"Toilet Talk" – gender inclusivity in public restrooms, featuring special guest Susan Surface, on Archinect Sessions #42

2015-11-12T15:43:00-05:00

Special guest Susan Surface, former Archinect editor now at Design in Public, joins us on Archinect Sessions to talk about recent developments in the state of gender inclusive design – specifically, in public restrooms.

As the binary model of gender begins to slowly dissolve in the popular consciousness, in favor of a spectrum of different identifications, international building codes still often mandate restrooms (even single-occupancy ones) as strictly for either male or female. Those who do not identify as either face a difficult choice at best, and often harassment or exclusion. Various institutions are experimenting with more gender-inclusive designs and designations, but not without controversy. Advocates liken the advent of all-gender inclusive bathrooms to a civil right, akin to policies that guarantee equal access regardless of ethnicity or physical ability.

Surface, who has addressed more gender-inclusive amendments to building standards before, joins us to discuss the ways ...

Toilets for everyone: the politics of inclusive design

2015-11-05T13:31:00-05:00

With the issues of serving openly in the military and same-sex marriage now largely resolved, the fight for all-gender restrooms has emerged as the latest civil rights issue in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (L.G.B.T.) community — particularly the “T” part. Schools and universities (...), museums (...), restaurants (...) and even the White House (...) are recasting the traditional men’s/women’s room, resulting in a dizzying range of (often creative) signage and vocabulary.

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"Toilet Talk" – gender inclusivity in public restrooms, featuring special guest Susan Surface, on Archinect Sessions #42

Toilets for everyone: the politics of inclusive design