The issue of using the public restroom among transgender people Essay

"There's a gender in your brain and gender in your body. For 99 percent of people, those things are in alignment. For transgender people, they're mismatched. That is all. It's not complicated" (Bono, 2013) Although many people would disagree, Some people may argue that it would be a dangerous liability, but try walking a mile in the shoes of a person who is transgender. Some people may even agree to providing gender neutral restrooms. The dangers of a person of the opposite sex using the restroom they prefer are very obvious, but is every person out to cause danger to other people in the restroom?
Transgender people should not have to be restrained from their preference because people are afraid they might be sexual predators. Many people are outraged by the idea of someone of the opposite gender walking into the restroom, however, even without restroom rights for transgender people, the chances of any person walking into a restroom designated to a specific gender is still undoubtedly high. For example, a male rapist could walk into a ladies restroom and be of great danger. Transgender people seldom have sexual attractions for their preferred gender, therefore, it would only make sense that they be able to use the restroom of their preferred gender. Sexual orientation would be irrelevant in this situation. We do not exclude gay, and lesbian people-which are attracted to the same sex-from using the restroom that aligns with their gender identity. So why should we exclude transgender people? Skeptics may be afraid of what is unknown, but take to heart the feelings of a transgender person.
Transgender people feel just as afraid as everyone does. "The fact is that a transgender kid goes to the bathroom for the same reason that everyone else does. They go and take care of their business and they leave. Then they go back to school." (Harison, 2013) Going into a restroom, the transgender person feels more at risk of being harassed than anyone else in that restroom. Picture yourself-a woman or a man-going into the opposite gender's restroom. It would be humiliating, and skeptics could honestly say they feel completely invaded of privacy and just plain awkward. This is how a transgender person feels every day! When they feel they were meant to be of the opposite sex, but they are still forced to use the restroom according to the gender assigned at birth, they feel completely uncomfortable, vulnerable, and most of all-scared. Even when a transgender person walks into their preferred restroom it is still a very scary place, but it feels more comfortable. It is hard for transgender people to be confident when walking into the restroom because they never know if they are going to be able to pass as their preferred identity. If someone suspects anything, they could be faced with dangerous circumstances. Instead of transgender people taking these chances, it would be smart for architects to consider a gender neutral restroom option when designing a building.