off-topic.debate, John Neal wrote:
> > In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Dave Schuler wrote:
> >
> > > In other words, they can be
> > > <http://www.nationalcenter.org/brown.html Separate But Equal.> I
> > > see...
> >
> > So I assume you believe that separate bathrooms for men and women is
> > sexist and wrong?
>
> As a matter of fact, I do think it's pointless. I briefly addressed
> <http://news.lugnet.com/off-topic/debate/?n=24900 this very point> a
> while back (admittedly, while you were sort of sitting-out from
> ot.debate).
I'm in the "I'm not sure we need to separate mens and womens restrooms" camp
also. There is a minor point about the non-privacy of urinals, but then we
could either put a urinal in each stall, or we could put the urinals in
their own room, or we could just have the urinals with their current level
of privacy (and really, except for the guy I had the unfortunate glance of
last Sunday who I would just as soon not have seen using a urinal [he was so
obese he had to expose quite a bit of himself to use a urinal], it's not
like you see all that much of a guy's privates while he's using a urinal).
I think the biggest issue is the fears of rape or other sexual harassment
that might occur. Since probably 90% of sexual harassment etc. is directed
at people of the "standard" female gender by people of the "standard" male
gender, you could make a case that separating facilities based on that
distinction has value, but that distinction still has some problems:
- young children accompanied by parents of the "opposite" gender
- transgendered etc. folk who do not fit either of the two "standards"
- the possibilities of homosexual harassment
Of course the "women" might rebel because "men" are notoriously bad about
issues such as leaving toilet seats up (or putting them up when one uses a
traditional toilet like a urinal - of course other men who need to do sit
down business in the stall after such a clod can be just as annoyed as a
woman would be).
Most issues of genderless facilities would be eliminated if common courtesy
became the norm again. In a well used facility, women would probably be
perfectly safe from harassment because the other guys (and gals) in the
place would rip into anyone who got out of hand (and in a facility where no
one's around, it's still possible for a creep to sneak into the ladies
room...).
Anyplace that has individual rooms such as portapotties or many places that
have two one holers really would have few issues.
On the other hand, at one folk festival, they did have the portapotties
labeled mens and ladies and a lady actually got kind of upset when a guy
came out of a ladies one because there were like 10 guys in line and no
women in sight (and I think there were just one of each). I also got a bit
of a shocked response when I accidentally used the ladies room attached to
the jury room when I was on jury duty (I just saw two tiny undistinguished
bathrooms and didn't notice the sign).
Frank
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