UNSCRIPTED

I’d wager a pretty penny the phrase “shit show” was coined after a similar scene to this one at PDX.

Where my son is concerned, I’m basically a one woman SWAT team in curvy mom jeans. Another piece to follow on the rant that is the unfortunate label of, “curvy mom jeans”. Anyways, you can imagine the panic when my 8 year old and I walked into a public restroom in Portland, Oregon. It wasn’t just the co-ed, “all genders”, signage that threw me—it was the lack of privacy, the open bottomed stalls, the gaps between partitions. I would’ve felt safer standing behind a curtain in a Midwest thunderstorm.

Let me be clear: I’m an advocate for equality, a feminist who believes in inclusivity for all. Everyone deserves to feel respected. But inclusivity should not mean sacrificing safety. As I stood there, waiting in line, my anxiety building, I vocalized my concerns to Ollie. That’s when a man behind me said, “You get used to it”. Get used to what exactly? The feeling of being unsafe? Are we teaching our bodies to ignore the very instincts that are meant to protect us? This isn’t something we should be ‘getting used to’.

Something needs to change.

First, restroom designs should start with safety above all else. Floor to ceiling stalls are not a luxury; they’re a necessity especially if attempting to join together the spectrum of sexes. It’s a basic expectation that private spaces should provide, well privacy, not the illusion of it. Individual unisex bathrooms are another straightforward solution—making sure that everyone, has a private place to pee.

But let’s not stop there, in for a penny in for a pound, the people making these decisions need to be held accountable. Whoever thought it was a good idea to plan bathrooms where privacy is a possibility—more of a maybe—dependent on the moral integrity of your shitting sidekick should answer for these choices. Let’s be clear, this isn’t bad design; it’s a failure to protect citizens, it’s a failure to protect children, and there should be consequences. Our safety and privacy are not optional.

Update: On a positive note, cheers to Portland for paving the way in providing period products for free. It’s about bloody time.