The Potty Question
I mentioned in an earlier post a case about a transgendered officer who'd suffered discrimination based on sexual stereotyping from senior police department officials. In that case, Philecia (nee Phillip) won $875,000 for the intentional discrimination and harassment.
Of course, not all employers are overtly hostile to gender-benders. Some want to be accommodating. But they still wonder about the "potty" question.
You know, where will Philecia/Phillip go when she/he has to?
Here's an interesting recent article on the potty issue. link
One solution is, of course, gender-neutral bathrooms. link
This is a hot topic at my alma mater. My former English teacher (later Yale's Dean) said, "I have spent far more of my life than I ever would have dreamed answering questions about shared sex bathrooms at Yale. My sense is that this is not the matter of easy and casual comfort for everybody that people like to pretend it is." link
The kids are comfortable with it but the authorities are less so. A bathroom exclusion based on birth-gender was recently upheld in New York. link
My experience? It's not a problem. Almost without exception people (including transgendered people) go into a bathroom to go to the bathroom. People should be able to choose the bathroom they go into. They go, you go. It makes some people nervous when they first realize it. But nothing ever happens.
Of course, not all employers are overtly hostile to gender-benders. Some want to be accommodating. But they still wonder about the "potty" question.
You know, where will Philecia/Phillip go when she/he has to?
Here's an interesting recent article on the potty issue. link
One solution is, of course, gender-neutral bathrooms. link
This is a hot topic at my alma mater. My former English teacher (later Yale's Dean) said, "I have spent far more of my life than I ever would have dreamed answering questions about shared sex bathrooms at Yale. My sense is that this is not the matter of easy and casual comfort for everybody that people like to pretend it is." link
The kids are comfortable with it but the authorities are less so. A bathroom exclusion based on birth-gender was recently upheld in New York. link
My experience? It's not a problem. Almost without exception people (including transgendered people) go into a bathroom to go to the bathroom. People should be able to choose the bathroom they go into. They go, you go. It makes some people nervous when they first realize it. But nothing ever happens.
This entry was posted
on Monday, April 04, 2005 at 10:05 PM.
