The Student Room Group

Should schools alter changing rooms, toilets + uniforms to accommodate trans pupils?

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Original post by LostInPanda
Or we could let trans people use the bathroom they feel most comfortable in?


well yeah
Original post by joecphillips
People will exploit the system


But that's not giving it a chance to work! Surely trying for a few weeks, a half term maybe, enough to give it a fair chance would be better than dismissing it outright? Like, change one set of toilets, one male toilet and one female, into gender neutral bathrooms and see how it goes? If people abuse it, change them back.
Original post by Youngmetro
well yeah


Ah, I understand your argument now, I apologize.
Original post by LostInPanda
But that's not giving it a chance to work! Surely trying for a few weeks, a half term maybe, enough to give it a fair chance would be better than dismissing it outright? Like, change one set of toilets, one male toilet and one female, into gender neutral bathrooms and see how it goes? If people abuse it, change them back.


It isn't a case if it will be abused, that is why I say the best thing to do is make it a requirement to let people who have been gender dysphoria to use the toilets of the gender they identify as.
How many people are even trans when they're in secondary school? I don't know any at all through mutal friends and i have friends in about 7 London schools.

Plus, within 1 week of this coming into place you'll have people having giving handjobs in the genderless bathrooms. I guarantee it
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Puddles the Monkey
Yes. Having at least one all gender bathroom and changing area and letting people wear whatever uniform they want isn't going to hurt anyone and will make things easier for pupils who identify as trans or gender non-binary. Can't think of a reason why you wouldn't do it :dontknow:


Space, money...

Original post by JordanL_
South Park is a valuable social commentary. We should base all of our policy on it.


The South Park chaps have become a little heavy handed of late, but their targets and points are generally spot on.
Original post by Lawliettt
How many people are even trans when they're in secondary school? I don't know any at all through mutal friends and i have friends in about 7 London schools.


They're probably there, you just don't know it since a lot of people don't fully come out until they're in college/uni or later.

Original post by Lawliettt
Plus, within 1 week of this coming into place you'll have people having giving handjobs in the genderless bathrooms. I guarantee it


You're implying that that doesn't happen in single-sex bathrooms anyway. I imagine it's not too hard to set a time and date and meet in toilets during lesson times.
By the way, out of curiosity, where do you guys think the line should be drawn? Should they be in Uni bathrooms only? Aren't there cases of "gender fluid" kids too? Should mixed sex toilets also be in primary schools and reception? Along with secondary school?


Plus I swear giving them a seperate toilet is discrimination itself. Wouldn't the super liberal thing to do be let transexuals be in whatever toilet they identify instead of making a thrid toilet? That being said, i could potentially see someone pulling a Cartmen and the entire thing backfiring. If it came into place, what could actually stop a guy from walking into a girls bathroomand threatening to take legal action against a teacher who tried to prevent them despite me only being there for malicous reasons? Now i realise why so many people in this thread are bringing up southpark.


Idk my stance on this
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by LostInPanda
But then... what I took from that episode was that it was Cartman exploiting the system... the guy who kill a guys parents and fed them to him and single handedly changed the results of the american election. To me, it emphasized the point that a sociopath like Cartman would do something like that, not an ordinary student.


you obviously underestimate what school kids are like...
Original post by Lawliettt
Plus I swear giving them a seperate toilet is discrimination itself.


I think what people are going for here are all-gender toilets. Like, if you identify as a guy, great, use the men's. If you identify as a girl, wonderful, use the women's. But if you're unsure, or feel in-between, or feel like you may be harassed in gendered toilets, you can use the mixed ones.

(Also, it seems to be all your posts that I'm replying to. Sorry, I swear I'm not singling you out.)
Original post by Youngmetro
There's a limit to how liberal we become.

Think of the expense it will cost to implement it, considering so few a people will actually use such facillities. It's ridiculous and transgender people just have to accept it and live in a world that only separates gender into male and female.


Everyone is able to use gender neutral toilets though. It's just a toilet.
Reply 111
It's difficult
Int think there should be expenditure to make a third non-binary changing room and allow trans pupils to use either bathroom depending on what they feel is the best for the school be it identity for the pupil or biological sex for ease while allowing all gender based necessities at that point, because a trans woman can use a male bathroom and only use stalls but I see how they could not like that but they capsule also change in the males into the female uniform and go to female PE classes again for child protection laws as they forbid opposite SEXES to change in one room not gender, again very difficult but I think that the uniform issue just needs to break down out of gender identity like one school here in England did was rename them to trousers and skirt uniforms, in my academy it would be business dress without added male and female before or after it, by coming this it means girls can freelay wear the "male" uniform as many do as they prefer it but it also allows the smaller minority of those with gender disparages and cross-dressing gender issues to do as they please too. Very complicated but most Trans friends of mine say they are willing to put up with biological bathrooms untill they fully present the correct sex or have transitioned, there's always stalls so no one will need to know. But I think you are thinking a bit to nicely as many people still don't like transgender-ness but I agree as adding a "trans" option defeats the point of trans really and is going over PC, remember a lot of trans people are mentally tough enough to stand not having the correct bathroom because they have faced so much already it doesn't really match up.
I've rambled the main point is, don't treat them special that's the opposite of what they want and most these things are based off of biological sex by law through child protection
Original post by polarising
I think what people are going for here are all-gender toilets.


I see. I feel like these would already be in place if kids/people in general were more trustworthy. I'd be paranoid if a guy was anywhere near my sister in a bathroom. But still, the question stands. Should these bathrooms be for primary school and reception too? As far as I'm aware, you can start to be unsure from as early as 5-6. I think angelina jolies kid went through this too. If there were unisex toilets they'd have to be everywhere
(edited 7 years ago)
Born a man = You're a man

Born a woman = You're a woman.
Original post by HeimIX
Born a man = You're a man

Born a woman = You're a woman.


but that's not the generally recognised definition of gender as distinct from sex

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_and_gender_distinction
Reply 115
Original post by Youngmetro
well yeah

*awkwardly*
Buuut child protection laws...
The law set to make sure that students are safe are set by sex due to the, compatibility let's say, of the opposite sexes it's why there are never unisex toilets in any school or anything like that because of child protection, even in things like Scouting, in the scout hut no male leader can be in the female bathroom with a child UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE unless there is an injury and vice versa it's the same in schools and it applies to the children too, while not very nice to the minority of non-binary and is founded on heterosexuality only but statistically it is safest and to have a non-binary changing room begs the question of who supervises, while it would be nice the child protection laws forbid opposite SEX without any gender taken into account
Between adults and the public it's fine but within an organisation which cares for children it cannot be done
Original post by Lawliettt
I see. I feel like these would already be in place if kids/people in general were more trustworthy. I'd be paranoid if a guy was anywhere near my sister in a bathroom. But still, the question stands. Should these bathrooms be for primary school and reception too? As far as I'm aware, you can start to be unsure from as early as 5-6. I think angelina jolies kid went through this too. If there were unisex toilets they'd have to be everywhere


I think a better question is why we need to have gendered bathrooms in the first place!
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Lawliettt
How many people are even trans when they're in secondary school? I don't know any at all through mutal friends and i have friends in about 7 London schools.

Plus, within 1 week of this coming into place you'll have people having giving handjobs in the genderless bathrooms. I guarantee it


There's been a point where there were at least 4 trans kids in my college. Guarantee it all you like but if enough kids get caught and punished then it wont happen again.
Original post by CTENG
*awkwardly*
Buuut child protection laws...
The law set to make sure that students are safe are set by sex due to the, compatibility let's say, of the opposite sexes


With all due respect, laws change all the time. If the law on this were to change then would facilities therefore change to accommodate this?
Original post by CTENG
*awkwardly*
Buuut child protection laws...
The law set to make sure that students are safe are set by sex due to the, compatibility let's say, of the opposite sexes it's why there are never unisex toilets in any school or anything like that because of child protection, even in things like Scouting, in the scout hut no male leader can be in the female bathroom with a child UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE unless there is an injury and vice versa it's the same in schools and it applies to the children too, while not very nice to the minority of non-binary and is founded on heterosexuality only but statistically it is safest and to have a non-binary changing room begs the question of who supervises, while it would be nice the child protection laws forbid opposite SEX without any gender taken into account
Between adults and the public it's fine but within an organisation which cares for children it cannot be done


Really? Our uni had a uni sex toilet, with baby changing facilities.

Also what about male/female parents taking their young children of the opposite gender to the toilet? Child protection laws involved sexualised things, no going to the toilet or showers etc.

Personally I think uni sex toilets is a simple solution, however the issue, as was at our uni, people had sex in there so was a pain to enforce/encourage people not to.

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