Journal Writing Project – Should Men be Allowed to Use Women’s Bathrooms?

By Davian Koren

In recent years, some people have been pushing the idea that trans women (biological males that pretend to be female) should be allowed to use women’s bathrooms. In this essay I’m going to lay out why I disagree with this and how I think it should be handled instead.

To start I think we need to address the question of why women’s and men’s bathrooms are separate in the first place. This is done to protect the safety and privacy of each individual. Most women would not feel comfortable using the toilet or changing in the same room as a strange man, nor should they! The bathroom is a place of vulnerability – people are getting undressed and putting themselves in a physically compromised position when using the space.

There are many issues with letting men into women’s restrooms.

First of all, if you were to open up women’s bathrooms to men, that would open up more opportunities for assault. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 91% of victims of rape and/or sexual assault are women. Nearly 99% of the perpetrators are men.¹

Mothers are also likely to bring in their children with them when they have to use the bathroom or need to change their diapers. Giving men access to this space would open doors to pedophiles. (The vast majority of pedophiles are also men.)

Letting men into women’s private spaces is a way to let in potential attacks and assaults, and should not be permitted.

On top of the threats to not only women’s privacy, but also their safety, there’s the fact that women also need different accommodations in the bathroom than a man would. Men do not menstruate, and therefore do not need feminine products, or trash bins in their stalls.

An argument that I’ve heard is that trans “women” should be allowed to use women’s bathrooms because it’s beneficial to their mental health and prevents potential verbal or physical abuse for them. As of right now I’m not able to find any reliable statistics that point towards trans women experiencing more physical abuse because of them not being allowed in the women’s bathroom. (On a similar note concerning their mental health: evidence points to gender-affirming care not even helping them, and quite possibly making their situation worse.² ³)

In conclusion…

It is not reasonable to put women in danger just because you want a tiny fraction of the population to feel good about themselves. 

Women should use the women’s bathroom, and men should use the men’s bathroom.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_in_the_United_States

environmentalprogress.org/big-news/wpath-files/

www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/oct/23/johanna-olson-kennedy-sat-nih-funded-transgender-s/

Davian Koren is a homeschooled high school student, one of 10 area students participating in the Journal Writing Project, now in its 27th year.