# The lance strongarm transgender bathroom and poly marriage extravaganza thread! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 5, 2016, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lance-strongarm-transgender-bathroom-and-poly-marriage-extravaganza-thread/751244 "2016-04-05T11:31:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 485
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lance-strongarm-transgender-bathroom-and-poly-marriage-extravaganza-thread/751244/485 "2016-05-09T20:00:21Z")
Moving a discussion from another trans thread (not bathroom focused) here, to avoid a hijack. > [@On the Topic of Transgenders](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-topic-of-transgenders/753980/482): > > So any form of segregation is okay as long as nobody is harmed by it? > > So if I come up with a truly harmless form of separate-but-equal based on race, that would be okay? I don’t know if it’s okay, but I’m not nearly as concerned by such a thing as anything that actually causes harm. Though I don’t think there exists a possible form of racial segregation that is “truly harmless”, unlike the bathrooms, from what I can tell. > [@](#): > > Who would be harmed if we abolished gendered restrooms and locker rooms? If nobody cares, like you say, why not do that? Would anyone complain? Would you declare their complaints invalid because they aren’t really harmed according to you? Why do transgender people care which restroom and locker rooms they use in the first place? People prefer gendered bathrooms, it seems – by “nobody cares”, I mean that no one cares that bathrooms are segregated by gender… no one is bothered by this fact. But I think there would be massive public opposition to eliminating gendered bathrooms, which (since they cause no harm) is more than a good enough reason not to do so. Transgender people want to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity for multiple reasons, presumably – they don’t want to be forced to out themselves as trans every time they go to the bathroom; they want to have a safe and secure bathroom to be confident in using; they want to be seen and treated by others as the gender they identify as; in the context of modern society they may feel more comfortable using the bathroom with only others that match their gender identity; and probably many others. > [@](#): > > Try as you might, you can’t just make this a simple issue analogous to other civil rights issues as long as it’s laid down over a template of segregation. It’s just not that easy. It’s not identical, but since the opponents of trans rights motives, as much as we can tell, are identical to similar anti-gay pushes, then we can reasonably conclude that it’s pretty similar to proposals limiting the rights of gay people. But try as you might, you just can’t make anyone care about this polite fiction in our society that is gendered bathrooms. There are tons of things that are, at some level, a bit illogical about certain aspects of society – why do you focus on this one, which harms no one? Pretty much everyone wants gendered bathrooms (which harm no one), and trans people want to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity. In the context of modern society, it makes perfect sense to me. Why is it a problem for you? --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lance-strongarm-transgender-bathroom-and-poly-marriage-extravaganza-thread/751244)._