Comments on: Where is the Toilet? http://tiltedworld.org/2009/01/12/where-is-the-toilet/ A Malaysian LGBT Community Project Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:14:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: jiahuilee http://tiltedworld.org/2009/01/12/where-is-the-toilet/comment-page-1/#comment-813 jiahuilee Wed, 14 Jan 2009 08:05:38 +0000 http://tiltedworld.org/?p=941#comment-813 Aha! But don't you see: the problem disappears with gender neutral b/rooms. I wouldn't let a little girl enter a male bathroom, too, only because she'll be the only non-male in an all-male bathroom. But I won't have so much problem letting her enter a bathroom with all genders in it! But you have a point too! Why are men threatening and women not? I think biology sort of plays into this as well - a raging debate in the queer and gender circles. How much can we blame on ourselves and society? How much is genetic? I hope to articulate my thoughts on the "I'm born gay" ideology behind movements some day. It makes me uncomfortable to claim we are born heterosexual or homosexual. *shrugs*too* Aha! But don’t you see: the problem disappears with gender neutral b/rooms. I wouldn’t let a little girl enter a male bathroom, too, only because she’ll be the only non-male in an all-male bathroom. But I won’t have so much problem letting her enter a bathroom with all genders in it!

But you have a point too! Why are men threatening and women not? I think biology sort of plays into this as well – a raging debate in the queer and gender circles. How much can we blame on ourselves and society? How much is genetic?

I hope to articulate my thoughts on the “I’m born gay” ideology behind movements some day. It makes me uncomfortable to claim we are born heterosexual or homosexual. *shrugs*too*

]]> By: Chen http://tiltedworld.org/2009/01/12/where-is-the-toilet/comment-page-1/#comment-809 Chen Mon, 12 Jan 2009 17:05:19 +0000 http://tiltedworld.org/?p=941#comment-809 Interesting. I always figured the gender-specification was merely for the safety and privacy of those doing their business in the loo, thus only finding gender-neutral bathrooms truly secure in queer-friendly spaces , which is most probably naive of me, because like you mentioned, a door doesn't prevent a predator from entering. Something I've noticed is how adults teach children about entering bathrooms. A female toilet is permissible to both little girls and boys whilst little girls are discouraged from entering a male toilet unless in the case of an absolute emergency. Not that I'd even want to enter the men's room, but it's always struck me as a little sexist (on both ends) to attribute a kind of threatening power (but power nonetheless) to manly bits whereas women, while posing no physical threat to anyone, are expected to be de-sexualised simply because we're 'missing' this phallic symbol of power. Entah lah. *shrugs* Interesting. I always figured the gender-specification was merely for the safety and privacy of those doing their business in the loo, thus only finding gender-neutral bathrooms truly secure in queer-friendly spaces , which is most probably naive of me, because like you mentioned, a door doesn’t prevent a predator from entering.

Something I’ve noticed is how adults teach children about entering bathrooms. A female toilet is permissible to both little girls and boys whilst little girls are discouraged from entering a male toilet unless in the case of an absolute emergency. Not that I’d even want to enter the men’s room, but it’s always struck me as a little sexist (on both ends) to attribute a kind of threatening power (but power nonetheless) to manly bits whereas women, while posing no physical threat to anyone, are expected to be de-sexualised simply because we’re ‘missing’ this phallic symbol of power.

Entah lah. *shrugs*

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