Member-only story
We Need More Policing of Toilets
But who would be up for the job?
As an AFAB (assigned female at birth), feminine presenting non-binary person, I’ve never felt out of place taking a pee in the women’s bathroom. The recent pushback on trans rights has led to even cis women being challenged in female spaces. But it isn’t just access to female toilets that gets policed.
I recently found myself needing to use accessible toilets. I didn’t ask for a nephrostomy for Christmas, but that’s exactly what I got. This tube in my lower back drained my kidney into a bag which needed to be emptied every few hours. I needed to wash my hands before emptying or handling the bag or tube without touching doors or other things harbouring bacteria in between. The risk of infection was just too great, so I got a RADAR (Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation) key. In the UK, most accessible bathrooms are part of a national key scheme; anyone needing a key can easily obtain one without providing evidence of their disability.
The toilet police must have been having time off from harassing trans (or suspected trans) women. Instead, they turned on me. Even motorway service stations often have just one accessible toilet. I’d hear an impatient knock at the door or a RADAR key repeatedly being turned in the lock. It was as if they didn’t believe another person also…
