Have you been misgendered  on the basis of your clothes?

Have you ever felt unsafe or been stared at in the washroom?

Have you had to hold your pee, because using the assigned toilet makes you uncomfortable? 

Unfortunately a lot of trans folks go through this on a daily basis. When Drishti’s co-founder, Rituparna,  began working with the trans community in Assam, they found out that their washroom experience is replicated in every trans person’s experience. From being perceived as a threat, to being threatened, the washroom is a space of utmost discomfort for most trans* people. To face this in educational spaces has resulted in a higher rate of dropouts. 

Due to the binary division of toilets in institutions, trans people also face discrimination when asked to use a toilet based on the gender assigned at their birth. There have also been situations where we have had to hold our pee for the entire day due to avoid such undignified treatment. A gender neutral toilet is not completely unheard of either. We see these in restaurants and hotels all the time! Then why can’t we incorporate them in our educational spaces too?

This will not require a big shift in infrastructure, but will require a shift in mindsets for sure. We need to sensitize the staff, faculty and students in these spaces about gender and sexuality. When people understand the nuances of gender politics, they will better understand the predicament trans folks face in using washrooms or why we reject binary imposed uniforms and dress codes.