let’s talk about restroom equity
One week ago, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed a so-called ”potty parity” law, a/k/a
Press Release; All Things Considered audio, June 10, 2005]
In the name of gender equity, REB requires new bars, concert halls, arenas, stadiums,
auditoriums, dance clubs, and meeting halls, as well as existing establishments that
make extensive renovations to provide twice as many bathroom stalls for women as for men.
Brooklyn Council Member Yvette C. Clarke was the bill’s primary sponsor. Clarke is quoted in a
NYT feature article saying “To me, this bill goes beyond toilet significance. It goes all the way to the
issue of gender equality, and quality of life.” (NYT, “Time for a Bathroom Break, With No Waiting,
June 10, 2005)
Although our prior discussion of potty parity (two years ago today, and last October) has
been rather tongue-in-check, I want to be a bit more serious with this post. It may be time for
males to stop turning the other cheek — before the serious struggle to make both genders equal
under the law is turned into nothing more than an assertion of women’s political clout. Over
a mere handful of years, “potty parity” went from the reasonable request for “equalizing excretion
opportunities” — having the same number of toilets in the Women’s Room as there were toilets
plus urinals in the Men’s Room — to demanding the “equalization of waiting time.” (cf. Harvard
Alum. Bulletin, “We Are Where We Excrete,” Summer 2003).
My computer — which may have a better knack for self-preservation than I – has twice
crashed while I’ve been drafting this post. Since the topic seems to be coming out only in
drips and dribbles, I hope you won’t mind my doing it in a mostly-blurb style.
“YYS” Just like male pols: REB demonstrates to me that women in politics can behave just as
poorly as men — sponsoring special-interest legislation, using hyperbole, Orwellian terminology,
and misdirection, while paying little heed to the cost or inconvenience to other, the damage to future
applications of the principle being asserted, and the existence of far more important problems to
solve. That’s especially true when, like here, men let them. . . . . . .
- click to read the rest of this post, where we ask just why it takes so long for women
to use restrooms, warn against “no-brainers”, discuss Prostate Equity, and otherwise
put our body parts at risk, while asserting:
My notion of gender equality means taking women seriously enough to
ask them the samehard questions as I would ask any male who has a
a political cause he wants me to endorse.
over there’s
the dog’s toilet…
mountain cherry blossoms
smelling like sake
smelling like piss
chrysanthemums
.
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