Separate Facilities for Men and Women?

[extropalopakettle]

Public restrooms, locker rooms and showers at gyms, etc. are often (almost always, always) in pairs, one for men, one for women. If a man persistently goes into the women's restroom or locker room or showers, he'd be subject to some serious rebuke, and maybe get arrested.

Question: Why is this acceptable, but a similar separation of white versus non-white would be unacceptable?

[JDTAY]

Since 80% of women drop dead at the sight of my glorious junk, I'd say yeah, it's best to keep them protected.
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Prohibit nothing. Disclose everything.

[MNOWAX]

[ralphmerridew]

I remember reading that having separate male/female restrooms has come under fire from transgendered groups who don't identify as either gender. Their desired remedy was that future construction have individual unisex restrooms.

That aside, I favor separate bathrooms for males and females (definitely towards separate locker rooms), but can't fully explain why I find that acceptable, but not racial separation.

Largely, I'd say that having separate racial facilities were used for the express purpose of being degrading to blacks; but having separate facilities based on gender was not. (Even the problems TG people had were unintentional.)

Also, if one restroom had a long line and the other was unoccupied, and people started using the opposite room, with gendered separation, that would generally be acceptable (provided that they cleared out should the intended gender appear); while a black person who entered the white restroom for any reason would likely face retribution.

[extropalopakettle]

[movwills]

I don't think so They both are equal and human beings..
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A organization Veronica Mars and The unit works for the people and country to make it a safe place to live...

[raekuul]

I think the question the poll is really asking is "would you be comfortable in a co-ed bathroom?"

[Jack_Ian]

I don't want to hear women grunt under the strain. Kinda ruins the mystique.

[Zag]

I often have to go into women's bathrooms to help my wife, when the "handicapped" stalls are not up to her requirements. It always makes me very uncomfortable. If it were the norm and expected, then it would, still, but less so. I echo Jack_Ian's comment, and I also reverse it: I don't want women hearing me.

I realize that this is contrary to my aversion to the "separate but equal" attempts that were made in the 1960's. However, a huge part of the aversion comes from the fact that they never were equal, not even close.

[jadesmar]

How many facilities would it take to have separate racial facilities? Why is white vs. non-white a reasonable separation? Based on world population, it'd probably be like chinese vs. non-chinese. Based on your local population, it'd be something like black vs. non-black, latino vs. non-latino or maybe something else.

[Zag]

[extro...*]

[Zag]

I guess that the rationalization is that there actually are legitimate differences between men and women w.r.t. how they use the bathroom (that is, their personal plumbing).

If you were to propose the same distinction in water fountains, restaurants, etc. then I would oppose it, because there are no basic difference between men and women in how they eat or drink.

[Pablo]

[extro...*]

I'm pretty sure it's not a plumbing issue. The only difference I'm aware of is urinals for men. And what of locker rooms, steam rooms, saunas at gyms for instance? No difference at all there. Why separate? Why do we tolerate it?

[Pablo]

[MatthewV]

I always wonder when there are two bathrooms (one for men and one for women) and both of them have a single locking door. As far as I know there is no difference between the two rooms except the sign outside.

But the change I would really like to see in bathrooms is urinal dividers that actually prevented seeing the guy next to you. That whole issue with using every other spot could be avoided.
I try to avoid public restrooms as much as possible. On campus I know which ones are pleasant and worth the extra five minutes of walking for peace of mind.

[extro...*]

[MatthewV]

Yeah, I know. But not having to focus on such things would be nice. And how ofter do you take a urinal next to someone? If a bathroom has 3 urinals, only two of them will be used. With proper dividers, men would actually use all three.

[Pablo]

When you get to my age, you couldn't care less who's next to you. You're just thankful there's an open one.
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All religions are the same - Guilt....just with different holidays.

[Stubby]

The doctor told Quailman that he should sit down when he urinates.

It's his back - he's not supposed to lift heavy weights.

[Suspence]

Sounds like MattV would not be a fan of Wrigley Field:

http://www.urinal.net/wrigley_field/Wrigley1.jpg
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I hate people who try to write interesting things in their signature.

[itisally]

What's interesting to me is that I have seen an increase in "family" restrooms. Usually there is still a mens and a womens, but between there is a small restroom for families. I tell you I appriciated it when I had to take my 4 year old son out with out dad. But even more so for my stay at home dad friends who had daughters. It becomes a matter of modesty and privacy. Not that I would be apposed to general use restrooms, but please put the uranals in a real stall.
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I could agree with you, but then we would both be wrong.

[Pablo]

[Lepton*]

I've had a bit of experience with unisex toilets. At my school in Mongolia, the facilities were unisex. I was hiking in northern Spain last week, and several of the aubergues had unisex facilities as well. In both these cases, the toilets (and showers) were in individual stalls, and there were no urinals, so there was no risk of seeing anything. In both these experiences, too, I became used to changing, down to the underwear, in close proximity to strangers of the opposite sex.

As others have stated, it seems to be an issue of cultural norms. I cannot help but feel such norms are slowly becoming relaxed, at least outside of North America.