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College Students Hold 'Sh*t-In' To Advocate For Gender-Neutral Bathrooms

The Huffington Post  | By Leigh Weingus
Posted: Updated:
TOILET
Students at San Diego State University hosted a "sh*t-in" Tuesday, Oct. 21, to raise awareness of the importance of gender-neutral bathrooms. | Stuart Dee via Getty Images
A group of San Diego State University students hosted a "shit-in" in order to "raise awareness and advocacy for gender neutral/gender non-segregated bathrooms," according a Facebook page for the event.
The Trans* Action and Advocacy Student Coalition, which organized the Oct. 21 event, challenged participants not use bathrooms marked with "men" or "women" signs for one week. In addition, five toilets were placed outside one of the university's buildings. Resources and information about gender-neutral bathrooms, as well as a pledge and petition for students to sign, were available.
"The day of the event we passed out 500 flyers by 1:00 pm. 70 people pledged to take the gender-neutral bathroom challenge. Students stopped and inquired, took selfies on the toilets and hashtagged #sdsushitin," TAASC Force member A.T. Furuya told The Huffington Post.
A news release on the school's website notes gender-segregated bathrooms can be intimidating and pose safety threats to people in the trans community. SDSU listed where gender-neutral bathrooms are located on campus.
"These restrooms will provide a safe and necessary alternative for those students. I believe these restrooms are just the beginning of a much larger conversation pertaining to accessibility on campus for all students," executive vice president for Associated Students Kevin Hancock said in a statement.
But Furuya noted that the university has a long way to go.
"The campus has 344 gender segregated restrooms and only 15 gender neutral restrooms, 7 of those are located in one building, 3 in another and a couple aren't even accessible to students," Furuya told HuffPost. "The restrooms are located in far and inconvenient places. This campus has over 33,000 students it's time it became more accommodating for those that need access to use the bathrooms."

Although participants had fun at the event, sitting on the toilets and taking funny pictures, Furuya stressed the importance of the message.
“There is change, but it’s not happening fast enough," Furuya told the Daily Aztec. "Everybody keeps saying ‘oh we’re talking about it, we’re having meetings about it,’ but while you’re holding meetings, people are holding their piss."

Check out photos some students posted on Instagram and Twitter:
A photo posted by Linda Phu (@frecklednose23) on
This posted has been updated to include comments from A.T. Furuya

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  • Rich Amsden · Columbus, Ohio
    This argument will end as soon as a woman sits on a piss covered seat.
    • Ashlie McIntee · Top Commenter
      There's already piss on the seats because many women hover over them while peeing instead of sitting down
      Reply · Like
      · 11 · October 30 at 12:09pm
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    • Chris Miller · Top Commenter
      Is that worse than menstrual blood on the seats? Both genders can be careless.
      Reply · Like
      · 2 · October 30 at 3:24pm
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    • Tinka Lawrence · Top Commenter
      Clearly, you've never been a ladies' room.
      Reply · Like
      · 4 · November 2 at 5:38pm
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  • Kimberly Harris · Top Commenter · Works at Warner Bros. Sound
    Aren't there more important things to fight for in this world?
    • David Willingham · Top Commenter · Works at Retired
      Please identify the absolute "most important" thing, because according to your logic, we should not work on anything else until that "most important" thing is solved!
      Reply · Like
      · 24 · October 30 at 10:04am
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    • Audrey Jocelyn · Top Commenter · Accounts Payable/Payroll at Aramark
      Kimberly, I would think going to the bathroom is pretty important.... and you don't seem to understand the struggle that can go on for a transgender person when it comes to the bathroom....
      Reply · Like
      · 13 · October 30 at 10:20am
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    • Alfred Dreyfus · Top Commenter · Chesapeake, Virginia
      One person's most important thing is another man's least important thing. That is true all over. Can't we all just fight for our own things?
      Reply · Like
      · 6 · October 30 at 10:24am
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  • Patrick Lewis · Top Commenter · Alexandria, Virginia
    The vast majority of people prefer gender segregated bathrooms. Wouldn't changing all bathrooms to gender neutral be freeing a small number of people from bathroom anxiety only to give a much larger number of people bathroom anxiety? Or is the recommendation to create three bathrooms in every place. . .Male, Female and Gender Neutral? And now that we're on the subject. . .are there actually laws that prevent the use of any public bathroom by people of the "wrong" gender? I mean. . .I always go in to the men's room. . .but would I actually be breaking the law if I chose to use the ladies room instead? Just curious!
    • Darren Cohen · Top Commenter · Monterey, California
      There are sometimes local ordinances against it. I know of a man in New York and a woman in Texas who were arrested for using the opposite gender's bathroom.
      Reply · Like
      · 1 · October 30 at 11:55am
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    • Dustin McJamesy · Top Commenter
      I could be wrong, but I believe the intent is somewhere between the two. I don't think anyone (other than, perhaps, a VERY small number) is advocating doing away with gender-segregated bathrooms completely, nor are they saying there needs to be a 1:1:1 ratio. I think these students are just saying there should be MORE gender neutral bathrooms, and they should be more conveniently located.
      I've no idea about your legal question, but it is an interesting one. I'm definitely going to look into any laws regarding public restrooms here in FL.
      Reply · Like
      · 2 · October 30 at 1:42pm
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    • Chris Miller · Top Commenter
      I actually think the vast majority of people would prefer a private room, which could be gender neutral. Many people of both genders are pee-shy or would rather do their business without friends trying to talk to them.
      Reply · Like
      · 5 · October 30 at 3:25pm
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  • Cory Salisbury · Top Commenter · Costa Mesa, California
    "There is change, but it's not happening fast enough."

    No need to dump on anyone about this. Just let nature take its course. Yes, push for change, but don't try to force it. I know it really stinks, but society will digest this. We'll need to bear down together, but it will happen. Eventually this issue will be flushed away, then we can focus on issue #2.
     
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  • Dean Smith · Libertyville, Illinois
    This is absurd. If you go in a freaking stall, nobody sees your genitals, ergo there is ZERO problem. That takes care of 3/4 of all the combinations of urination/defecation & newly-male/newly-female.

    The last one involves if a male>female transgender person demands the right to pee standing up at a urinal. Sorry, if you're that much of a dik (figurative) that you feel the need to express yourself in such an inconsiderate manner, you DESERVE to get whatever comments & shaming come your way.

    Not for being TG, but for being an insufferable a'hole
       
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    • Andrew Sumner · Top Commenter
      I think if I was paying my child's tuition, and saw them sitting on a toilet in the middle of a campus with a newspaper I'd freak. Of course after they graduate they'll be sitting on my toilet in my bathroom reading my paper.
      • Debra Close · Mankato State University
        You are spot on. Worry about something else
        Reply · Like
        · 2 · October 30 at 11:39am
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      • Ashlie McIntee · Top Commenter
        If you had a transgender child and you actually cared about them you would be supporting this
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        · 8 · October 30 at 12:18pm
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      • Dean Smith · Libertyville, Illinois
        Ashlie McIntee Please describe a scenario where a transgender individual goes to a washroom is not able to prevent others from noticing his or her genitals. Barring that, who's gonna know what gender you are other than how you dress and appear?

        If you present yourself as a woman, use the ladies room...if you identify as a male, use the mens' room. Where's the problem?
        Reply · Like
        · 4 · October 30 at 1:39pm
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    • Brea O'Keeffe · Top Commenter
      Never mind. Just saw a comment about how important it is to transgender individuals. So, that is the reason. And, I can certainly understand that.
         
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      • Patrick Moody · Top Commenter
        I wouldn't change the rules to accommodate a fraction of the people. What is the percentage of transgender visitors?
        • Dean Smith · Libertyville, Illinois
          This is absurd. If you go in a freaking stall, nobody sees your genitals, ergo there is ZERO problem. That takes care of 3/4 of all the combinations of urination/defecation & newly-male/newly-female.

          The last one involves if a male>female transgender person demands the right to pee standing up at a urinal. Sorry, if you're that much of a dik (figurative) that you feel the need to express yourself in such an inconsiderate manner, you DESERVE to get whatever comments & shaming come your way.

          Not for being TG, but for being an insufferable a'hole
          Reply · Like
          · 16 · October 30 at 11:34am
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        • Ashlie McIntee · Top Commenter
          So the rules should only benefit the majority? What a disturbing idea of civilization you have
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          · 6 · October 30 at 12:11pm
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        • Rebecca Brust · Top Commenter · Pharmacy Intern at Cigna
          the same as the percentage of redheads
          Reply · Like
          · October 30 at 1:18pm
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      • Daniel Young · Augusta Technical College
        There was a tech company that did gender neutral restrooms and guess who was the first to levy complaints? It was women. The splash back caused when men pee standing was not cleaned out of the all stall restroom and it resulted in individual stalls being male/female exclusive.
         
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      • Evan Stephens · Top Commenter · Owner/Composer at Evan Stephens Music
        non-segregated bathrooms are quite common in Europe. I had the pleasure of using one, it was strange but nothing we couldn't get used to.
           
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