For over a year, we have been exposed to the “bathroom”
debate. States around our country have
been tasked with making decisions about who can enter a bathroom in a public
place. On one side, those that gender-identify
with something other than their birth gender and many supporters are calling
for freedom to use public restrooms designated for the gender that they
identify with, but were not necessarily born with. On the other side, those that support
gender-specific restrooms chosen based on physical-gender or birth-gender are
calling for freedom to use public restrooms designated for the gender they were
born with solely among like-gendered individuals.
Please allow me to point out how we should be looking at
this issue: The rights of BOTH groups
are at stake. We tend to look at this as
a question of the rights of only one side of this issue, when in fact, both
sides have rights. This argument has
raged and truly has moved from the heart of the matter to something far
different. The issue is about a segment
of our population feeling comfortable using the restroom. Instead of addressing this very real and
serious conundrum, we have taken to pointing fingers and lashing out at each
other. We have turned this into a
political debate about whose rights are more important. THIS IS AMERICA. WE ALL HAVE RIGHTS. And my rights aren’t superior to anyone else’s,
nor are they secondary.
When we were faced with a segment of our population that
were not considered when building public places and spaces, laws were
implemented to protect that segment of our population without discriminating
against the remainder of our population.
As a result, we have handicap parking, handicap accessible restrooms, sidewalks,
doorways and elevators among other mandated ‘handicap friendly’ changes to
previously common building practices.
What a beautiful thing! The
non-handicap segment of our population isn’t forced to use certain doors, ramps
or toilets.
This isn’t that difficult.
A unisex restroom could solve the problem. No one would be forced to feel uncomfortable
or unsafe when going to the restroom.
What’s wrong with that solution?
