Exeunt Magazine: We are spilling out of the Northern line on our way to rehearsals when The Stage publishes Sarah Ditum’s article criticizing the Old Vic’s decision to implement gender neutral toilets. Rehearsals for a play in which we hire cis body doubles to take over our lives as trans people, to see if we ever get to author our own stories.
7 comments:
These commentators hit a lot of the most important points that are in discussion in the U.S. as well. I am not well versed in where trans rights are in the U.K., but their politics tend to be socially similar to ours, despite our differences (see Boris Johnson, anti-immigrant sentiment, etc etc). On Tuesday of this past week, our Supreme Court heard cases regarding whether or not Title VII protects LGBTQ workers from discrimination. Purnell implemented gender-neutral bathroom signs over the summer, and I have encountered a few venues that have changed their nomenclature as well. The authors of this dialogue seem to view the Old Vic’s change as a similarly shallow gesture--it is all well and good to make the statement, but the leadership at the venue need to be ready to stand their ground against political backlash. They also need to be prepared with an infrastructure to handle the very real possibility of problems between the patrons using the restrooms.
WHY ARE WE STILL HAVING THIS DISCUSSION GENDER ISN'T EVEN REAL!! Okay I know that is a bold statement and that is not where the world currently is, but being surrounded by such an open community to the flexibility of gender makes me forget the rigidity the outside world still holds in the Male/Female cis-roles. It is so utterly upsetting to see such bigotry and ignorance from inside the theatre community, but it is a reminder to never become complacent about these things. We must remember that the fight for equality and accessibility is never over, only improving. It is up to us to use the stages given to us in order to promote this equality and fight for the entire spectrum of gender. A world without gender is a world without gender discrimination, which is something we deal with every single day, no matter where you fall on the gender spectrum.
I simply just don't understand why there is still a debate on the right for trans or gender-nonconforming people to do something as simple as use a public bathroom. Just as Claire said above, when living in such a supportive community, it is easy to forget how not everybody in the world is completely open to the flexibility of gender. However, with this in mind, it is extremely frustrating that the article discussed in this dialogue criticizing gender-neutral toilets came from a theatre news outlet. For many people, the theatre is where anyone and everyone is always welcome to join and be their complete and true selves without being subjected to judgment and ridicule, but this was a striking reminder that not everyone, whether in the theatre community or not, is as open and welcoming. The fight against gender-discrimination is a long and hard one that has been going on throughout history, but it hasn't ended. There is still so much work to do to get equal rights and fair treatment for everyone.
This article is a heartbreaking read. One of my favorite aspects about theatre is how accepting it is to people of all backgrounds, and to see that transgender people are feeling left out and mistreated from an medium they love is upsetting. I agree with the discussion that this feels like a ridiculous conversation to have. People should just be able to use the bathroom they identify with and an all gender bathroom is perfect to satisfy every gender. Everyone fits under it, yet people still feel uncomfortable by the notion. Society has been so intensely trained to see the bathrooms as separated that it has become too difficult to accept the concept of a bathroom for everyone. I love that Carnegie Mellon has them for our non gender conforming students and makes the effort to make them feel more accepted. Now we just need the rest of the world to follow.
I simply don't understand: just go to the bathroom! What the hell is the big deal? And the fact that people feel the need to insert themselves in other people's lives, and judge on something that has absolutely no effect on them whatsoever, is both mind-numbing and absurd. My heart breaks to read: I am routinely told I do not exist, and I have stopped batting an eyelid. I am considered a debate topic, and I have learned not to flinch. And yes, the fact that this call is coming from within is even more problematic. Theatre is supposed to be an inclusive and welcoming space where people are asked to open their minds and engage in a dialogue. And you won't even support your own people? I don't understand. I am so incredibly happy that CMU Drama has transitioned to Gender Neutral bathrooms, and I have not witnessed a single student having an issue with it. It affects me so not-at-all that when I heard an outside audience member say to another the other night "gender neu-.....okaaaaaay..." I was saddened and repulsed. Why, why do you even say anything about it? Just go to the freakin bathroom and accept that this small gesture has made countless people feel just a little bit more accepted as human beings.
If you decide that you want to change something in your organization, that’s ok. But you should understand the implications and the fallout from making that decision. You should also educate yourself on both sides of the debate before making your statement to be better equipped with the fallout and such. Personally, I am still coming to terms with gender neutrality. I grew up in a world that existed as male/female. I have always understood LGBT and so for me, dealing with preferred pronouns and trying to remember they/them in some cases is still a struggle that I am working on. The world was a very different place 20ish years ago when a majority of the students at CMU were either not born yet or in their infancy and I was in my 20s. I remember the passage of the defense of marriage act that codified in federal law discrimination agaist marriage equality. It’s taken me some time to get my head wrapped around gender-neutral bathrooms as CMU. It is also going to be this way for a number of our older patrons (and maybe even alum) as well. This is a change that has to be dealt with and yes, there is going to be backlash. There usually is with most changes that affect multitudes of people. It’s good to see the conversation happening and it is good to see change happening in our society. Change, is slow, and progress even slower. The world will not change on gender neutrality overnight and to force people to change overnight can backfire. We learned this over the years with the fight over HIV/AIDS and Marriage Equality.
I truly don’t understand why we are STILL debating about inclusionary bathrooms. In the article, Jess talks about wanting public bathrooms to be a boring and mundane space, and in all honesty, they are. Why is there still an argument happening about bathrooms, when it’s literally just a boring and mundane space of pure functionality. Gender binaries are absolutely absurd, and the debate surrounding gender neutral bathrooms has never been about the bathrooms, but rather been about transphobia. And yes, gender neutral bathrooms are not going to stop the harassment and mistreatment of trans people, but it is a step closer to inclusion, on a road that is just beginning to be paved. “The attack on trans people by the media for existing is never ending and exhausting. I cannot see when it will end until cis people in the theatre industry – and elsewhere – stand up for the dignity of trans people and demand better.” A conversation that I have recently had with a non-gender conforming friend is captured in this quote. It is the responsibility of cis trans allies to be a voice for trans individuals, and we should be fighting even more for inclusion in the theatre industry, since the theatre has traditionally been a space that is welcoming and allows people to share their stories in a safe space.
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