Gender Neutral Toilets: Myths debunked.

1. What about safety? What about sexual attacks against women?
This is a totally understandable concern. I know that with one in four girls coming under sexual assault and conviction rates less than 10% this is a genuine concern. However, as the survey states, the maximum amounts of toilets changed would be two. That would still leave students that don't wish to use them with eight other toilets (four male, four female). The results of the survey as well as personal anacdotes from Cardiff and outside demonstrate that students who, say, were born a woman but identify as a man cannot walk into male toilets without a minimum of dirty looks. If you continue to use this tactic, you are asserting that your right to be comfortable is more important than someone else's. I don't believe that is right.

Also, most sexual attacks are not committed by strangers and it is unlikely that a determined rapist would be deterred by a sign on the door. If you are concerned about violence against women on university campuses (including violence against trans-women) please do this NUS survey: http://www.nus.org.uk/vaw

2. "Man up" "This is political correctness gone man" "Life's a bitch" "Why do people moan when things don't go their way"
Fuck off. Until you've experienced what is like to be trans or at least read a lot about it and talked to a lot of trans people don't ever, ever question this form of oppression.

3. Hygiene issues, usually raised by women against men!
I'm sure that this will be okay, no more than when you share a toilet with a man at home.

4. Sexual activities in the Student's Union
Most of these concerns are raised about the night club and Taf. As I said in the survey and in the Gair Rhydd article (I confess both on the GR article and the survey I probably didn't expand on my points enough. I talked about it at length at Student Council and stupidly assumed other students would know by osmosis what I said), I'm not intending to put these toilets anywhere near Solus. I never was. As for in the day, it seems unlikely that there will be much nooky but given that the toilets are quite out of the way anyway and the Union is generally quite quiet in the day I doubt it will be a problem. People in Manchester and Edinburgh have reported it was much less of a problem than anticipated.


Why can't trans people share with disabled people? Could they be given a special key?
Because it's not fair on disabled students, and a key system (which we don't have) would single trans students out.

Aren't you singling trans students out?
No. I said this in my survey too. Any trans students that have transitioned and feel totally comfortable walking into their usual toilets are absolutely and unconditionally encouraged to do so. This measure is intended to help trans students who are concerned about "passing", new to transitioning and making the step of walking confidently into the other toilets, trans students who cannot live in their preferred gender full-time for various reasons. These students often report being given dirty looks, weird comments or even threats because people think that they shouldn't be in there. Gender neutral, or unisex, toilets are toilets anyone can enter, trans or not. These toilets will be a small minority in the Union but it will hopefully reduce pressure on trans students. Among other students that will possibly find them useful are: people who were born one sex and still identify as that sex but do not fit stereotypical ideas about appearance. For example, butch women. Also, the other gender-varient people including androgynous, genderqueer and intersex people.

Is it sexist?
No. I would like it to be one bloke's toilet and one woman's toilet transformed but if it does have to be one or the other we'll have to weigh up which is most accessible for students and perhaps the value of either sanitary products and bins versus the urinals. This will be discussed. I do not believe that it is discriminatory against men and, in the current patriarchal system I would question how much men are discriminated against. Also, yes I am a woman and yes I am a feminist.

It would be embarassing to do my business/buy condoms or sanitary products in front of someone of the opposite sex.
I completely sympathise and would like to stress that these toilets will be in the minority and, if you arrive at the GNT and think "oh, bugger, I want a X one" there will be a map on the door. And vis versa.

Can't you treat the bullying? Is this treating the symptom and not the cause.
Fair enough, and in my year as LGBT officer I definitely want to address bullying. Think I'm going to do it in the new year when people get back from the comfort of home and also start thinking about who to live with etc. The problem is, when a group is systematically bullied they start to distrust that they will be taken seriously. For example, I know that women and people from black, asian and minority ethnic communities are much less likely to report hate crimes to the police. Similarly, when I experienced homophobic violence in school I was convinced that my teachers would just tell me that if I made less 'fuss' about being out I'd get along better. My mum persuaded me to tell, and I was right. This is a vicious cycle.

You need to use more accessible language eg: genderqueer, cisgendered
Too much cultural theory! Sorry, accepted and will try to use more inclusive language in future.

But there aren't many trans students!
But there are some, and no group deserves to feel uncomfortable. If it's stopping them using facilities which they pay for then it's a problem, if it leads to people not enjoying university then it's a problem. Toilets are relatively small in the whole picture but some large, urban, Russel Group universities such as Edinburgh, Sussex, Liverpool and Manchester have taken this and it's one way for Cardiff to mark itself out as truly progressive. And it's certainly got people talking!

helloooo! Bloody third year! I never have any time to blog anymore :(

Anyway! I passed the motion on gender neutral toilets. Not 100% good news as I was told on the day I had more chance of it passing if I diluted it so it was just to do a "survey" but I'm confident enough in my motion that the survey will prove it's a good idea. Most people were for it, a few were curious about how it worked and no one dropped any massive clangers so that was good :] I think about 5 people voted against.

Gair Rhydd has written about it too: http://gairrhydd.com/news/911/gender-neutral-toilets-proposed-for-union.

I am working on my survey now but I don't know what survey company, if you can call them that??, to go with. I need one that allows a second section (you know like if you say No to question 1 it skips you to questions 8-11, say, and then people that say yes do 2-7 and then 12-5 or something?) because I want to ask people that aren't from Cardiff too.

On Saturday I held the first SSHH event. It wasn't a massive success because only a few of us turned up after a lot more saying that they would on facebook. Ho hum, way of the world! But the ones that were there made it count! We had a chat outside the union while holding hands, ran up the steps to have our photo taken with the banner then hand-holded all the way over to the Woodville for a lovely hot drink!

Nothing planned for this week, and no student council. I'm definitely going to the Hell's Bent event on Friday though as I know Mark and the rest of the LGBT soc. committee has worked really hard on it. Raising money for AIDS relief charities, can't be wrong! And only £2 entry :D

Had two really useful meetings today!

Saw someone from the marketting department in the Union. He helped me understand all the ways the Union can launch a campaign, from using the plasma screens in the Kitchen to massive banners. He went through the time frame for organising something like that, and how much it can cost. I think I'm going to get through Sshh and AIDS day without their support and then before I go home for Christmas try and organise some campaigns around bullying and mental health for January and then organise something around Love Without Borders for the Go Global week! And slip in more serious things less publically and smaller matters as they arise.

Spoke to the Student Counselling Service today, she went through the training that they've had for LGBT issues and also what provisions they have. Their little rooms are lovely, with blue soft chairs and candles and stuff. They also have loads of information about practical stuff like housing and finances. We talked for about an hour and she introduced me to a lot of staff and I have to say that they really do understand LGBT issues and they want to help. I went in intending to ask if they could expand their 'male' and 'female' boxes on the forms for self-referral but they already have! Just SIMs to email now.

Working on my motion atm, posting that later.

Hello! Sorry I haven't written in an age, the honest answer is because I'm already addicted to blogs and facebook and things like that I keep forgetting! Third year work and other comittments are pretty intense too but in a good way most of the time lol.

Went to the LGBT Activist Training Day on Monday which was really useful! We covered all the main NUS campaigns such as Love without Borders, Donation not Discrimination and Bullying Sucks and then had organisational skills training. That was probably the most useful, we went through the best ways of running a campaign to make it most effective and practiced planning an event! It obviously inspired me as I set up an event this afternoon.

It's not an original event as it coincides with the Same Sex Hand Holding (Sshh) day across the world but we're trying to get a hand chain going around Cathays and I'm hoping that I'll get time to make a banner or get some paint and come up with something cool and visual.

I've also been working on my research for more serious stuff. I've almost finished a motion for next week's council about gender neutral toilets. The idea is really close to my heart so I want to make sure that I can make the best case for it possible. The trouble is, most of my friends already see the need for it so I have to try and think what people would object to. The NUS briefing makes the process of getting it in quite scary but if we do we'll be following a great precedent including Manchester, Liverpool and Edinburgh!

Tomorrow I'm meeting with the Student Counselling Service to talk about LGBT issues and also with the communications manager in the union to give me an overview of what they do.

I want to attach the poster for my event but I forgot to send it to my home PC! bummer. Will post it tomorrow.

http://takesupspace.wordpress.com/cis-privilege-checklist/

this is a list of things we take for granted every day when we're non-trans or cisgendered people. I know I do!

Soon there will be a longer post about what I've been up to!

What I've done so far...

First student council last night! Nothing LGBT related, mainly just an introduction to the process of the council and to introduce us to each other. Was excellently chaired by 'Our Sally' lol.

Honestly, I've not been able to do a lot so far as I'm still a bit new to the processes in the Union. Sally Wood has given me a handover talk though and I should be having a non-sabb information pack soon from my sabb 'buddy' officer.

However, this morning I've got in touch with a few people:
1. I've booked myself a place on a seminar for Health Challenge Wales about Sexual Health. I particularly want to bring up that a lot of Lesbian and Bisexual women that I've spoken to don't think that they have to have a smear test.
2. I've emailed the NUS LGBT Officers and put myself on their mailing list.
3. I've emailed the Welsh NUS LGBT Officer who has scheduled a meeting for the Committee (which I'm on as well) and given me some important dates.
4. Spoken to some people I know that are interested in bisexual and transgendered issues. I want to try and get a copy of some of the NUS leaflets about bi-phobia and talk about the possibility of gender neutral toilets and the administrative problems regarding the university and trans students.
5. Have emailed the LGBT Society to try and set up an ideas-storming-meeting with me so I can stay on track.

Was excited to see that North West England is now running a 'Transgender Empowerment Centre' which encompasses all non-gender varient people and they have quite a substantial survey of priorities although it only for people living North-West England.
http://www.thefword.org.uk/blog/2009/10/launch_of_the_t

The Campaign is Launched!

Hello! This is Rachelle, and I'm your LGBT Officer!

I found out I won on Friday but I've not really done anything yet. On Tuesday I am due to attend Student Council and then I'm going to be shown the ropes by ex-LGBT officer Sally Wood. Haven't emailed anyone that gave me their details at Fresher's Fair but probably will Tuesday night when I have a clearer idea of what contacts, resources etc.

I know the last couple of weeks have had some sobering news such as the increase in homophobic violence in London and also that hateful Daily Mail article but it just makes me more determined to try and improve the situation for LGBT people.

Please comment if you're interested in helping out or if you have any ideas. I'm also planning to blog about LGBT issues here, based on topical things, and if you want to contribute anything I can post it here.

Hello LGBT!
Welcome to, or back to, Cardiff!

What's new!
LGBT students have always had an LGBT Officer in the Union to protect our students and to lobby on their behalf as the political arm of the LGBT community. There has always also been an LGBT Society, organising social events for our community.

However, what's new this year is that the position of the Union's Officer is broadening to become a Campaign with an Officer and L, G, B and T representatives! The Officer will be elected in the October by-elections when other non-sabbatical officers are elected. After this there will be an election in the LGBT Society for the L, G, B and T posts. This will allow us to do more on your behalf and also be more accessible to you. The Society will remain unchanged but will have a closer and a more obvious link with the Campaign, so that the LGBT Officer is always accountable.

Together, the Society and the Campaign will be the brand new LGBT Association.

What we stand for!
The Campaign believes that homophobia, under-representation and inequality are unacceptable and are going to campaign with groups such as Stonewall for a more progressive world!

We also offer sexual health advice and emotional support and a link to your Student's Union to ensure that it's working at it's highest capability for you.

Our plan
After the elections this blog will be a way for the Officer and the L, G, B and T Officers to communicate what we have been achieving each week for you, and a way for you to ask us to do more. At Fresher's we will be for suggestions for our most pressing responsibilities, such as bi and trans invisibility but the opportunities for you to tell us what we should be doing are always here.

Right now, all the positions in the Campaign are open so if you are interested in filling any of them please contact Mark, president of the LGBT society!

Let's get beyond this!

LGBT society: www.cardifflgbt.vze.com
Student's Union Officer's page: http://www.cardiffstudents.com/union/exec/non-sabbs
Societies Info: http://www.cardiffstudents.com/activities/societies/join

- Rachelle, ex-LGBT society, LGBT officer candidate&random volunteer in service to the great Mark.