Which toilet should transitioning transgender people use?

I was on Facebook this afternoon when I saw one of my friends had posted a status about how they had been told to use the male toilets in a nightclub as they are in the process of becoming female and is currently taking hormones etc and will be having the full operation next year. I've never actually met this girl, she added me randomly on Facebook but she is very honest and open about her transitioning and I've been interested in following her journey.

Anyway, there were a lot of comments stating general outrage that she had been asked to use the male toilets as she dresses and lives as a female and apparently has never had a problem with using the female toilets in any nightclub before.

There were however a few comments saying she should indeed use the male toilets until she has had the operation to remove her male genitals as no other 'biological' male would be allowed to enter the female toilets. One person even said a man dressed up in drag say for a stag do would use the male toilets, therefore this girl should too.

So what's your take on it? Should people in the process of transitioning use their biological gender-appropriate toilet in public places, or should they be able to use the gender to which they are transitioning to?

Nobody's accusing all men of being rapists/perverts when they say men shouldn't go into women's toilets, they're just being aware of the possibility that it could happen so want to prevent it. Similarly for anyone with a penis, the potential is there, you can see how a male rapist may use a loophole such as "male to female pre-op transexuals can use the women's toilet" to just dress as a woman and claim they're trans if stopped.

Nobody's accusing all men of being rapists/perverts when they say men shouldn't go into women's toilets, they're just being aware of the possibility that it could happen so want to prevent it. Similarly for anyone with a penis, the potential is there, you can see how a male rapist may use a loophole such as "male to female pre-op transexuals can use the women's toilet" to just dress as a woman and claim they're trans if stopped.

I don't think I rapist would go to this extreme. Trans is more than just wearing a wig and skirt - its obvious who is in drag and who is taking it seriously as their gender decision.

I think that the nightclub should have seen a woman, and let a woman go into the women's toilets. Fair enough, I can understand people getting confused by it, but I would think the natural thing would be to allow her to use the correct toilets for her gender?

there is a risk (however small) that a rapist could use the female toilet and claim they are trans in order to carry out attacks.

A few points. Would you be okay with men (non-trans, heterosexual) using the women's toilet? If not, why not? Lastly, yes women's clothes and drag are different, but if a transexual can dress like a woman then a man can, it isn't difficult.

Nobody on the status actually said anything about the possibility of women getting raped by a biological male in the female toilets although I did wonder/assume this was their reason for arguing against transitioning trans girls using the girls toilet.

It's interesting because a lot of people on the status were saying it's against the girls human rights to be discriminated against and made to use the male toilets and someone else said it was against the biological females rights to be made to share a toilet with someone who has male genitalia. I was just wondering what everyone else's thoughts were on it, I'm an extremely tolerant person and would personally have no problem with a trans girl using the female toilets, though as you point out there is a risk (however small) that a rapist could use the female toilet and claim they are trans in order to carry out attacks.

It's interesting because a lot of people on the status were saying it's against the girls human rights to be discriminated against and made to use the male toilets and someone else said it was against the biological females rights to be made to share a toilet with someone who has male genitalia. I was just wondering what everyone else's thoughts were on it, I'm an extremely tolerant person and would personally have no problem with a trans girl using the female toilets, though as you point out there is a risk (however small) that a rapist could use the female toilet and claim they are trans in order to carry out attacks.

There's a risk a rapist could dress as a child and attend a school. But we don't ban children, do we? It's ludicrously unlikely that situation would occur.

There's a risk a rapist could dress as a child and attend a school. But we don't ban children, do we? It's ludicrously unlikely that situation would occur.

No - I do not like men using the women's toilets. I have seen homosexual men in the women's toilets before claiming that "its ok, because [he's] gay". No its not - the women's toilet is for women. That is clear cut. Pre-op women should be accepted into this catagory - that is what they identify as.

Yes, any man can dress up as a woman. What I'm saying is that its a hell of a lot of effort to go through just to perve on women. It's not just as easy as pulling on a skirt and putting a wig on to be a "convincing" trans woman, and anyone just out to perve would be spotted a mile off?

If she's dressing as a woman, then female toilets. If not I understand where the club are coming from because people wouldn't know she's transitioning and wouldn't be happy that a man (as they see it) is allowed in the women's toilets.

Luckily toilets are slowly becoming gender neutral so hopefully soon your friend won't face any more of these problems (in the western world anyway).

I'm pretty sure someone would notice a grown adult dressed as a child...

Also, hence why I said "however unlikely this situation is" to paraphrase myself.

My schools had separate staff and children's toilets.

I'm pretty sure someone would notice a grown adult dressed as a child...

Also, hence why I said "however unlikely this situation is" to paraphrase myself.