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Ah, some end of the year lunacy from Slate. Not just that there be access to gender neutral bathrooms, no, that wouldn’t be enough. Every bathroom should be gender-neutral, open to all, because after all the majority’s wishes for privacy don’t count.

By the way, how do you “androgynously walk into a bathroom”?

Gender-divided bathrooms have long been a point of contention for queer people, especially those identifying as trans*. For those whose gender identity or presentation defies the clear-cut gender binary, the necessary urge to relieve oneself often ends with a painful resignation to either male or female when in public. The result is discomfort for everyone involved: When I androgynously walk into a restroom and am greeted by a negative reaction from another bathroom patron—which has ranged from startled gasps to being shoved back into the stall—I assume their outrage is of the same degree as my frustration at knowing I’m not fully welcome in either restroom.

Campaigns to make gender-neutral bathrooms available have been waged across the country over the last few years. Interestingly, though some have been launched to ensure equality in specific locations, such as Multnomah County, Ore., and Philadelphia, activism aiming to establish gender-neutral bathrooms generally focuses on schools and colleges. These campaigns range from one led by a 16-year-old in Vermont to a recent wave of activism at universities and colleges.

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