Free to Pee @ GBC poster. Courtesy Free to Pee @ GBC
By Karen Nickel
Dialog Reporter
Discrimination of all kinds has occurred in the restroom. It has seen racial segregation, homophobic policing, non-accessibility, pay toilets against the poor and time limits for substance users. It’s a place of ongoing bullying, harassment and assault due to rigid enforcement of gendered washrooms.
Accessible and safe public bathrooms are essential for full participation in society. Most people never think about this unless they really need one and there’s none around, but people who are gender non-conforming, transgender, or genderqueer, think about washrooms a lot, they have to – it’s a matter of personal safety.
When I have short hair, I am often mistaken for male. Men have followed me into the washroom, grabbed me, assuming I am some ‘perverted guy,’ and threatened to pummel me. I have been ‘policed’ by women, who are ‘making sure’ I am peeing in the ‘right place’, when I am sure I am. These reactions make public washrooms an anxiety producing and unsafe space for someone who doesn’t follow gender ‘rules’.
‘Safety’ is often cited as a reason for keeping washrooms separated by ‘gender’ or perceived gender, especially women’s washrooms; but is it really about safety? Rigid gender conformity says that it is ‘safer’ for children (who are the opposite sex from their parent) to use the bathroom alone rather than going with them. Conformity says it is ‘safer’ for people with disabilities to use the washroom without their attendant if they are the opposite sex. Are bathrooms ‘safer’ because transgender and genderqueer people are not using public washrooms due to fear of harassment, or assault, so much so, that they are developing kidney and bladder problems from not going pee? Who exactly is being kept ‘safe’?
“Everyone should be able to use a safe public bathroom so that they can pee in peace!” –Free to Pee @ GBC
A coalition of students, staff and constituency representatives, including the TRANSitioning Back to School program and Accessibility for Ontarians, has begun an ‘awareness and action campaign’ called Free 2 Pee @ GBC. Comprised of posters, post cards, teach-ins at all the campuses, information tables and a website with resources (including films) that educate about washroom harassment, assault and safety issues that trans, genderqueer, and gender non-conforming individuals experience when trying to go pee.
The website lists some of the goals of the campaign: “to develop college-wide policy ensuring the right of all staff and students to access gendered washrooms based on their self-stated gender identity; to establish universal access washrooms across the campus; and to create a culture of respect and solidarity at GBC for the rights of trans & genderqueer people and people who don’t fit gender stereotypes, particularly in regard to accessing washrooms with safety and dignity”.
In March, they plan on doing a community audit of GBC’s bathroom using the PISSAR (People In Search of Safe and Accessible Restrooms), developed at the University of California, to assess and document problems with the washrooms. Through the audit they hope to compile information to present to the college to ensure safer bathrooms and access for everyone.
If you are interested in participating in the audit, you can email Robin at the LGBTQ Constituency: salgbtq@georgebrown.ca ; for more information and upcoming events check out the website: http://freetopeegbc.com/ ; there is an online survey that enters you in a draw for $100.00 at GBC Bookstores :
