Terry Singh
2/17/2016
ENGL1102
Reading Summary #4
Making bathrooms more accommodating
In the article Making Bathrooms More Accommodating By EMILY BAZELON, the central idea is about men and women sharing a Bathroom and the problems that they face doing it. She Starts the article off with many reasons why it would fail as a plan to make man and women share. Starting off with an example of a man creeping on a little girl in a stall and then going on to stating the problems we already encounter with transgenders and bathrooms. The example used is a transgender in high school in Illinois, who identifies as a girl but isn’t allowed to shower with them due to she is different; so they make her shower in a room by herself. Here is when the word accommodation comes into play and then examples of the government giving accommodation to other peoples such as in 1960, Congress gave religious people the right to a reasonable accommodation at work. This has given the transgenders the feeling that they have been doing all the accommodating and know one is accommodating for them.
Women not accomodating in the 1940’s is an example of whats going on now, when they didnt want to share their bathroom with african american females. The article alsostarts to go into detail about how women look at their bathroom differently than men. They go and talk in the bathroom with their “girlfreinds” and can stay in the bathroom for long periods of time just talking. Where is a guy isnt going to stay in the baythroom and we also need urinals to accomodate for our bodies. The article goes on by giving another example of a transgender who isnt struggling in highschool as much as the girl in illinois. This transgender girl is in conntcuit and shes 12 years old. She showers and uses the girls restrooom like every other female her age and she saisd that it feels normal as if shes inh the class with other boys and girls. Thge brave girl started telling close friends about her sex/gender and she states that its going well and friends havent pulled away.
The article goes into detail about accommodating for people and meeting their needs. Its gives details on what needs to be done for transgenders such as whne they take a shower they need to be next to their peers but have their own stall. Also when they get dressed they should have a privacy curtian so that no one is feeling uncomfortable by the next person. She also goes on by stating its the same tyhing for disabled people how they have a bar next to the toilet and a button that opens dooors for them. This concept shows that if we accomaadte for everyone we can coexist and everyone can feel comfortable. She then ends the article with tips given by the Transgender LAW Center that states to transgenders what they can do to be able to use any bathroom of their choice. Its states to point out physical characteristics that they might have or to basically show that you belong.’’ The ache lies in the word ‘‘belong’’ — another basic human need we all share. (Emily Bazelon)