The cis prefix is just a term used to differentiate where the discussion is of the rather slippery and complex matter of gender. It’s handy in that context.
I’ve used public womens’ restrooms in many places both in Los Angeles and now Austin, and I have never seen such awfulness as described here. The only place I ever saw solids on surfaces was a floating restroom on Pyramid Lake (I decided I could hold it). I have also used the mens’ room at the gym I go to, as well as in sundry bars when the womens’ room had a long line. None of them had the disasters you all mention. I wonder if these descriptions are exaggerations or if I have been lucky.
So then ladies, how about just a normal run of the mill hetero male? “Line’s around the block, gotta go, sorry!*”. Problem? or Ok as long as he doesn’t get creepy?
In other words, trans or cis or whatever- is gender really that big of an issue as opposed to behavior?
- not uncommon at some sporting events during a break.
If you find a mens’ room where the line is longer than the one for the womens’ room tell me where it is! Always in my experience the women’s line is longer.
Concealed carry becomes open carry real effing fast after which I suggest he get out of the women’s restroom immediately.
Like I said, at certain sporting events where the crowd is 90% male, it happens.
But it’s OK if he sez he identifies as female?
Only time I’ve ever seen it is at a NASCAR race. 
And since the women’s room was absolutely empty, save for me, in the entire time I spent in there, I came out and invited the guys to use it, and stood “guard” outside for about 10 minutes to warn any women approaching (there weren’t any) until my husband came back from the concession stand.
No, I personally wouldn’t have cared if they were in there with me, but I know that my point of view isn’t universal, and so I had the consideration to warn hypothetical other women that there were men in there.
That was very nice of you. I have done the same with the mens RR at events where the distaff side greatly outnumber the male.
A true transsexual doesn’t merely say they “identify” as female. They live as women. My own spiritual beliefs teach that such an individual is considered to be born with a birth defect (wrong gender for their personality) and therefore should be treated according to the gender they identify with. However, they don’t get to flip-flop between gender identities for convenience sake.
How do the meta-women feel about this?
I am not saying “for convenience sake”. But you are saying you would have a violent reaction to “a normal run of the mill hetero male” but a similar male, who honestly ID’s as female is just fine?
Why do you care about gender so much?
Why such a reaction to a “a normal run of the mill hetero male”?
Plainly put: normal run of the mill hetro men in the ladies room are a much, much higher threat of sexual violence to a woman in there than someone XY who identifies as female. While there are probably innocent reasons for the run of the mill guy being in there (an obvious one is he’s a janitor but they almost always knock & announce themselves), it’s weird for him to be there and that makes women very wary.
Great, now the line for the ladies room will be even longer! :rolleyes:
No, I don’t care. 
I honestly could not give less of a shit. (No pun intended) I’d be willing to bet I already HAVE, and simply didn’t notice. As long as you remember to flush, or don’t pee on the seat, who cares? (But that applies to everyone, naturally)
Una, you’re talking to someone who compares a man offering to shake a woman’s hand to rape. Don’t worry about her.
I’m a transsexual woman who agrees with this statement 100%. Couldn’t have said it better.
Ok, but let us take two people, both born as males. Both are well coiffed, pierced ears, pink shirt, designer jeans, nice manicure, a little bit of lip gloss. One is a hetero metrosexual, the other has been identifying as female since puberty. Heck, we’ll add in both enjoy sex with females.
ZPG Zealot is going to draw down on which one? :dubious: How do you know- in a short time, just at a glance- which is Metro and which is trans?
And sure, a trans-woman dressed as a woman walking into a mens room will get glances, maybe even stares or a catcall. But she won’t get a .357 screwed into her ear until she provides a notarized statement from her shrink saying that she identifies as female.
And then, ladies, guys- trans, cis, etc- how about the 100% hetero male who enjoys full drag? Many Transvestites are hetero. Where do they go?
Oh, I didn’t remember that was who she was. OK…hm.
It’s OK with me, as long as he’s not acting creepy, and as long as he cleans up after himself. I would vastly prefer that he not use the sink as a urinal, though.
I know ZPG has said things in other threads that got the community consensus wound up, but right now that’s neither here nor there. In this thread she hasn’t said anything wrong. Maybe she holds a somewhat overly sanguine view about transsexual women’s chances for an uneventful visit to the ladies’ room, but still, she’s sticking up for trans women and being totally supportive, give her that. I don’t think an anti-ZPG pile-on is warranted here. I appreciate the support from her and from all the other women posting in this thread, who have been unanimously supportive of the cause.
Personally, I’ve been the target of a lot of mockery and ill will for how I used to look years ago before I was able to transition, before I even started on hormones. But even then, I was consistently going to the ladies’ room and never once had the least bit of trouble for it. (I look much better now and am just another woman.) So I think there is something to what ZPG is saying on this subject. Just be the woman you are and behave confidently like you belong there, because you do. I think what **Una **said from the other side is relevant too, that a trans woman who has her wits about her will not chance the ladies’ room until she knows that she owns that natural poise and confidence and knows how to look the part. It’s those few who misjudge their readiness for this that run into difficulty. The truth is that women are just there to do their business and leave, without giving more attention to strangers than necessary, and this ambiance is favorable to trans women whose looks aren’t perfect yet, as long as they behave like they belong, which I think is what **ZPG **was saying, and Una’s view of the matter is really not so far away from that.
Back in my trying-to-get-ready-for-transition days when I was visibly trans, I walked into a Unitarian church to attend a conference, and a nice, well-intentioned church lady just walked up to me and said they had reserved gender-free restrooms. I replied, “Thank you, but I just use the ladies’ room.” In her slightly naïve do-gooder zeal, she apparently had never thought of this. She stammered, “Oh, that will be fine,” and went away.
The Whitman-Walker Health clinic in DC, founded to serve the medical needs of the LGBT community, switched to genderless restrooms last year. I wasn’t at all happy to share what had once been the women’s room with a man. It kind of weirded me out, though I figured “go along to get along” and did not lodge a protest. But it must have been an unpopular change, because it was only a few months before they switched back to gendered restrooms again. Only, this time, the women’s room is the one nearer the entrance. 