Parents rejecting gender neutral (unisex) toilets

[NotTerfNorCis]

Here's a ray of light. This is what most people really think.

Hundreds of people have signed a petition against gender-neutral toilets at a school in Leicester.

The toilets were introduced at New College in New Parks, Leicester after the school's Christmas holidays.

Around 500 people have signed the petition, which is against the introduction of the toilets.

www.itv.com/news/central/2020-01-13/hundreds-sign-petition-against-gender-neutral-toilets-in-leicester-school/

Will it make any difference though?

They're saying it was because of an influx of new pupils. But it shows what resistance we can expect when unisex toilets become widespread.

Good. Hate them.

Children aren't asking for mixed sex toilets. Women (and most men) don't want mixed sex toilets. Yet they are being imposed on all of us. Why?

Transgender Trend have a recent blog about this:

www.transgendertrend.com/gender-neutral-toilets-schools/

It depends on what exactly they've done, but 'redesignating' some of them nearly always means removing girls loos and leaving boys ones alone if they have urinals. (I don't know if they're the norm in school toilets nowadays)

Interesting, New Parks is one of Leicester's most deprived wards, and the outer estates and the west of the city, where this school is, tend to be less ethnically mixed than inner city and east Leicester. I don't know anything about the profile of this school, but it's probably not a middle class protest and less likely to be driven by religion than in other areas, if it's just locals signing the petition.

As an adult I find unisex loos (with rows of cubicles) uncomfortable. I can only imagine how hellish that would have been at secondary school.

They tried to do this at my ds's school.

They started by converting one set of toilets to gender neutral, suggestions it would be rolled out across the school. No discussion with kids or parents beforehand. But after the school had become Stonewall awarded or whatever the term is.

Cue lots of upset kids refusing to use these loos (including my ds), lots of very vocally unhappy parents making their feelings clear to the lovely but slightly woke Head.

Surprise surprise, no more gender neutral loos introduced!

xxyzz As schools are evidently only listening to Stonewall etc and not children (whatever happened to "pupil voice"?) it's now up to parents to protect their children. Who'd have thought we would end up here.

Schools should have a couple of mixed sex toilets. It takes the pressure off a school if any bullying activist groups get involved as there are already 'gender neutral' facilities for use by gender non conforming children. It also allows schools to ensure that other children are not coerced into sharing toilets with the opposite sex.

Dd's school; have now locked all the usual toilets and the only ones open are gender neutral. She and her friends refuse to go all day now. She's using a night time pad for her period so she doesn't have to go. Luckily she has light periods.
I've been encouraging her to get her friends toogether and protest this. I'm pretty sure the boys don't like it either, she says.
Bloody rediculous.

I've been encouraging her to get her friends toogether and protest this.

I think I'd be complaining about this myself. Is there a reason why you're not getting involved?

Troels could you make a written complaint to the school?

Locking some toilets to force pupils to use others is surely something the local council could look into? It comes across as punitive.

Children over the age of 8 have the right to single sex toilets.

''Unisex toilet plan ditched at London school''
www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/36537193/unisex-toilet-plan-ditched-at-london-school-because-of-gap-at-bottom-of-doors

Dd's school; have now locked all the usual toilets and the only ones open are gender neutral.

Sorry Troels, are you saying they are deliberately restricting the facilities to force compliance? How does that work? Why aren't all the loos mixed sex in that case?

Schools should have a couple of mixed sex toilets

Yes, one for the (non binary) boys and one for the the (non binary) girls. So everyone.

Good! My university had GN toilets for one year then overturned the decision within the next, as so many disagreed with them.

I disagree with them too. Especially in places like students’ unions where partying/drunkenness are highly prevalent.

And they especially shouldn’t be in schools - teenage pregnancy rates would go through the roof, not to mention some people may have other ulterior motives.

I had to NC for that btw as I’ve posted here before and don’t want to be outed 😆 still though I’d be more than willing to defend my position to my university if it came to that

Children mobilised for school strikes against climate change. I wonder if we'll see more in revolt against mixed sex (can we insist on calling them what they are?) toilets.

But most people striking from school against climate change are on the liberal left, and this particular persuasion seem to be more in favour of mixed-sex/GN toilets than any other.

I must say school strikes bother me too. The leader (chief?) of XR called for students to skip their GCSE exams! They honestly have their heads in the clouds, missing school solves nothing

I want to make my own complaint, but am waiting for Dd to give me more info, she tends to drop parts and wander off to do her own thing. It's like pulling teeth. So once I know more I will be complaining.

I also think it's important for them to stand up for injustice themselves, in person instead of just moaning online to each other.

I also think it's important for them to stand up for injustice themselves, in person instead of just moaning online to each other

That's a big ask in a school where children want to please the teachers and don't want to cause trouble. These things take advantage of years of female socialisation it's not going to change over night.

And theres a good chance they have seen anyone who asked or complained called bigots or told they should be the ones removing themselves from the area

I really think you need to sit her down and get the full story. Your the parent. Dont let her wander off. Every day you dont know what's going on is a day shes at risk and a day she gets through knowing her place in the school and wider world comes second to mens feelings.

TRAs are arguing that bathrooms always used to be mixed 'until the ‘separate spheres’ sexism of the late 1800s'. I'm not a toilet historian but isn't this a red herring? Seem to remember stories about a total lack of bathrooms leading to people relieving themselves where they could - a particular issue in royal courts!

Wasn't that referred to as the 'toilet leash'?
Public toilets weren't unisex exactly as we know them now and no 'respectable' women would have used them. Hence, women generally were restricted in their movements to places where they could safely toilet.
Long skirts, walks in the shrubbery...