2y ago

Letter: Stop the 'madness' of universal washrooms in Burnaby schools

www.burnabynow.com

Honestly I'm on the fence about this. There are probably some good reasons for this and equally bad reasons, but I don't think the kids really care though.

A previous article was written by somebody in my neighborhood who was against this. Not sure she wants to talk to me anymore because I didn't completely buy in to her side of it.. she is 80 though. I'm not going to sit there and argue with an 80 year old lady in the street.

7 comments

IMHO, another example of entitled selfishness. Just look at the language used: "I am sickened, furious and scared for my children and the students that I keep safe." I guess it's all about "my children" and everyone else can go to hell.
First off, can anyone actually cite some real examples and not "what-if"s or "what-about"s where gender-neutral washrooms have definitively caused harm? Because all I'm hearing here is this person is upset that they as a parent actually have to do their damn job of raising their kids to teach them that there are "others" in society that don't walk and talk and look like them.
Look back on history and you'll note that this kind of rhetoric is a direct echo of so-called "concerned parents" when racial integration was in the public zeitgeist.
- Also echoes of gay panic. "What if a gay person is in here?"
  It's just the same bigoted FUD it's always been, but this time it's more directed toward trans people.
Funny the author is furious but can't articulate why. I'm not even sure what she is alluding to in regards to safety. Bathroom orgies? Poop knife fights? Tampon toss competitions?
Unisex bathrooms make sense from a practical and rational perspective. However we don't always live in a rational thinking world.
- Big pet peeve of mine is when the word safety is thrown around, and there is no actual safety concern presented. Just someone who is uncomfortable.
  
  In this case I think either the author can't explain their position because it's unacceptable and indefensible or they simply lack the critical thinking skills needed to fully explain their position. It's likely a mix of both.
Sometimes sex-based washrooms can be useful; urinals are faster and cleaner to use, and don’t take up as much space as a stall.
But I’ve been using universal washrooms for decades, and in most contexts there hasn’t been anyone complaining. Universal washrooms just take up more space.
So what exactly is it that people are suddenly concerned about? The reason the washrooms were built that way in the first place?
Lol. Guess what, everyone's house has a gender neutral washroom in it. Just go in and lock the door. Not rocket science.
That said, in my house the washroom door is usually unlocked right now. I can be taking care of business and I have a troop of kids and wife march right through. The only defense is a strong aroma (for my wife). My kids don't care and will happily sit on a stool and watch dad poop. o_O;;

7 comments