intruder
23-03-2007, 07:46 PM
Student groups at the University of Manitoba, the University of Winnipeg, and Toronto's Ryerson University are lobbying for alternatives to conventional male and female washrooms to protect the safety and privacy of transgendered students.
The campaign comes despite student bodies and university authorities being unable to give any figures for how many transgendered students they need to accommodate.
I think it's important for a couple of reasons. There are individuals on campus who don't feel safe going into either the male or female washrooms, that whatever bathroom they go into they feel ostracized," said Vivian Belik, VP of student services for the University of Winnipeg Students' Association.
"Gender-neutral washrooms are important because it deconstructs the idea of gender as a whole."
However, some students are critical of the campaigns and believe that gender-neutral washrooms are an example of what happens when political correctness knows no limit.
"No boundaries equals chaos," said one person registering their disagreement with the University of Winnipeg's proposal to implement gender-neutral washrooms on campus.
Another student said, "Honest to god, how many transgenders actually go to school here? Instead, spend your money on something everyone can use."
Chris Wright, education and campaign coordinator for Rye-Pride, Ryerson University's group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered students, said it is campaigning " for "allgender" washrooms so as to be more inclusive.
He believes that single-stall washrooms -- featuring just one toilet -- will appeal to a larger portion of the student population.
"Our education campaign has been around promoting the wide variety of people who would benefit from the washrooms," said Mr. Wright. "Single use washrooms offer increased security, which was a safety concern for a number of people at Ryerson, not just the trans-community."
At the University of Winnipeg, the plan under discussion is to convert an existing, ground floor handicapped washroom into one designated for all-gender use. There would still be bathrooms for men and women.
"We would like to create these bathrooms into 'all accessible' washrooms that would be accessible to wheelchairs, could have a baby-changing station, perhaps a foot-washing station for Muslim students, and would happen to be gender-neutral. The main idea being as inclusive/ sensitive as possible," said Ms. Belik.
While the accessibility of the washroom may increase, Ms. Belik realizes that wait times for the washroom might as well.
"There would be more people using these bathrooms and potentially a longer wait for people with wheelchairs, who already have a shortage of bathrooms on campus," said Ms. Belik.
There is also no way of ensuring that people who use the specially designated washrooms are doing so for security's sake instead of trying to avoid long line-ups that can form in conventional washrooms.
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Sorry folks, once again catering to what?!?!? .005 of the population?
I don't know whether to laugh or pee...
"DECONSTRUCT THE IDEA OF GENDER AS A WHOLE"
c'mon people!! PICK A HOLE!?!?!?!?!?!
The campaign comes despite student bodies and university authorities being unable to give any figures for how many transgendered students they need to accommodate.
I think it's important for a couple of reasons. There are individuals on campus who don't feel safe going into either the male or female washrooms, that whatever bathroom they go into they feel ostracized," said Vivian Belik, VP of student services for the University of Winnipeg Students' Association.
"Gender-neutral washrooms are important because it deconstructs the idea of gender as a whole."
However, some students are critical of the campaigns and believe that gender-neutral washrooms are an example of what happens when political correctness knows no limit.
"No boundaries equals chaos," said one person registering their disagreement with the University of Winnipeg's proposal to implement gender-neutral washrooms on campus.
Another student said, "Honest to god, how many transgenders actually go to school here? Instead, spend your money on something everyone can use."
Chris Wright, education and campaign coordinator for Rye-Pride, Ryerson University's group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered students, said it is campaigning " for "allgender" washrooms so as to be more inclusive.
He believes that single-stall washrooms -- featuring just one toilet -- will appeal to a larger portion of the student population.
"Our education campaign has been around promoting the wide variety of people who would benefit from the washrooms," said Mr. Wright. "Single use washrooms offer increased security, which was a safety concern for a number of people at Ryerson, not just the trans-community."
At the University of Winnipeg, the plan under discussion is to convert an existing, ground floor handicapped washroom into one designated for all-gender use. There would still be bathrooms for men and women.
"We would like to create these bathrooms into 'all accessible' washrooms that would be accessible to wheelchairs, could have a baby-changing station, perhaps a foot-washing station for Muslim students, and would happen to be gender-neutral. The main idea being as inclusive/ sensitive as possible," said Ms. Belik.
While the accessibility of the washroom may increase, Ms. Belik realizes that wait times for the washroom might as well.
"There would be more people using these bathrooms and potentially a longer wait for people with wheelchairs, who already have a shortage of bathrooms on campus," said Ms. Belik.
There is also no way of ensuring that people who use the specially designated washrooms are doing so for security's sake instead of trying to avoid long line-ups that can form in conventional washrooms.
__________________________________________________ _______________________________________
Sorry folks, once again catering to what?!?!? .005 of the population?
I don't know whether to laugh or pee...
"DECONSTRUCT THE IDEA OF GENDER AS A WHOLE"
c'mon people!! PICK A HOLE!?!?!?!?!?!