Bathrooms, Locker Rooms, Diversity, and Respect

            With the ever-increasing diversity that is present in our society, schools and teachers must be adaptable and prepared to deal with a multitude of differences… some of which may be uncomfortable to address. For example, the question of which bathroom should be used by transgender students is a highly controversial topic, with heightened emotions on both sides of the fence. In May of 2016, the Obama administration issued a directive to the effect that “transgender students are allowed to access restrooms and participate on athletic teams that match with the gender they identify by, not the sex on their birth certificate” (Kauffman par. 2). In response, twenty-three states (including Texas) sued the federal government (Bendici 29) and Texas’ attorney general led a coalition of states in asking a federal judge to stall implementation of the directive on the grounds that it violates state law (Ockerman 1). The matter is still in the courts, but according to an article in the Christian Science Monitor, the Trump administration is formulating a new set of guidelines, about which details are sparse (Kauffman par. 3). The tangled web of legal requirements may or may not have been straightened out by the time I begin teaching, but it is important for me to consider what my moral and ethical responsibilities will be in this type of situation.

            I understand the fears of those who believe that predators would take advantage of the opportunity to use the “wrong” bathroom. As a woman, I am uncomfortable with the idea that a male might be permitted access to a location where I am naturally vulnerable – especially since there is no real way to safeguard against any predators or peeping toms who might pretend to be transgender in order to conceal less-than-pure intentions. (To clarify – I am NOT saying that I believe transgender individuals to be predators or peeping toms, but rather that non-transgender individuals might take advantage of a statute or policy that would permit them to enter a restroom intended for the opposite sex without suspicion.) However, I also recognize that a transgender individual who is biologically male (particularly a child) could potentially face extreme bullying and harassment in the boys’ bathroom. Quite frankly, the only potential solution I see here is economically impractical – either individual bathrooms, or bathrooms in which the stalls have actual walls and doors rather than simple dividers. In addition to the obstacles presented by the expense of remodeling, however, this solution would also fail to address a similar situation in school locker rooms. I have absolutely no idea how schools should address that one.

As a teacher, school district policies and state/federal laws will not be decided by me, but my own actions and attitudes toward the members of a diverse student body are my responsibility. While every situation I encounter may have unique circumstances, at least one thing will not, and that is my responsibility to demonstrate both respect and a caring attitude toward every student, as well as teaching the students to treat each other in a similar fashion (Jimenez 177). While I wouldn’t be deciding bathroom policies, I can, and absolutely should, keep a watchful eye for any harassment occurring between students (whether verbal, emotional, or physical) and intervene, teaching the children to treat each other with respect regardless of their differences (“What Schools” 10).

Works Cited

Bendici, Ray. "More Than a Dozen States Sue over Transgender Bathrooms." District Administration, vol. 52, no. 9, Sept. 2016, p. 29. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login

.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=117975480&site=ehost-live.

Jiménez, Karleen Pendleton. "Queering Classrooms, Curricula, and Care: Stories from Those Who Dare." Sex Education, vol. 9, no. 2, May 2009, pp. 169-179. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/14681810902829638.

Kauffman, Gretel. "Why the Trump Administration Wants to Roll Back Transgender Bathroom Guidelines." Christian Science Monitor, 22 Feb. 2017. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=121379788&site=ehost-live.

Ockerman, Emma. "Texas Attorney General Wants Transgender Bathroom Directive Stalled Before School Year." Time.Com, 07 July 2016, p. 1. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=116705350&site=ehost-live.

“What Schools Need to Know: LGBT Students and the Law.” Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, 2001.