Transgender and Bathroom Rights

I'm going to chime in on the whole bathroom vs transgender debate. First off I want to make it clear that I can see both sides of the argument. Second, I believe the solution is staring people in the face but they don't, can't, or won't see it.

"Trans" people just want to use the bathroom without being called freaks, bullied, or given "the look". Yes, there are predators out there who will use the opportunity to enter the bathroom for perverted or otherwise malicious reasons. The issue facing people who are against transgenders using their identified bathroom get hung up on how to tell who are the "perverts". Unfortunately, when a "trans" person hears that argument they react negatively because they are used to being called perverts by these very same people. It isn't looking out for perverts, it's protecting against predators. This is something transgender people should be able to agree with.

Consider this, how are the police going to enforce a bathroom "ban"? I'll tell you right now that the first person who does a package check on me will end up on the tile in a pool of their own blood. Ever think that by trying to enforce these types of bans you are actually encouraging the predators who will act in the name of "just making sure"? Simple fact, I don't know of any study that links transgender individuals with any type of predatory personality disorder. This is the same situation as the myth of gays being predators, it just isn't true. You are probably more likely to be assaulted by someone of the same sex in a restroom than by a transgender individual. Truth be told you are more likely to be raped or assaulted OUTSIDE of a restroom than within.

I would have been pissed had a man gone into the bathroom where my daughter was while she was growing up. It's a father's natural reaction for his mind to go "there" whenever his child's safety is at stake. I can assume it's the same for all parents. That being said how was I to know if a man didn't? I've seen plenty of people who were totally androgynous in appearance and I never had a second thought about which bathroom they used. Simple logic tells me that my initial reaction was irrational, but I still have to accept that there is a human protective instinct that sometimes thinks the worst of others. The issue of women who are afraid of men I won't bother going into here. That's a whole psychological monster in itself.

Now I see the solution as an issue that involves society but the burden lies with architects. My brother just visited Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend and commented to me that they had four bathrooms. One was marked MALE, one FEMALE, one UNISEX, and one HANDICAPPED (guessing it was unisex as well). In today's society with men helping with the children more, unisex bathrooms are on the rise. We simply need more bathrooms that are unisex so it doesn't matter who uses them. In fact, they could cut down on the size of the "male and female" restrooms to accommodate more unisex and there wouldn't be an issue. I know some people will only use a restroom that is marked either male or female due to ingrained societal conditioning so we are a while away from going totally unisex in most major retailers and gathering places.

Think about this issue. Which side do you really stand on? I can understand the fear of the predator. I can understand the desire to pee without harassment. What are we willing to do to step off of the polarized ledges and begin walking toward a common ground? Do both sides need to give a little? Can we work out a solution where neither side has to compromise? Think about the solution, not the problem.