By ERICA NOWLIN
Columnist

Editor’s Note: This is the second part in a series on gender-neutral restrooms. Click here to read the first part.

Earlier this semester, the university began installing gender-neutral restrooms on campus. I decided to talk to some students and faculty to see what people at UCM actually think about the additions.

I also knew I wanted to talk to a transgender person to see what his or her actual experiences were. I ended up interviewing Joe Davis, the graduate assistant for women, gender and sexuality studies.

Davis is in the process of transitioning from female to male. He was born a female named Sharrie Davis and grew up knowing that something was not quite right. At the time, he dressed in what is typically thought of as boys’ clothes and identified as a lesbian.

When I asked Davis which pronoun he preferred – he or she – he said it did not matter. Some people know him as Joe and use “he.” Others still know him as Sharrie and use “she.” Either one is fine with him. For the sake of this article, I will refer to Davis as “he.”

Davis is in what we might call the research phase of his transition. He started reading about the transgender experience, going to therapy and asking questions. He is figuring out how far he wants to go in his transition – a decision that is different for each transgender person. He has made some physical changes but is still legally female, which has made using the restroom difficult.

“When I go to the bathroom, I always worry if someone is going to look at me funny,” Davis said. “It’s always in the back of my mind. It never goes away.”

In women’s restrooms, women have harassed Davis and told him to get out.

“Once I was with my girlfriend in a Steak ‘n Shake, and I went into the women’s bathroom,” Davis said. “A woman in there beat her hand on the door and pointed to the ‘Women’s Restroom’ sign, as if to say, ‘You don’t belong here.’”

Davis said the GN bathrooms on campus are an extremely positive addition. He said having the GN bathrooms gives him and those with similar experiences a safe and comfortable place to go.

Not only that, but Davis said having GN bathrooms acknowledges the transgender community.

“It’s more than just a bathroom,” he said. “It’s a gateway. It makes people feel accepted at the most basic level.”

In addition to Davis, I interviewed eight UCM faculty members and surveyed two classes taking race, class and gender to get some other people’s opinions. Let’s take a look at some of the answers I got.

Do you/would you use the GN bathrooms?

Most of the students and faculty I talked to said they would definitely use a GN bathroom if they had not already.

“A bathroom is a bathroom,” one student said. “When you gotta go, you gotta go.”

Many of them did not think they would receive any flak for using a GN bathroom or that using the bathrooms was a big deal.

Others were not sure they would use the GN bathrooms but at least acknowledged them as a positive step forward.

“I don’t necessarily know if I would use them,” a student said, “but I applaud the school. They’re trying to get on board with the LGBTQ and make them feel accepted.”

One student said that she would try to avoid using the GN bathrooms, but not for the reason I thought. “There are so few on campus,” she said, “that it would actually be taking away from those people who need them.”

“It’s kind of like using a handicap bathroom,” another student added. “Don’t use it first because someone else might need it.”

Karen Bradley, director of women, gender and sexuality studies said, “There are people who need these bathrooms, so there needs to be a priority.”

Does this mean that only transgender people can use the GN bathrooms? Of course not.

In fact, Gersham Nelson, dean of the UCM College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, said it was actually a student in a wheelchair, not a transgender student, who requested more accessible, single-use bathrooms. It was only later that Bradley proposed GN bathrooms for trans students and visitors who were uncomfortable using gender-specific restrooms.

James Moran, LGBTQ Graduate Assistant, and Tara Napoleone-Clifford, IDEAS Coordinator, refer to the GN bathrooms as “inclusive bathrooms,” meaning that they are for anyone who wants to use them.

Moran described the single-stall bathrooms as “harassment-free facilities” for trans or gender nonconforming students and visitors, people with caregivers or with disabilities, parents with children of the opposite sex and anyone else who might feel more comfortable using a private, gender-neutral facility.

What is your opinion on the GN bathrooms? Are the bathrooms a positive or negative addition to campus?

UCM faculty members agreed that the GN bathrooms are incredibly positive.

“Everyone should have the opportunity to go to the bathroom without feeling worried that someone would say, ‘You’re not supposed to be here’ or ‘This isn’t for you,’” said Wendy Geiger, department chair of sociology, gerontology and cross-disciplinary studies.

Jack Rogers, professor of communication studies, said the addition of GN restrooms on campus was a good thing.

“I think it is time for the university to recognize and facilitate the incorporation of the LGBTQ community,” Rogers said. “It’ll be positive.”

Most of the students I interviewed agreed that having GN bathrooms on campus was a positive thing.

“I have a couple of gender nonconforming friends who I’ve had to escort to the bathroom before because they felt uncomfortable,” one student said. “But the last time they were here, they had a place to go, and they were really happy to see that.”

However, they also admitted that there could be some negative reactions, specifically among those who are not as accepting of nontraditional gender identities.

Another student said GN restrooms could cause some negative effects for people who are very traditional.

“Warrensburg is small and really traditional,” the student said. “I think it could be kind of a turn-off point for some people.”

“(By) challenging the traditional values,” a student added, “there’s definitely going to be people trying to fight it. People judging it. So there’s obviously going to be some problems there.”

Do you think it is possible that some trans students will be reluctant to use the GN bathrooms for fear of being singled-out or “outed” as a transgender person?

“I think if (they) come far enough down the road, some (trans) people want to be out,” Davis said. “But some people want to blend. Regardless, it’s nice to have an option. Sometimes you want to be advocate.

“I identify out loud who I am. (Having the GN bathrooms) shows campus awareness and solidarity.”

“I have had some people express the concern that maybe a member of the LGBTQ community who uses the gender-neutral bathrooms is sort of self-identifying, and maybe setting themselves up to be singled-out or perhaps harassed or ridiculed, but I don’t really think that’s the case,” Rogers said. “If they want to use one of the gender-neutral bathrooms, that’s certainly a choice they can make, but they don’t have to.”

“I haven’t really talked to any trans students about it, but I’m thinking they would think of this as a victory for some of the issues that they face,” said Robynn Kuhlmann, assistant professor of political science. “As far as being singled-out, I don’t necessarily think that would be a problem. Who can tell who is transgender? Some students who are not transgender who have short hair and are a little bit more masculine may have problems going into a regular restroom. I think it provides a safer environment.”

To continue the discussion of GN bathrooms, contact me at EMN75650@ ucmo.edu or email the Muleskinner at Muleskinner@ ucmo.edu.