Unisex public toilets (also referred to as gender-inclusive, gender-neutral, mixed-sex or all-gender, or without any prefix at all) are public toilets that are not separated by sex or gender. Unisex public toilets take different forms: they may be single-occupancy facilities where only one single room or enclosure is provided; or multi-user facilities which are open to all and where users may either share sinks in an open area or each have their own sink in their private cubicle, stall or room. Unisex public toilets may either replace single-sex toilets, or may be an addition to single-sex toilets. Unisex public toilets can be used by people of any sex or gender identity. Such toilet facilities can benefit transgender populations and people outside of the gender binary, and can reduce bathroom queues through more balanced occupation. Sex separation in public toilets (also called sex segregation), as opposed to unisex toilets, is the separation of public toilets into male and female; this separation is sometimes enforced by local laws and building codes. Key differences between male and female public toilets in most Western countries include the presence of urinals for men and boys, and sanitary bins for the disposal of menstrual hygiene products for women and girls. (Sanitary bins may easily be included in the setup of unisex public toilets.) The historical purposes of sex-separated toilets in the United States and Europe, as well as the timing of their appearance, are disputed amongst scholars. The earliest laws enshrining sex segregation were deeply rooted in the separate spheres movement, which pushed the idea that men belonged in the public sphere and women in the private sphere. However some argue that the informal convention of sex segregation that predates any laws existed to ensure safety and privacy. Some women's groups hold that unisex public toilets will be less safe for women than public toilets that are separated by sex; however, some experts say that with the appropriate design interventions, these spaces can improve the safety of all users and reduce the disproportionately long wait times females face in sex-separated public washrooms. The push for gender-neutral bathrooms is driven at least in part by the transgender community to protect against harassment and violence against this population. Unisex public toilets may benefit a range of people with or without special needs (e.g. people with disabilities, the elderly, and anyone who needs the help of someone of another gender or sex), as well as parents who need to help their infant or toddler with using the toilet.
Terminology
Several alternative terms are in use for unisex public toilets. Some favor all-gender toilets, gender-neutral toilets, gender-free toilets or all-user toilets or just toilet. The "Public Toilet Advocacy Toolkit" by the NGO Public Hygiene Lets Us Stay Human (PHLUSH) in Portland, Oregon (United States) from 2015 uses the term "all-gender". More recently, they have changed to the term "all user". However, some object to the term "gender-neutral" and similar terms, believing that neither the spaces nor terms are truly neutral. They also object to the replacement of the word "sex" with "gender". Such people often express a preference for the term "mixed-sex". But whatever one calls them, these are toilets which can (in theory) be used by anybody, regardless of sex or gender identity or presentation. The opposite of unisex toilets is referred to as either "sex-separated" or "sex-segregated" toilets, or "conventional public toilets" (since sex separation is currently mostly the norm on the global level). In the United States, some scholars have used the term "sex separation".
Designs
Types Some unisex public toilets, whether of single or of multiple capacity, are designed to be used by people with disabilities. They can accommodate not only the physically disabled, but also elderly people who may require assistance from a carer of another gender, and other cases where public sex-segregated facilities might lead to discomfort. Toilet facilities for disabled people, especially those reliant on a wheelchair, may be either unisex or gender-specific. Unisex public toilets are also common in cases where space is limited, such as in aircraft lavatories and passenger train toilets, or anywhere where a single toilet is made available. Several types can be distinguished:
Single-occupancy toilets, which provide only one room or enclosure. This room can also in certain circumstances be used by several people at once, e.g. a whole family, a person with their caretaker. Multi-user toilets, which are open to all and whose users may either share sinks in an open area or each have their own in their private cubicle, stall or room. Relabeled sex-segregated multi-cubicle public toilets, with no other change. This approach was taken in one area at the Barbican Centre in the UK, where some toilets became designated as shared by both sexes.
Toilets If more than one toilet fixture is available in a unisex public toilet, the toilet seats or squatting pans are installed in enclosed cubicles in the same way as in sex-segregated toilets. To ensure visual privacy, these may be provided with floor-to-ceiling walls.
Sinks Sinks are commonly installed in open arrangement as in sex-segregated toilets and used collectively by people of all genders. One of the key design components supporting safety in multi-user facilities is the openness and visibility of the sink area from adjacent public corridors. This design intervention allows for passive surveillance of the space by relocating the shared sink area from the private to the public realm. Alternatively, a sink can be provided in each cubicle or toilet room, e.g. where the unisex toilet is set up to be used by families and carers. The latter arrangement is more friendly to people needing to use the sink in a manner calling for a degree of privacy, or taking off items of dress typically worn in public. Examples are emergency removal of menstrual blood stains from clothing; refreshing the upper body, face, or underarms over the sink; applying makeup; or combing and styling hair.
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
