Thursday, May 11, 2017

Restrooms for all Genders but please wash your hands!

RantWoman's Meeting has been interacting with a minute working its way through NPYM about inclusion of people of all genders.

The Still Didn't Get The Memo Committee on Email (and other Electronic) Immoderation is seasoning a massive temper tantrum about matters electronic and this topic. Hold that problem in the Light, along with general light-holding of people dipping toes into various challenging topics.

For one thing some weighty but not fully techno-enthralled Friends insist that because technology does not speak to their spiritual condition, it cannot possibly speak to anyone else's condition either. This blog contains a number of items relevant to people of all genders. They are not tagged reasonably but possibly can be found under the tag Equality.  Somewhere on The NPYM website  and also in RantWoman's PRIVATE non shareably viewable lurk some relevant materials. RantWoman regrettably is not going to look them up because she does not have time today for the temper tantrum that the quest will require; RantWoman is also keenly aware of other available gateways to said badly needed temper tantrum. So back to brownie points for working on welcoming people of all genders.

Here is an excerpt from the announcement about an informational program.

Ingersoll Gender Center program for UFM, Sunday, May 7
Educational Session on Gender presented by the Ingersoll Gender Center.
Sunday, May 7, 12:30 – 3 PM
A board member, Karter Booher, from the Ingersoll Gender Center will lead our  educational session from 1:00 – 3:00 after a lunch snack. The mission of the Center, founded in 1979, is to support transgender people in their growth and well-being. They provide “support, education, advocacy and a wide array of resources for people interested in gender identity issues.” They “promoteunderstanding, awareness and acceptance of gender diversity.” We will have a chance to ask all those puzzling questions.

(Cue another temper tantrum about matters electronic: Ingersoll Center website is also getting updated. Use your search engine if this link does not get you there
ingersollgendercenter.org )

The event at RantWoman's Meeting has already occurred. Like all good discussions of matters involving all genders, at some point conversation headed for the restroom. In honor of that, RantWoman first offers an item that came to her via Facebook awhile ago:

It would be more fun just to have this image as tactile graphics
Whatever (gender / ability)
Just Please Wash Your Hands
Restroom
Restrooms were by far not the only topic discussed. RamtWoman managed not to need to reminisce about the entire lecture in a grad school operations research class devoted to restrooms and how long people of different genders take in restrooms. The conversation did not get stuck, thanks partly to very firm interrupting, on matters of design and cleanliness, but an interesting question came up.

RantWoman's meeting has two single stall restrooms with tactile signs that look something like the sign below minus the braille.
Example sign for wheelchair accessible unisex bathroom

A question came up: are those signs too insistent on the gender binary.

The presenter said "Why don't you ask the people among you...?"

RantWoman offers a peculiar comment from Seattle. RantWoman has been hanging out with some blind people one of whom jokes about "ADA inspections" of the restrooms in the venue where we hang out. RantWoman has not asked for a verdict. RantWoman has an opinion, but would also offer a City of Seattle Civil Rights Inspection based on the following moments circumstances which make RantWoman proud to live in Seattle.

http://murray.seattle.gov/mayor-signs-executive-order-affirming-protections-for-transgender-community/

https://www.seattle.gov/civilrights/programs/gender-justice-project/all-gender-restrooms/frequently-asked-questions

https://www.seattle.gov/civilrights/programs/gender-justice-project/all-gender-restrooms

Despite proclamations from our mayor, RantWoman's experience in Seattle varies.

RantWoman quite likes signs on single seat restrooms that say things like "Restroom for Humans." RantWoman personally will not check if visitors from UFO's also need restrooms but so far no reports have surfaced...

Some venues do not do any better about the City of Seattle Of Seattle perspective than they do about ADA matters such as reasonableness for wheelchairs of different sizes or ADA standards for signage. Lots of people cope anyway. Enough said for now?

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