Comic Nails Exactly What to Do If a Trans Person Is in the Bathroom With You
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Picture this. You're in a public place and you need to pee, so you go to the nearest bathroom. Once you're in the restroom, however, you realize a trans person is also in the room. What do you do?
A series of comics from The Nib has the answer:
The Nib - thenib.com
The Nib - thenib.com
Any questions?
The comic strip takes a subtle dig at trans bathroom panic by highlighting restroom risks that have nothing to do with trans people. In the first image, for example, the comic encourages women to finish peeing while in the bathroom with a trans person, as holding in your pee can increase your risk of developing a urinary tract infection (UTI). The comic also urges women to wash their hands in public restrooms to kill any bacteria they may have come into contact with. Obviously, neither of these dangers have anything to do with trans people.
The tongue-in-cheek comic confronts the argument that trans people pose risks to women and children in public restrooms.
The Nib's comic follows immense nationwide debate over trans rights. In late March, North Carolina approved House Bill 2, a controversial law that blocks cities and towns from passing their own ordinances to create LGBT protections. Among it's many consequences, HB2 prevents municipalities from putting in place bathroom protections for trans people. The state's decision received immense criticism all over the country, with many calling the law discriminatory. To stand in solidarity with trans people, Target implemented a new policy allowing trans staffers and customers to use the fitting rooms and bathrooms that match their gender identity in all of their stores.
Target - target.com
As a result of the change, the conservative American Family Association famously called on people to stop shopping at Target and share the hashtag #BoycottTarget.
"Target's policy is exactly how sexual predators get access to their victims," the American Family Association wrote in its petition. "And with Target publicly boasting that men can enter women's bathrooms, where do you think predators are going to go?"
However, according to Mic.com, there are zero reported cases of transgender people attacking someone in a public restroom.
In the midst of the #BoycottTarget and trans bathroom panic debate, a trans woman and former White House intern named Sarah McBride posted an Instagram photo of herself in a North Carolina restroom to confront the problem of anti-trans discrimination.
"I'm just a person," she wrote. "We are all just people. Trying to pee in peace. Trying to live our lives as fully and authentically as possible. Barring me from this restroom doesn't help anyone. And allowing me to continue to use this bathroom - just without fear of discrimination and harassment - doesn't hurt anyone. Stop this. We are good people. #repealhb2"
[H/T The Nib]
