Cierra's 2nd Critical Resource Essay

I choose a TED talk for this response post. The TED talk is given by Ivan Coyote, who is a transgender, and it is titled “Why we need gender-neutral bathrooms”. Ivan Coyote has a different perspective then most of us do and believes there should be single stall gender-neutral bathrooms. After watching the TED talk, I have come to agree with the speaker on their argument. The speaker makes very valid points as to why there should be gender-neutral bathrooms including, avoiding harassment and questioning, allowing the trans-youth to feel comfortable in public places, and if these places aren’t going to change their ways then they need to stop being called public places.

The first reason gender-neutral bathrooms need to be available is to avoid getting harassed and questioned. Ivan says “I’ve often been verbally attacked behind their doors. I’ve been hauled out by security guards with my pants still halfway pulled up. And one time I got smacked in the face by a little old lady’s purse.” No one deserves to be treated like this just for trying to use the bathroom. Someone should not have to fear walking into the restroom to go to the bathroom for a total of around 5 minutes. I agree that for this very reason gender neutral bathrooms need to be in every public place.

The first start to making trans-youth feel comfortable in this world is by gender-neutral restrooms. Ivan says, “Meanwhile, our trans children suffer. They drop out of school or they opt out of life all together.” The youth face challenges when accessing pools, gyms, universities, hospitals, libraries, and airports. If there isn’t a change now, then these trans-youth people are never going to feel comfortable in public places and will be mentally affected for the rest of their life. So, if a small change as much as a single gender-neutral stall being available in public places can change so much, then why hasn’t it already been done? Ivan talks about a little girl, who dresses more like a boy and likes to play with boy toys. When she came home from preschool one day her pants were soggy because other kids were harassing her for using the girl’s bathroom, when her teacher told her to stay out of the boy’s bathroom. Children at such a young age, experience brutal things that no one should in a lifetime, all because of a bathroom.

Lastly, if public places aren’t going to make changes then they need to stop being called public places. Ivan says, “If we don’t move now to make sure these places are truly open and accessible to everyone, then we just need to get honest and quit calling them public places. We just need to admit they are only open for people who fit neatly into one of the two gender boxes.” The “public” can’t be called the public if it is discriminating against all gender types. There aren’t just two genders and if that’s all the public allows then it’s not the public.

Overall people should not be harassed or questioned, young kids should not feel uncomfortable in public places, and the public shouldn’t be called the public if it only conforms to two gender types. A single stall gender-neutral bathroom is needed in all public places. Children’s opt out of life because of the treatment they receive in the bathrooms, and it starts as early as preschool. Ivan says, “We can’t change the world overnight for our children, but we can give them a safe and private place, to escape that world, if only for just a minute.” I couldn’t agree with that statement more.

Word Count: 611

Source: https://www.ted.com/talks/ivan_coyote_why_we_need_gender_neutral_bathrooms/up-next