Theme: Gender based violence
Thursday, Feb 24 2022
Bathrooms were separated by sex to prevent sexual assaults
Original posted by Gontzal Uriarte
I want to report this post 
Scientific Articles
- Carter, W. B. (2018). Sexism in the bathroom debates: How bathrooms really became separated by sex. Yale L. & Pol’y Rev., 37, 227. https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/yalpr37&div=7&id=&page=
Explanation of the Post
It has been argued that the separation of bathrooms is a sexist, paternalistic or elite imitation issue. However, this scientific article shows historical evidence about the real reasons that led the authorities to separate the bathrooms by sex. In the 19th century many women suffered sexual harassment in factory bathrooms. The labor inspectorate in the United States decided to separate the bathrooms to avoid these aggressions.
Other sources
I want to report this post
6 Comments
Submit a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
I want to report a comment
Use the following form to contact us. We will reply to you as soon as possible.
Hello.
I found out this information about the steps institutions should follow to make campuses more trans inclusive. far from suggesting that mixed spaces be created, they propose that in addition to gender-segregated toilets, changing rooms, etc., there should be spaces for LGBT people to use and feel safe.
Brett Genny Beemyn PhD , Andrea Domingue MEd , Jessica Pettitt MEd & Todd Smith MEd (2005) Suggested Steps to Make Campuses More Trans-Inclusive, Journal of Gay & Lesbian Issues in Education, 3:1, 89-94, DOI: 10.1300/J367v03n01_09
I hope you find it helpful for the debate.
I totally agree with the creation of inclusive bathrooms respecting the traditional ones. This post was created to clarify what were the origins of the creation of bathrooms separated by sex since there are people who affirm that this separation is sexist or puritanist and yet I believe that it was a social achievement for the sexual freedom of women.
This statement becomes murky when you consider the word “sex,” because gender is a social construct. Murchison et al. says, “Youth whose restroom and locker room use was restricted were more likely to experience sexual assault.” Therefore, restricting public bathroom use could lead to more sexual assault in some cases. This can also severely impact transgender individuals’ mental health, leading this restriction to cause further damage. An article by Bagagli et al. states that “the lack of access to public bathrooms leads trans youth more prone to physical and mental health issues.”
Murchison, Gabriel R., et al. “School Restroom and Locker Room Restrictions and Sexual Assault Risk among Transgender Youth.” Pediatrics, vol. 143, no. 6, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-2902
Bagagli, Beatriz Pagliarini, et al. “Trans Women and Public Restrooms: The Legal Discourse and Its Violence.” Frontiers in Sociology, vol. 6, 2021, https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2021.652777.
I totally agree with the creation of inclusive bathrooms for transgender people, but respecting the traditional ones. This post was created to clarify what were the origins of the creation of bathrooms separated by sex since there are people who affirm that this separation is sexist or puritanist and yet I believe that it was a social achievement for the sexual freedom of women.
Segun Carter, W. Burlette, 2018, la literatura apunta a dos momentos distintos sobre la creación de los baños separados por sexo. El primero podria ser hacia 1740 en la clase alta como un símbolo de elitismo y el segundo la escandalización de las autoridades de entremezclar ambos sexos en los baños de los puestos de trabajo cuando la mujer se incorporó a las fábricas durante la Revolución Industrial.
Sin embargo, como explica Keller, Susan Etta, 2021, actualmente la separación de los baños por sexo perpetua el binarismo de género obligando a las personas a escoger entre los baños de hombres y los de mujeres y resultando en la falta de acceso a baños seguros por parte de las personas que no encajan en las normas binarias de género, como explica, Bender-Baird, K. (2016).
Bender-Baird, K. (2016). Peeing under surveillance: Bathrooms, gender policing, and hate violence. Gender, Place & Culture, 23(7), 983-988.
CARTER, W.B., 2018. Sexism in the «Bathroom Debates»: How Bathrooms Really Became Separated by Sex. Yale law & policy review, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 227-297. ISSN 0740-8048.
KELLER, S.E., 2021. GENDER-INCLUSIVE BATHROOMS: HOW PANDEMIC-INSPIRED DESIGN IMPERATIVES AND THE REASONING OF RECENT FEDERAL COURT DECISIONS MAKE REJECTING SEX-SEPARATED FACILITIES MORE POSSIBLE. The Georgetown journal of gender and the law, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 35-. ISSN 1525-6146.
Segun Carter, W. Burlette, 2018, la literatura apunta a dos momentos distintos sobre la creación de los baños separados por sexo. El primero podria ser hacia 1740 en la clase alta como un símbolo de elitismo y el segundo la escandalización de las autoridades de entremezclar ambos sexos en los baños de los puestos de trabajo cuando la mujer se incorporó a las fábricas durante la Revolución Industrial. Por lo que no no hay evidencia científica que demuestre que el origen de la separación de los baños por sexos sea la prevención de las agresiones sexuales.
Sin embargo, como explica Keller, Susan Etta, 2021, actualmente la separación de los baños por sexo perpetua el binarismo de género obligando a las personas a escoger entre los baños de hombres y los de mujeres y resultando en la falta de acceso a baños seguros por parte de las personas que no encajan en las normas binarias de género, como explica, Bender-Baird, K. (2016).
Bender-Baird, K. (2016). Peeing under surveillance: Bathrooms, gender policing, and hate violence. Gender, Place & Culture, 23(7), 983-988.
CARTER, W.B., 2018. Sexism in the «Bathroom Debates»: How Bathrooms Really Became Separated by Sex. Yale law & policy review, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 227-297. ISSN 0740-8048.
KELLER, S.E., 2021. GENDER-INCLUSIVE BATHROOMS: HOW PANDEMIC-INSPIRED DESIGN IMPERATIVES AND THE REASONING OF RECENT FEDERAL COURT DECISIONS MAKE REJECTING SEX-SEPARATED FACILITIES MORE POSSIBLE. The Georgetown journal of gender and the law, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 35-. ISSN 1525-6146.
(Mireia Riera Torrente, Pablo Acedo Castilla, Maria Ripoll Bartrolí)