There are currently 12 unisex bathrooms on campus now, with the possibility of 15 more conversions over the summer.

Unisex bathroom issue reaches beyond gay community

By: Dan Lu

Posted: 5/13/09

Mothers with young sons or fathers with young daughters will be able to comfortably escort their small children into unisex bathrooms later this summer.

Before that happens, a presentation regarding the conversion of several restrooms on campus, to unisex restrooms, "Peeing in Peace," will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Ohlone room at the Student Union.

Common myths regarding gender-neutral bathrooms will be discussed at the presentation tomorrow, hosted by Queers Thoughtfully Interrupting Prejudice and Transgender Law Center, a San Francisco legal organization.

The event will include a panel discussion with a town hall-style question-and-answer session with three panel guests.

The panel will consist of a transgender representative, a representative from the Disability Resource Center and someone from counseling services, said Megan Thompson, a senior psychology major and chair of Queers Thoughtfully Interrupting Prejudice.

Winona Heyer-Soma, campus space and facilities planner for the planning, design, and construction department for Facilities Development and Operations at SJSU, said the department was asked to compile a list of existing and potential unisex restrooms.

"Twelve existing unisex restrooms were identified," Heyer-Soma said. "The criteria for the conversion was to indentify which restrooms were already single-fixture restrooms and could be converted most easily."

Officials from the department identified 15 restrooms that could possibly be converted to unisex - which is five percent of the approximately 280 gender-specific restrooms on campus, she said.

Thompson said the restrooms would address the needs of three important groups on campus.

The groups include transgender individuals whose safety can be threatened by using gender-specific bathrooms, parents whose childrens' gender is opposite their own, and disabled students whose assistants, of the opposite gender, face issues comfortably using gender-specific bathrooms.

Rebecca Daily, a senior English major, said she will be one of the speakers at the event and said she feels SJSU has an opportunity to support the transgendered, disabled student body and support parents with children.

"Attendees should expect information clearly presented to them as to why SJSU needs gender-neutral bathrooms," Daily said. "There will also be an open forum after the speakers."

Thompson, who will be leading the discussion, said she feels gender-neutral bathrooms are a necessity on every campus. She said she understands the common concerns regarding such a development, particularly involving women's safety, but said it is important to keep things in perspective.

"While we are not the ultimate authority on gender-neutral bathrooms," Thompson said, "Q-TIP members are aware of the significant benefits and would like to highlight those to the campus community."

As one of the hosts of the event, the Transgender Law Center works to make California a state where all citizens can freely express their gender identities by working toward ending discrimination in employment, education and healthcare, Thompson said.

"The number of bathrooms being changed is actually fairly proportionate to the number of students they will benefit," Thompson said. "I encourage everyone with any questions to come out to the event to get more questions answered."