04/27/13 11:50 - ID#57584

Changing Room Analogy

http://www.salon.com/2013/04/26/swedish_high_school_institutes_gender_neutral_changing_room/

The solution is not to provide a separate space of equal rights, but to eradicate the barrier that is at best inconsequential, but often harmful, and certainly an impediment to progress.

Change the language to change the mental models and behavior.

Remove the barriers to empower all with one stroke.

metalpeter writes at 09:55:55 04/27/13 - Comment #69734: Interesting....

At first I agree with this idea... That it is good if you aren't comfortable changing in front of others .....

But that is what sham wow are for :) Or Ha for those that are blessed the two pack :) lucky bastards ........

But see that might not really be healthy lets us say for example I think I have a small dick cause I can't see it from being heavy ... or man boobs or back hair or unabrow ... I don't look like the football players... so I change by my self .... and just keep feeling that way... Well I hit the showers and notice I'm not as small as I thought I'm bigger then the entire weight lifting team or what ever....

Part of any sport or athletic stuff has a social aspect to it.... Getting along with others in the locker room is part of that......

But there is another question one has to ask who is this really for... in other words is it really for the people who don't want to see the gay or transgender people in the locker room.... or the fat girls or the people they don't like ?????

YesThatCasey writes at 09:12:41 04/27/13 - Comment #69733: lol, Matt. Though not so much to the approach that your school administrators took.

Paul, why do we have group changing rooms based on sex, instead of another bifurcation? Why is this particular arrangement appropriate in general, and even desirable for you? I doubt a majority of others share your belief that the odors in men's bathrooms are preferential, and we certainly wouldn't, as a society, support dividing changing rooms for that reason.

How is a private changing room, free of qualifications, not empowering to those who do not fit the specific models that we are relying on? Keep in mind that these models are constantly and exponentially evolving. Why is moving from a group changing room to a private model something that people are "hiding in", and not merely a sensible change to an archaic model? And what is the alternative that you would propose?

The fact that people will commonly feel uncomfortable (not ashamed) for a variety of reasons is why a private changing room (and eventually rest room, etc.) makes a lot of sense for all parties, and not just those who do not clearly fit the model that we currently enforce. This includes those hot people that you believe are going to congregate into our changing room relics (a belief I don't share).

I don't understand why you believe the order of these events is ironic.

matthew writes at 06:03:32 04/27/13 - Comment #69732: I was asked to change in a separate changing room while in highschool. I wasn't uncomfortable, but apparently I made the guys in my gym class feel uncomfortable. I assume it was not because of my sexuality but because of my perfectly beautiful penis. Jealous Bitches!

paul writes at 12:34:12 04/27/13 - Comment #69725: "According to student union member Camille Trombetti, the space isn’t just for transgender students, but for anyone at the school who would prefer a private place to change. "

How is having a private changing room empowering? Its just basically a closet to hide in. If they were really empowered they would be unashamed of their choices. Should everyone have their own private changing space built because they feel uncomfortable. What about the weak and skinny or the fat ones, etc. In the end you'd just a changing room full of the hottest people and a line for the uglys to get into the private one.

Would you honestly feel comfortable changing in a room with girls. Even if you say yes, I am sure many of them would not feel the same. I like that they are separate and its not because I am shy as you well know. For me just the smell of beauty products and hair spray, etc would send me over the edge.

I find it extra ironic that despite adding "hen" they still have gendered nouns but are working on gender free changing rooms.