Tag Archives: gender neutrality

Some Summarizing Stuff: Making Bathrooms More Accommodating: Implications of a Worldwide Gender Neutrality Movement

In the article Making Bathrooms More Accommodating by Emily Bazelon, the author focuses on how with the emergence of more political correctness and acceptance of the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning) community, the emergence of problems with integrating and making accommodations for them (more specifically transgendered) to live their life as easily as possible in a society where what they identify as is a huge minority. The integration of public restrooms to accommodate the transgendered has caused huge controversy in the past years somewhat reminiscent of the integration of public facilities after the Civil Rights Act was signed into law. Many of the opposing arguments to the gender neutralization of restrooms or other public facilities such as locker rooms where people feel vulnerable or privacy is a value (like locker rooms) utilize fear tactics like the images of men assaulting women. This acts to further marginalize these people who’s identities aren’t widely accepted in the first place. Another stigma that comes with the acceptance of transgendered people is the word ‘accommodating’ in itself. The word accommodation is to make room for and that in itself suggests that being transgender is outside of the norm and irregularities in the majorities everyday lives have to be placed for transgendered people to acquire some sort of right. Allowing something as individualistic, private and necessary as using the restroom be dictated by the masses.

In my opinion the gender neutralization of bathrooms is something that should be done in order to make those who do not fit within the confines of “woman” or “man” (as we understand in our society) comfortable. It should be an inherent right to go and use the restroom (and act that involves no other party but oneself ) in whichever bathroom you would like whether that be unisex, woman, or man. However there are people who could potentially utilize the gender neutralization as means of sexual assault or a breach in privacy.

Some Summarizing Stuff: “Fashioning” the Post Gendered Society

In the article: His & Hers: Designing for a Post Gender Society by Suzanne Tick the author argues that because of the human cycle in which social progression occurs naturally, we now live in a post gendered society and its time that our industries market accordingly. Corporate America and its industries have always been predominantly male, and therefore is primarily marketed for men and not women. This male dominated corporate hierarchy is also not conducive to including or marketing to those who don’t strictly in one kind of gender based demographic. Therefore, in order to progress with the social changes, an industrial change needs to occur also. The modes in which these changes need to occur are based on design, whether that be as general as architecturally or as personal as fashion. Some architectural changes Tick implores society to make architecturally for example would be public bathrooms and offices. Public bathrooms have always been gendered and as of recently due to the more widespread acceptance of gender fluidity and openness unisex bathrooms are being built. As far as fashion goes which is very individualistic, designs are being made to be more gender neutral in that designers are creating unisex lines or are taking clothing items that perpetuate gender norms such as skirts for women and military wear or suits for men, and turning them upside down. For example prominent young celebrity Jaden Smith wearing a skirt in an highly publicized ad for Louis Vuitton, and the creation of make up lines for men and women alike.  I think that in a fantastical world this way of thinking and this article would be conducive to enacting change. However we do not live in a post gendered society in the least bit. Gender norms are still inherently apart of our culture as much as enforcing aid gender norms are. The only differential from the early 1900s to now is not the amount of people who do not identify or specifically feel as if they fit into a gendered norm, or the level of acceptance of these people, but the fact that it is more apparent in day to day life. In a world where society was post gendered an article petitioning corporate or industrialized america to be more inclusive and market towards a demographic of people to whom which gender is completely applicable wouldn’t be necessary. This article, (although hopeful in prospectives) would be much more efficient if Tick showed some regard for the state of society as it is now, and then called for some sort of action based on where we are now. Although social change is naturally human and progressive change is upon us, these things occurs over years and in step by step processes.