People are more likely to come to harm in gender neutral (mixed sex) toilets. This is because they are fully enclosed and private. The design for mixed sex toilets has to be and scarily the government are even thinking of this as a preferred design for single sex toilets too.
Gender neutral (mixed sex) toilets discriminate against medically vulnerable people and those having a medical emergency. Because of the lack of a visibility gap at the bottom of the door and no means of going over the door, there is no way to know if someone is in trouble anymore. This is particularly important when people are having strokes, seizures and heart attacks and other brain injuries. The first place people head to is the toilet when they feel ill, so a larger amount of people will end up there in a crisis. It is made worse because toilet doors usually swing inwards into the toilet, so when a body falls against it then it can’t be accessed even when someone tries to unlock it.
In 2015, before the increase in gender neutral facilities in schools, the BBC stated that there was at least one rape per school day recorded inside British school premises. It was discussed in Parliament. Where are these sexual assaults happening? Is it a good idea to introduce small enclosed private mix sex spaces into schools? What about drug taking? Self harm? Teachers are reporting sexual assaults are happening in mix sex toilets. They don’t know how many pupils are in each cubicle and what is happening in them.
If you look at the numbers of people raped and assaulted in disabled toilets it is high because they are mixed sex and private. Able bodied people are pushed into them or perpetrators follow disabled people in. A young girl was recently raped in a disabled toilet at a very busy station. No one was aware.
Safeguarding is about prevention. If there is an emergency building evacuation, it takes a few seconds for a fightfighter or supervisor to check a row of toilets with door gaps. It takes much longer if the occupants are not visible and the doors are locked.
It is also useful to know who is outside the toilet door for an occupant inside if you feel threatened/followed.
Hygiene is compromised in mixed sex toilets. There is less air circulation. Mops can’t go under the door and the floors can’t be washed down easily. Cleaners have to get in and out of the cubicles.
Grime ends up stuck to the full height doors or they warp due to liquid build up causing more cubicles to be out of use.
If you are a healthy, able-bodied man, and haven’t experienced anyone having a medical emergency or being assaulted in a toilet then I expect you would think they are a good idea.