To the Editors:

Re “Students confront misuse of gender-neutral bathrooms” (February 7, 2024):

When I read “Students confront misuse of gender-neutral bathrooms” I was happy that such a big article was made about the issue, but a few things left a sour taste in my mouth. I was very surprised by some of the things said by some staff members. Spanish teacher Alisa Conner said that gender neutral bathrooms could make people uncomfortable, but if it does people who don’t fall into the gender binary still need a place to use the bathroom and anyone else can still use a gendered bathroom. This seems like a talking point in the discussion of having gender neutral bathrooms in general, not in a discussion of how to help with current solutions.
Hal Mason was quoted to have said “If you were to make [the gender-neutral bathrooms] two or three stalls, it would take a classroom’s worth of space to add that much square footage.” There are six three to two stall bathrooms in the STEM wing, that could be six more classrooms. If making as many classrooms as possible was the goal why not do that, and make six more classrooms instead of the bathrooms.
Associate dean Alexia Thomas recommended that surveillance of the bathrooms is the answer, but I think that is a terrible idea. Last year the gender neutral bathrooms were watched by teachers and not only did it not work, it made everyone who was trying to use the bathroom uncomfortable. It made it feel like you were being judged for going to the bathroom, and the teachers either didn’t actually do anything or stared at people entering the bathroom. The associate dean also recommended anti vape posters in the bathroom, which best case scenario everyone ignores, worst they get graffitied into telling people to vape.
Hal Mason also said that he doesn’t think that the problems with the gender neutral bathrooms are a big deal and that most of the time people can use them normally. However, as someone who has used them for the past two years I can say, whether there has been a teacher outside or not, I encounter an issue that makes a bathroom unusable at least twice a week. Whether the bathroom is full, too gross to use, locked, or filled with vaping, I encounter an issue like this at least twice a week.

From,

Selene Yo