Scottish schoolgirls ‘boycott gender-neutral toilets’
The introduction of gender-neutral toilets in Scottish schools hasn’t panned out as activists hoped, with girls in one school reportedly refusing to use the facilities due to misbehaviour and vandalism by boys.
Gender-neutral bathrooms are becoming increasingly common in Scottish educational institutes. Schools in Angus, Dundee, East Renfrewshire and Edinburgh have all introduced such facilities, and all new school buildings – primary and secondary – in Edinburgh will soon have unisex toilets and communal hand-washing facilities by default. This move to gender neutrality is supported by Scottish National Party politicians and by the Scottish Equality and Human Rights Commission, which warned schools in 2019 that they leave themselves open to lawsuits by not providing such facilities.
However, the implementation of ‘gender-blind’ bathrooms hasn’t been a smooth one. Scottish Borders Councillor Harry Scott told a council meeting on Thursday that in one school, “there have been instances of boys waving sanitary products like flags and urinating in sanitary bins,” according to the Southern Reporter.
Girls at the school have “gone days without using toilets on campus due to sharing facilities,” the report claimed. The school in question added afterwards that it was “unaware” of these incidents, and noted that within the shared bathrooms, some individual cubicles were reserved for each sex.
Yet students of both genders still share common areas within these bathrooms. “Why is it not possible to have male, female and gender-neutral toilets which would cater for the needs of everyone?” Scott said at the meeting. “Why can that not be achieved in our schools?”
Parents across Scotland have pushed back against gender-neutral toilets in secondary schools, which can see 12-year-old girls using the same facilities as 18-year-old men. These facilities are unpopular with the Scottish public too, and a recent poll showed 56% of Scots opposing them, and only 21% were in favour. Some 22% said they supported gender-neutral toilets, but only alongside traditional single-sex bathrooms.
“I would like to know who is pressing for gender-neutral toilets because it’s not parents,” feminist campaigner Marion Calder told The Times on Friday. “I suspect it is coming from LGBTQ guidance award schemes.”
However, the implementation of ‘gender-blind’ bathrooms hasn’t been a smooth one. Scottish Borders Councillor Harry Scott told a council meeting on Thursday that in one school, “there have been instances of boys waving sanitary products like flags and urinating in sanitary bins,” according to the Southern Reporter.
Girls at the school have “gone days without using toilets on campus due to sharing facilities,” the report claimed. The school in question added afterwards that it was “unaware” of these incidents, and noted that within the shared bathrooms, some individual cubicles were reserved for each sex.
Yet students of both genders still share common areas within these bathrooms. “Why is it not possible to have male, female and gender-neutral toilets which would cater for the needs of everyone?” Scott said at the meeting. “Why can that not be achieved in our schools?”
Parents across Scotland have pushed back against gender-neutral toilets in secondary schools, which can see 12-year-old girls using the same facilities as 18-year-old men. These facilities are unpopular with the Scottish public too, and a recent poll showed 56% of Scots opposing them, and only 21% were in favour. Some 22% said they supported gender-neutral toilets, but only alongside traditional single-sex bathrooms.
“I would like to know who is pressing for gender-neutral toilets because it’s not parents,” feminist campaigner Marion Calder told The Times on Friday. “I suspect it is coming from LGBTQ guidance award schemes.”
Comments
Girls and their privacy matters 4 year ago
Wow, who would have thought it - immature boys being immature about things like periods, and girls just being expected to take bullying and male humiliation on the chin. NO! Girls are not just boys who have to sit down to pee. We have important physical and behavioural differences which means we have different needs to boys and men. There is a reason why we say "peeping Tom" and not "peeping Jane". We deserve our own facilities for our safety, dignity and privacy in situations where we are vulnerable or in a state of undress. NOT because we fancy a chat, like some other commenter said here -- if a female stranger tried 'having a chat' with me in the loo, I would find it odd - if a bloke in a dress started to do it, I would find it unsettling if not terrifying. If you were born male, you will forever be thus and I implore you to have respect for the sex class you try to imitate and use male or unisex facilities. Not ours!
Tenko 4 year ago
Schools have to provide single sex toilets for children over the age of 8, its the law. Schools that don't tackle bullying and male violence are also breaking the law. These schools are failing boys by setting them up for a lifetime of entitled behaviour (as you can see from the other comment) at a time when they need to learn boundaries. They are also teaching girls that their safety and boundaries are not a priority.
Susan Lea 4 year ago
My comment relates to environments outside of school but is should be relevant as the introduction of gender neutral toilets is an issue through all stages of life. I am transgender (M2F) and do not like the introduction of gender neutral toilets. Unfortunately, too many males lack the ability to keep the toilets clean - yes, they urinate over seats even when there are separate urinals for them. Also, I have found that 'older' males are particularly aggressive towards transgender girls or feel they can be 'very forward' with us. I only feel safe when I am using the ladies toilets. The female toilets are a place for chatting and are very friendly. Male toilets seem to be a place where there is territorial markings taking place with the associated aggression. Males need to be kept in separate toilets - sorry, guys.