Schools face having single sex and 'gender neutral' lavatories

[JanieAllen]

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/schools-face-having-single-sex-and-gender-neutral-lavatories-frlr0xtc9

archive here archive.ph/XSdnX

Remember Gender Neutral = Mixed Sex

If I were a teenager today I can imagine myself saying "Meet you at lunch in the gender neutral toilets" rather than "Meet you at lunch behind the bike sheds"

Surely all toilets should be gender neutral.
Female toilets for females of any gender ( inc transmen and non-binary AFAB)
Male toilets for males of any gender (inc transwomen and non-binary AMAB)
It's very simple.

Apart from the safeguarding issue of mixed sex toilets, they are basically a regressive device which teaches girls every day that they must clean up after boys.

Gender neutral WC 😂Do I use this when I'm wearing jeans, DM and a flannel shirt?

We only need to have 2 categories of loos, namely for those who pee with a penis and those who pee with a urethral opening. Pretty basic, really.

My school has blocks of single sex toilets and gender neutral ones. Fully enclosed, floor to ceiling doors, that open onto a corridor with CCTV and a member of staff on duty at break/lunch.

I’ve heard lots of complaints about school toilets and I’ve never heard any complaints about the existence of, or the nature of the gender neutral ones, which seem to be well used by both sexes. Some pupils may well avoid them, but they have other toilets they can use.

The fact that they exist seems to have meant there are no issues about trans students and toilets because they can be just directed towards the gender neutral ones if they don’t want to use their own sex toilets. As loads of pupils use them, it doesn’t single them out either.

I would agree that their existence is a reasonable solution to the toilet issue.

The guidance that this was published in is deeply problematic. Here is the SSA statement on it: safeschoolsallianceuk.net/2022/11/10/statement-on-recently-published-guidance-for-transgender-pupils/

Ah yes, I've never had to hover in the women's loos. Sparkling, spotlessly clean, odour free havens that they are!

We went to visit a high school which was very very proud of its mixed sex loos.

Another one had mainly mixed sex loos.

My daughter was clearly worried as she brought it up a few days later (even though I had made no comment on it at all - well in front of her).

Even my 8 year says - I don't want to go to that school as I don't want to pee near girls.

Just adding to the sensible chat here - most gender neutral toilets are in addition to existing single sex toilets. Not least because schools don’t have loads of money to build whole new toilet facilities, so it tends to be repurposed disabled toilet cubicles
lets stop the unnecessary panic right?

It’s a pity if the remaining advice is poor. I was quite optimistic when I read:

“The Tes website said schools may need to provide unisex/gender-neutral and single-sex facilities.”

Any move to provide additional third spaces (fourth if you include disabled facilities) is a step in the right direction, as far as I’m concerned.

Of course, if that means an entire block of girls’ toilets is given over to mixed sex, that’s not so good.

I have occasionally found messy women's lavatories (tissues on the floor, some bloody, not flushed etc) and no public lavatory smells nice - bleach is a good smell. But my DH says that men's loos are frequently disgusting, with sh*t all over the toilets/urinals and urine on the floor - and that's a reasonable one, don't ask about those in a pub full of drunk men.

The organisations behind the guidance said: “This is to help schools respond to this sensitive issue in the best interests of all pupils.”

This is in the best interests of all pupils. Really? All of them?

No it won't be a positive thing. Soon ALL toilets will be gender neural. I would rather share the toilet with the odd trans, but this is the worst outcome for all

That’s not what’s happening in my daughter’s school.

you’re right the guidance really means adding one or a small number of mixed-sex toilets, e.g. an additional disabled toilet, but schools are misinterpreting it to mean that they are allowed to put all the children in one unit with at least shared hand washing, if not shared cubicles. They’re doing as a way to avoid having to address the idea or putting boys in the girls toilets. They also think it’s easier to supervise.

I’d be more than happy for them to add a couple of gender-neutral toilets. That’s not what they’re doing and it will have a serious negative impact on the children.

Not so great for disabled people if their toilets are being "repurposed"

How about we don't call toilets "gender or sex" whatever and instead label them penis toilets and no-penis toilets. No pictures of a figure in trousers or a dress, just a lovely symbol of a cock and balls on one and a no-cock-and-balls symbol on the other, like a no smoking sign 😆

But that means people can't clutch their pearls and shriek!!

They have them on planes, trains, in museums and cafes.....

But heaven forbid they have them in schools!!

At the school I visit regularly the disabled toilets are now 'All Gender' and the sign says they can be used by anyone regardless of their gender expression. Bizarre wording. You go inside and they are your standard disabled toilet. 🤷‍♀️