Gender neutral bathrooms, or a gender-neutral toilet, can be used by a person of any gender or gender identity, and are required by the Colorado Department of Education. As stated by the CDE, “All [public] covered entities shall allow individuals the proper use of gender-segregated facilities that are consistent with their gender identity.”
“Gender-segregated facilities include but are not limited to, restrooms, locker rooms, dressing rooms, and dormitories.”
However, certain gendered restroom facilities restrict access to either non-binary, gender non-conforming people, and others that are part of the LGBTQ+ community. On the other hand, gender-neutral bathrooms help students feel comfortable and create a safe space for them.
Arvada West High School recognized this problem and opened gender-neutral bathrooms around the fall of 2022, which helped non-conforming students feel comfortable knowing they had a safe space to go to the restroom.
Kerrie Dallman, a teacher at A-West who teaches Sociology and Social Studies, has continued to advocate for a gender-neutral bathroom and for the safety and convenience of gender non-conforming students, but as of late October 2024, the bathrooms have been closed due to the use of drugs and vaping.
Dallman, who also teaches and sponsors the GSA Club and Feminism Club, states, “It took years of advocacy to get them open. I think the closure of the gender-neutral bathroom is discriminatory toward our gender non-conforming students.”
Having a gender neutral bathroom promotes gender inclusivity, and by taking it away from students and creating a hassle for students to ask administrators/custodians is disadvantageous to gender non-conforming students.
Dallman explains, “Because of the reasons the bathrooms were closed, we are treating one population of students, gender non-conforming students, very differently than we are treating same gender students.”
Additionally, as the gender neutral bathrooms are the only ones closed, it raises the argument of why other bathrooms aren’t closed as well. According to Dallman, these bathrooms are closed because of the use of drugs and vaping. Dallman says, “When I asked my students if they ever see vaping happen in other bathrooms, of course they say yes, absolutely. So if that’s the reason, then I think it’s incumbent upon school administration to address that problem in all bathrooms without closing the gender neutral bathroom.”
Even if it is for a good cause, the closing of A-West’s gender-neutral bathroom still discriminates against a certain population of students. Ivy Shelley, a senior who is in leadership in GSA explains, “Gender neutral bathrooms are necessary to promote the safety at Arvada West. With gendered bathrooms, LGBTQ students are at risk of being misgendered and harrassed, even if they use the bathroom of their sex assigned at birth.”
By now, students have been instructed to ask administrators such as Brad Mulvaney and Bijan Heydari or custodians to use the gender neutral bathroom, with the administrator then opening the bathroom for the individual.
Shelley elaborates that, “If students want to use them, they have to find a staff member. This means every time an LGBTQ student wants to use the restroom, they’d have to out themselves to a staff member, which is putting them in a very vulnerable position on the regular just to use the bathrooms.”
Dallman explains, “I know that there’s a sign on the door that says find one of these three people to let you in. I think that also results in students being absent from class longer while they search for someone. Mr. Mulvaney and Mr. Heydari have work to do, and quite frequently not in their offices, so it’s not convenient to find someone.”
On the same note, Shelley also agrees, saying, “Students are missing valuable time for class. Their education is also being harmed with the current status of the bathrooms.”
Not only is this inconvenient, but it causes problems for students. Since the closing of the Gender-neutral bathrooms, one student has had recent health problems from not using the bathrooms, as he’s not comfortable with using the gendered bathrooms. As a result, the issue of closing the bathroom is not only inconveniencing students and staff, but causing actual health problems for students.
Additionally, while discrimination LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming students face in modern society is unfortunately unavoidable, with the closing of the gender neutral bathrooms, there are more situations where students can be discriminated against. Dallman expresses, “I think it exposes gender nonconforming students to the potential of slurs and other discriminatory comments by forcing them to go to designated gendered bathrooms.”
It’s pretty evident that people would feel embarrassed to ask someone to open a bathroom for them, so why is it okay to do it to gender non-conforming students who regularly use it? How would you feel if you had to ask someone to open a bathroom to go use the restroom? If your thinking “not good,” then why is it okay for gender non-conforming students to have to through this ordeal? There is a reason for these bathrooms being closed which can be considered valid,, this happens in every bathroom in A-West. As students walk into gendered bathrooms, it’s pretty much guaranteed they’ll see others vaping their flavored cartridges or using drugs.
There are many other solutions rather than completely closing a restroom to satisfy advocates and keep gender non-conforming students comfortable. The school could assign keys to students who frequently use the restroom, have staff who deal with discipline issues monitor the restroom, or address the problems that occur not just in the gender neutral restrooms but in all of the other gendered restrooms. These solutions would go a long way towards ensuring the safety and security of the LGBTQ+ community at A-West.
Update: The Gender Neutral Bathrooms are now open, this story was written when they were closed.
