LUC Reacts: Gender Neutral Bathrooms

Bathrooms are an integral part of life for all of us, after all, we can’t help but leave bits of ourselves in them. So naturally, when the question of Gender Neutral bathrooms dropped, it made a massive splash.

It all started with this video which was posted on LUC Central and LUC Academics (soon to be renamed LUC Central 2):

The video sparked both support and debate on multiple Facebook pages, once again proving that what LUC students do best is argue on Facebook.

In an attempt to join in on the Fine Bros party, LUC News has opened a new news segment called LUC Reacts, but because our audiovisual department is severely understaffed, it has to remain in textual format.

So we sent out our reporters into the bleached innards of LUC to gather reactions with the question: What do you think of the soon to come Gender Neutral bathroom on the first floor?

A sweaty third year student lumbering up the stairs was our first victim:

“Isn’t saying that women and men shouldn’t have the right to separate bathrooms sexist?” he murmured between heavy breaths. “I am taking ‘Intro to Gender Studies.’ I don’t remember much but that's what I’d say.”

Overhearing this, another student from the same class just entering the building shouted at him to start doing his readings because “—gender isn’t binary, it’s fluid, so restricting the placement of bodily fluids by gender is nonsensical”.

We left him standing near the Fortuna office, and approached another student waiting patiently for her appointment.

“Well, I was just confused by the whole thing. I gotta say I’m not sure what it all means—

does gender neutral mean anyone can walk in, or does it mean that only gender neutral people can walk in?”

In response to our shrug, the student announced that she would like to get coffee and ran off. We headed up to the Study Area and came upon an eager first year who quickly answered:

“Why are we having this discussion? People who think this is unreasonable or unnecessary are all stupid bigots. LUC needs to mature...big time. Everyone walking around in their fancy suits and they can’t pee next to a person of another gender?”

The way the first year appeared to skewer us with her eyes made us uncomfortable, so we just walked away. Next we shook a third year in a hoodie, who groaned, stretched with a loud yawn, and was quickly shushed by the Study Area.

“Yeah, I don’t really care much either way, I’m pretty lax about it. I usually just hold it in until I can get back home. If I really need to go I hit up my friends who still live in AvB for a short session in their bathrooms…. it’s just more private.”

A sour smell shooed us away, so we quickly moved and sat next to another third year, this one a Study Area regular, his butt now almost fused to the chair.

“I have forged a close relationship with the first floor bathroom. When my body yells ‘Timber!’ I usually head down the stairs to the first floor. The bathroom is behind so many doors that I just feel comfortable - I feel like I’m stashed away safely. Even then, I only drop my pants after I sit in silence for a while and make sure no one followed me.”

When we asked him to answer the question he said “Well, I feel like the Gender Neutral bathroom will sever that personal tie I have with the bathroom, but I’m too lazy to do anything about it—so whatever.”

The last person we stopped was a perplexed second year:

“I just think the way they treated the whole thing was kinda crappy. It’s sensible to have bathrooms for people who don’t feel any-which way. Ultimately we should just be happy LUC has bathrooms worthy of a luxurious airport or a 5 star hotel. ”

After this we decided we had covered all the opinions and we went back home. If we missed something, don’t complain about it, get on Facebook and write a lengthy status piece on it. If not, you can always leave your thoughts in the comments below!

#LUC #News