Bite #6: All-Gender Facilities: Bathrooms, Dressing Rooms and Inclusive Signage
Gendered washrooms and dressing rooms can present significant challenges for 2SLGBTQIA+ artists (Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and other identities).
Exclusionary, binary-focused designs can cause discomfort, safety concerns, and gender dysphoria (this is a term for a deep sense of unease and distress that may occur when your biological sex does not match your gender identity). This can impact artists’ well-being and sense of belonging. You can address these barriers through gender-neutral facilities with thoughtful design that prioritize privacy, safety, and accessibility.
Exclusionary, binary-focused designs can cause discomfort, safety concerns, and gender dysphoria (this is a term for a deep sense of unease and distress that may occur when your biological sex does not match your gender identity). This can impact artists’ well-being and sense of belonging. You can address these barriers through gender-neutral facilities with thoughtful design that prioritize privacy, safety, and accessibility.
Setting The Stage
A nonbinary artist (someone who does not identify as a man or a woman) begins menstruating unexpectedly just before arriving at the venue, and urgently needs to use the bathroom. They worry about potential harassment or confrontation if they use the men’s washroom. Presenting as masculine, they also feel discomfort using the women’s washroom but need access to sanitary disposal facilities. These concerns add to their stress, leaving them distracted and anxious before going on stage.
Reflection
What measures does your venue have in place to provide safe and inclusive facilities that meet the needs of 2SLGBTQIA+ artists?
Actions
Understand Emotional Barriers
Inclusive Design
Practical and Social Barriers
Visibility and Communication
Signage
Accessible Signage
- Recognize that misgendering, harassment, and dysphoria can happen in gendered spaces.
- Acknowledge the stress and hypervigilance people can feel in binary facilities.
Inclusive Design
- Create gender-neutral washrooms and dressing rooms with privacy, safety, and accessibility as priorities.
- Use thoughtful layouts, like private stalls with floor-to-ceiling partitions, or cordoned-off sections using curtains
- Include sanitary disposal bins and free tampons, pads and unscented wipes in all washrooms regardless of the sign on the door
Practical and Social Barriers
- Include Two-Spirit (2S) identities in all practices to recognize unique Indigenous experiences.
- Train staff to respond respectfully to concerns about facility use and promote a zero-tolerance policy for harassment.
- Refer to the access rider to confirm the artist’s correct pronouns to avoid misgendering your guests.
- Provide at least two gender-neutral options, including at least one that is wheelchair accessible, to minimize wait times.
Visibility and Communication
- Use visual cues like signage, posters, or decals to signal inclusivity.
- Promote the availability of gender-neutral washrooms and dressing rooms on your website, event pages, and promotional materials.
- Incorporate access riders or pre-event communication tools to understand and meet individual needs.
Signage
- Clearly indicate the types of facilities available. Examples: “All-Gender Restroom - Stalls Only,” “All-Gender Restroom - Stalls and Urinals,” “Private Single-Use Restroom.”
- Avoid binary imagery like stick figures in skirts and pants.
- Place wayfinding signs at decision points (like hallway intersections) to help people find the washrooms.
- Maintain uniformity in signage throughout the venue
- Include supplemental signs or posters near restrooms explaining your venue’s commitment to inclusivity.
Accessible Signage
- Place signs at accessible heights between 120-160 cm (47.2-63 inches) at decision points.
- If making DIY signs, use a Braille label maker or a regular label-maker with raised, embossed lettering.
- Include directional arrows.
- Use high-contrast colour and simple, sans-serif fonts.
- Use matte magnetic re-usable laminate covers to reduce glare
Resources:
