US college first year describes her experience of mixed dorms

[Clymene]

Formerly single sex, they were made unisex to appease the trans lobby.

I'll bet you can't guess what happened ...

threadreaderapp.com/thread/1284387238122598403.html

That's why people are pointing out that the way US dorms are set up is different, titchy. The set-up there isn't even ideal for single sex facilities, never mind shared ones.

Ds1 has just told me that he would have been ok in the above scenario

Wish we’d fucking known that when we paid extra for an en-suite 😀

(He says to be far that he doesn’t want to share a bathroom like that with anyone...male or female)

My boarding school (single sex) had showers like that any everyone hated them. Teacher once yanked open the curtain to tell of my friend while she was mid shower and friend was so upset her dad came up to the school to complain that weekend, Most people don't like having that little privacy!

My school had a ‘corridor‘ of shower heads with no curtains

If you were clever you could pop your arms in...splash a bit onto your chest...and go under the heads so the water didnt hit you

Gym teachers wanted evidence 😀

Apologies to all for how shit my typing is today, I think I need a new keyboard.

I am curious. In the US, I believe that even the bedrooms are shared (presumably same sex). Around 10 years ago, I watched a block in London, being refurbished. It was an external facility for a US University. I could see through the windows, and noted that each room had about 3 beds in.
My DC at university had shared 'facilities', similar to a house. They had groups of around 8 students who they called their 'kitchen group'; ie, the 8 students would share the kitchen, had their own room, and had several toilets, bathrooms (shower) between them.
Newer student accommodation (youngest DC) usually have ensuite. This is because (pre lockdown), the universities often use university Halls during the summer for other events, and it is the custom now, when hiring facilities for adults to expect ensuite.

My boarding school had a huge tiled room with open showers. Not a curtain to be had. Strictly single-sex though. And no warm water in the winter more often than not.

My first university I also shared a room with five other (female) students. One toilet and one shower between 16 of us.

By my last year, I had a room to myself that was bigger than the first. But mixed-sex showers and toilets. On balance it was still the better room. We did have very respectful guys though.

@ShinyFootball

I was in mixed sex halls in the early 90s

It was one floor male one floor female so the toilets and showers on the relevant floors were single sex.

Which isn't to say that there weren't blokes nipping for a pee if they were drinking with you.

But generally most male and female students would feel pretty uncomfy coming out the shower with a towel round with the opposite sex there doing their teeth etc

I'm surprised this is the norm in the UK tbh

I was in mixed sex halls in the UK in the mid 80s and it was exactly as you describe.

The other accommodation that was on offer was either single sex or it was mixed sex and there were individual bathrooms that only person would use at a time (like at home).

For context this was in London in the 1980s.

Well the tweets translate perfectly well to me @titchy.

I was at university in the 80s. We had mixed sex 'apartments' with single rooms and a shared kitchen. There were single sex showers and toilets as I described earlier.

What the woman in the tweets is describing is nothing like that is it?

@TheProdigalKittensReturn

That's why people are pointing out that the way US dorms are set up is different, titchy. The set-up there isn't even ideal for single sex facilities, never mind shared ones.

Yeah - as I said it doesn't translate well to a UK audience. Presumably a US audience would get it.

This sort of thing has been common in Canadian universities for years, nothing to do with trans students. Many buildings that were single sex have been converted to co-ed and toilet/washrooms changed also, or n some cases there were separate ones but it wasn't observed in practice.

I suspect it causes plenty of problems, but I've also found that most students say they prefer co-ed spaces.

@Clymene

Well the tweets translate perfectly well to me *@titchy*.

I was at university in the 80s. We had mixed sex 'apartments' with single rooms and a shared kitchen. There were single sex showers and toilets as I described earlier.

What the woman in the tweets is describing is nothing like that is it?

And I had mixed sex bathroom at my uni in the 80s!

Same set up as in the article (she talks about shower doors not curtains, albeit flimsy).

Anyway not arguing it's acceptable
For her to be perved at. Or that the facilities shouldnt have been better designed.

Charlie and Rufus sorry , I pasted another posters words but didn't bold or clearly indicate them, think you may have read I'd differently due to that? I'm totes not on board with sharing at all.

titchy I took your words as sounding a bit blasé about boundaries is all, if both sexes can use a shower area you're reliant on men not taking advantage. It's great if the majority don't but even a minority doing so isn't acceptable.

As in my post at 19.38 this evening, first paragraph not clear but it's a cut and paste

Charlie and Rufus sorry , I pasted another posters words but didn't bold or clearly indicate them, think you may have read I'd differently due to that? I'm totes not on board with sharing at all

Oh god the relief

Mate....i was trying to figure it out...couldn’t understand why you were saying that 😀

I obviously missed the original quote. That will teach me not to pay more attention

@tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz

As in my post at 19.38 this evening, first paragraph not clear but it's a cut and paste

Well. That makes sense, finally. I was getting a little confused.

To be fair, I'm still not sure if titchy's kids were sharing single-entry unisex bathrooms (like the ones we have at home) or multi-entry mixed-sex facilities with cubicles, sinks and rows of showers.

Of course flatmates can agree to more immediately share a home-style bathroom, like one person brushing their hair and another shaving for instance, but that requires consent. Which is typically not sought in the dorm/gym style facilities. Which is one of the many reasons these facilities are much more problematic if they are mixed-sex.

To be fair, I'm still not sure if titchy's kids were sharing single-entry unisex bathrooms (like the ones we have at home) or multi-entry mixed-sex facilities with cubicles, sinks and rows of showers.

To be clear, one child (other had single entry unisex), sink area multi-entry no lock on door. Within sink area, lockable shower enclosure and lockable loo. So a hybrid I guess. Can't remember whether shower door was full height.