Historical Homos

A (Blissfully Short) History of Gendered Bathrooms

Nov 20, 2023

Explore the origins and political nature of gendered bathrooms, showcasing how they have been used to control and discriminate against marginalized groups. Learn about the criminalization of queer individuals through same-sex bathrooms and the historical association between homosexuality and mental illness. Discover how bathroom panic has been used to derail progressive legislation, and the discrimination faced by trans people. Reflect on the lavender scare and the power of shared experiences for potential change. Delve into the concept of agreed-upon rules for bathrooms with humorous anecdotes.

49:11

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Quick takeaways

Gendered bathrooms were initially created to reinforce the idea that women belonged in the private sphere and were weaker than men.

The battle for transgender rights and inclusivity continues, with bathroom access serving as a symbol of discrimination and resistance.

Deep dives

Gendered Bathrooms: A Historical Perspective

Throughout history, the development and use of gendered bathrooms have been closely tied to societal norms and power dynamics. Initially, public restrooms were exclusively for men, while women were expected to stay at home. The separate sphere ideology reinforced the notion that women were weak and needed protection. The emergence of women's restrooms in the 18th and 19th centuries coincided with the increasing participation of women in the workforce. However, the idea of gendered bathrooms being necessary for biological differences is not supported. Instead, it is rooted in controlling and defining the boundaries of public and private spaces for different genders. The association of bathrooms with sexual deviancy, especially in relation to homosexuality, further perpetuated the idea that public restrooms were dangerous spaces. Today, the battle for transgender rights and inclusivity continues, with the issue of bathroom access serving as a symbol of discrimination and resistance.

Introduction

2min

The History and Symbolism of Gendered Bathrooms

14min

The History of Gendered Bathrooms

19min

The Historical Connection: Homosexuality and Public Restrooms

5min

Gendered Bathrooms and the Equal Rights Amendment

7min

The Lavender Scare and the Power of Shared Experiences

2min

Contemplating Rules for Bathrooms and Poop Snorting Nostalgia

2min

Where the F do gendered bathrooms come from? To literally no one’s surprise, public bathrooms only became available to people who are not cis men a couple hundred years ago. Because guess what? If you can't pee in public, you can't BE in public for very long. The lack of public restrooms for women in particular has been a central and often-overlooked foundation of the patriarchy, which demands that women stay at home. But people (read: conservatives) have also used the public restroom to attack gay men, Black people, and more recently, trans people. But bathroom policing isn't about biological difference or the threat of sexual violence. It's about the privileged few deciding who does and doesn't get to exist in public. Tune in to discover this shitty history, so we can start flushing it into the past where it belongs.

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This episode was written and researched by Bash, hosted by Bash and Lucy Hendra, and edited by Alex Toskas.

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