MCPS Looking Into 'All-Gender' Bathrooms in Schools

[Anonymous]

I went in a coed bathroom in Strasbourg train station and decided to hold it in until I got to Germany

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Aria in Las Vegas has a restaurant with unisex washrooms. Everyone enters through one door and there is a long mirrored wall with sinks and hand towels and an attendant. Inside that room are individual doors to toilets for men and women. Once you've done your business you come back to the communal room to wash your hands, likely next to someone of the opposite sex. I've got an open mind (and was not without a beverage or two at the time) but it was creepy AF for an adult. I could see how it would be mortifying for a MS student.

Let's spend our money elsewhere.

I'm fine with that, indeed I'm having a difficult time understanding why this universal bathroom concept is such a problem for many of you. I'm European, though, and have found Americans to be much more sensitive about nakedness, bodily functions and privacy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a liberal and I think this is a terrible idea. Biological girls have to deal with menstruation—not easy doing that with boys peeing next to them. Maybe a designated bathroom in the school that’s open to everyone, but not all welcome to all bathrooms across the board.

+1. This kind of stuff is pushing me out of MCPS altogether and into privates/Catholic.

+2.

As a matter of fact, we're going to private next year with one kid, and once finances allow will do the same with the other.

Glad I’m not the only one! I’m a Democrat (though a Hogan voter) but MCPS is losing its mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a liberal and I think this is a terrible idea. Biological girls have to deal with menstruation—not easy doing that with boys peeing next to them. Maybe a designated bathroom in the school that’s open to everyone, but not all welcome to all bathrooms across the board.

+1. This kind of stuff is pushing me out of MCPS altogether and into privates/Catholic.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tons of restaurants have non-gendered bathrooms now, my workplace has them - the DCPS my kids go to has non-gendered bathrooms (in addition to old-fashioned gendered ones) I think the fine children of MoCo can deal.

Are you referring to single-stall bathrooms? That's totally different. They're completely private. That's what the MCPS teachers use.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Aria in Las Vegas has a restaurant with unisex washrooms. Everyone enters through one door and there is a long mirrored wall with sinks and hand towels and an attendant. Inside that room are individual doors to toilets for men and women. Once you've done your business you come back to the communal room to wash your hands, likely next to someone of the opposite sex. I've got an open mind (and was not without a beverage or two at the time) but it was creepy AF for an adult. I could see how it would be mortifying for a MS student.

Let's spend our money elsewhere.

I'm fine with that, indeed I'm having a difficult time understanding why this universal bathroom concept is such a problem for many of you. I'm European, though, and have found Americans to be much more sensitive about nakedness, bodily functions and privacy.

Do they have universal bathrooms in schools in Europe?

For me, I have an issue with it because MCPS has a record of not being able to keep kids safe from sexual assault. Whether it be from adults, or from other students. That has been shown over and over these past 5 years.

Having unisex bathrooms seems like it could potentially make a bad situation even worse. IMO, student safety should be one of the most important missions for the schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tons of restaurants have non-gendered bathrooms now, my workplace has them - the DCPS my kids go to has non-gendered bathrooms (in addition to old-fashioned gendered ones) I think the fine children of MoCo can deal.

Are you referring to single-stall bathrooms? That's totally different. They're completely private. That's what the MCPS teachers use.

and the next user waiting outside knows what you are doing inthere based onsmell or time in. This embarrasses certain people

[Anonymous]

This is going to be another "THE SKY IS FALLING" thread in which people lose their minds over something that hasn't even been proposed by policymakers, isn't it?

[Anonymous]

I've worked in MCPS schools, and kids who are the victims of bullies still at the school can be given keys to the staff bathrooms. If a gender-neutral bathroom is built, how is this less stigmatizing than using a staff bathroom? Wouldn't we rather see our tax dollars used on something else?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is going to be another "THE SKY IS FALLING" thread in which people lose their minds over something that hasn't even been proposed by policymakers, isn't it?

According to the article, MCPS is actually looking into this. Whatever your opinion is on the issue, it does look like it could be a possibility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tons of restaurants have non-gendered bathrooms now, my workplace has them - the DCPS my kids go to has non-gendered bathrooms (in addition to old-fashioned gendered ones) I think the fine children of MoCo can deal.

Are you referring to single-stall bathrooms? That's totally different. They're completely private. That's what the MCPS teachers use.

and the next user waiting outside knows what you are doing inthere based onsmell or time in. This embarrasses certain people

I mean, if this were actually what MCPS was going to do, they’d need a ton of these rooms so it wouldn’t be like one line of people waiting for one bathroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is going to be another "THE SKY IS FALLING" thread in which people lose their minds over something that hasn't even been proposed by policymakers, isn't it?

According to the article, MCPS is actually looking into this. Whatever your opinion is on the issue, it does look like it could be a possibility.

From the article:

Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland’s largest school system, plans to look into the cost of of putting more “all-gender” bathrooms in schools.

Note that the article does NOT say "Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland’s largest school system, plans to look into the cost of of transitioning all bathrooms in public schools to "all-gender" bathrooms."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tons of restaurants have non-gendered bathrooms now, my workplace has them - the DCPS my kids go to has non-gendered bathrooms (in addition to old-fashioned gendered ones) I think the fine children of MoCo can deal.

I have never seen this in restaurants, unless you mean those single-room restrooms which isn’t what MCPS is considering.

Yes, and I think this is what's being proposed. It mentions household bathrooms as a point of comparison. Pretty certain they are talking about a single occupant bathroom.

[Anonymous]

MCPS is out of their minds. I hope this gets news traction because I am sure the most people are opposed to this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tons of restaurants have non-gendered bathrooms now, my workplace has them - the DCPS my kids go to has non-gendered bathrooms (in addition to old-fashioned gendered ones) I think the fine children of MoCo can deal.

I have never seen this in restaurants, unless you mean those single-room restrooms which isn’t what MCPS is considering.

Yes, and I think this is what's being proposed. It mentions household bathrooms as a point of comparison. Pretty certain they are talking about a single occupant bathroom.

How would that help? Currently, kids who have had bullying issues are allowed to use the single occupant bathrooms. So, this discussion would not even be necessary.

Agree with the PP. This is not about single occupant bathrooms. It is about non-gendered bathrooms, with multiple stalls.