# What's the big deal about gender-specific bathrooms? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 16, 2017, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-big-deal-about-gender-specific-bathrooms/786778 "2017-05-16T19:03:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-big-deal-about-gender-specific-bathrooms/786778/41 "2017-05-18T18:02:30Z")
> [@Anny\_Middon](#): > > I almost posted this in GQ but I think there may not be a factual answer. > > Why are public bathrooms that are set up for use by more than one person at a time always set up to be used by just one gender? One simple answer Im standing in the bathroom taking a piss, with my dick in my hand in plain view. Your 7 year old daughter walks in to go potty. You would not wish that right? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-big-deal-about-gender-specific-bathrooms/786778/42 "2017-05-18T18:33:29Z")
> [@Weisshund](#): > > One simple answer > > Im standing in the bathroom taking a piss, with my dick in my hand in plain view. > Your 7 year old daughter walks in to go potty. > > You would not wish that right? I have been in quite a few restrooms where dads bring in their little girls. This happens quite often. Once, the Dad had the temerity to ask everyone to leave, which was ignored pretty much. But in general it happens. And of course you dont 'wave it about" when it does happen. You just go about your business. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-big-deal-about-gender-specific-bathrooms/786778/43 "2017-05-18T18:50:51Z")
> [@Weisshund](#): > > One simple answer > > Im standing in the bathroom taking a piss, with my dick in my hand in plain view. > Your 7 year old daughter walks in to go potty. > > You would not wish that right? Easy enough to just do away with urinals. Everyone’s in a stall and no one can see what anyone else is doing. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-big-deal-about-gender-specific-bathrooms/786778/44 "2017-05-18T19:16:45Z")
> [@femmejean](#): > > Is it true that even in liberal places in the West, a woman can use a man’s bathroom but not vice versa; not legally speaking but in term of public condemnation. A man who tries to use a womans bathroom will be stopped either by a woman/man/security guard outside or another woman will complain inside.\*\*\*\* I’ve been in situations where the men’s wasn’t accesible for whatever reason and the women invited the men to use the ladies’ rather than have to go to another floor. When the men in question asked if we were sure, the response was “you know, we’ve all shared bathrooms with men before and anyway it’s all stalls in there, go ahead”. The ceiling did not fall on anybody’s head. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-big-deal-about-gender-specific-bathrooms/786778/45 "2017-05-18T19:26:53Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > I’ve been in situations where the men’s wasn’t accesible for whatever reason and the women invited the men to use the ladies’ rather than have to go to another floor. When the men in question asked if we were sure, the response was “you know, we’ve all shared bathrooms with men before and anyway it’s all stalls in there, go ahead”. > > The ceiling did not fall on anybody’s head. Hasn’t anyone here ever been to a (dance or rock) club? The gender designations on the bathroom doors there, in my experience, is more of a suggestion than any thing else. And there is usually alot more going on than just relief! mc ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-big-deal-about-gender-specific-bathrooms/786778/46 "2017-05-18T19:27:48Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > I’ve been in situations where the men’s wasn’t accesible for whatever reason and the women invited the men to use the ladies’ rather than have to go to another floor. When the men in question asked if we were sure, the response was “you know, we’ve all shared bathrooms with men before and anyway it’s all stalls in there, go ahead”. > > The ceiling did not fall on anybody’s head. This makes it seem like the men were scared to go into the women’s bathroom because it’s a women’s bathroom. It seems to me, as a man, that I would be scared of others (security, police) seeing it and performing some sort of action. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2017, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-big-deal-about-gender-specific-bathrooms/786778/47 "2017-05-19T02:34:05Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I have been in quite a few restrooms where dads bring in their little girls. This happens quite often. Once, the Dad had the temerity to ask everyone to leave, which was ignored pretty much. But in general it happens. And of course you dont 'wave it about" when it does happen. You just go about your business. I once saw a father take his younger daughter into the men’s changing room at a water park, then freak about because there were naked men “exposing themselves” to her. :dubious: I also once ran into a woman who tried to block anyone else from entering the men’s restroom because her son was in there, then when that didn’t work she went inside to stand at one of the stalls. I never saw the son so I’ve no clue how old he was, but she was kind of a bitch. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2017, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-big-deal-about-gender-specific-bathrooms/786778/48 "2017-05-19T03:14:31Z")
> [@Weisshund](#): > > One simple answer > > Im standing in the bathroom taking a piss, with my dick in my hand in plain view. > Your 7 year old daughter walks in to go potty. > > You would not wish that right? 1. As a man, I’ve been to thousands of public restrooms, and I can’t recall ever seeing a guy with a dick in his hand in plain view. Maybe I just didn’t look hard enough. 2. I take my daughter (3 now) into men’s restrooms all the time. If she does happen to see a dick, who gives a shit? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2017, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-big-deal-about-gender-specific-bathrooms/786778/49 "2017-05-19T11:38:17Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > I also once ran into a woman who tried to block anyone else from entering the men’s restroom because her son was in there, then when that didn’t work she went inside to stand at one of the stalls. I never saw the son so I’ve no clue how old he was, but she was kind of a bitch. When exiting a men’s room, I encountered a woman who asked me to take her son in. I told her the restroom was empty; she could take him in herself. But she didn’t want to do that. I offered to watch the door, but that was no good. I finally just walked away. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2017, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-big-deal-about-gender-specific-bathrooms/786778/50 "2017-05-19T16:22:12Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > … > but I’ve never come across a situation where the men’s line was longer than the women’s. Attend something like a boxing match or other event where there’s A) a short intermission, and B) a capacity crowd that’s C) almost all male and D) has been drinking copious beer. BTDT. My wife loved going to these things where she could strut past the long men’s line to the empty entrance to the adjacent women’s room. I don’t think she ever actually said “neener neener!”, but she sure thought it real loud. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-big-deal-about-gender-specific-bathrooms/786778.md?page=2)