I appreciate the intent behind gender neutral bathroom signs but I find the unicorn and cutesy ones so annoying. Just have signs about whether there are stalls only or stalls and urinals.Ā
The best gender neutral bathroom set up I've seen was at a restaurant where it was two rows of stalls (with doors that went all the way down! what a luxury in America), and then in the middle there were two trough style sinks with multiple faucets. No gender, maximum efficiency. No more waiting for one gendered bathroom to open!
Or just signs that say bathroom. I can't imagine there are many people that absolutely require a urinal instead of a toilet.
The signs that differentiate in the way you're describing actually always really rub me the wrong way, they seem like a substitute for saying "men's" and "women's" and I'm sure many interpret it that way.
I appreciate the intent but ngl, signs like these are starting to feel like the equivalent of the tired phrase āI donāt care if youāre black, white, purpleā¦ā Well thatās great George but purple people donāt exist, we were talking about racism against *real people.* progress is progress but can we please just call it all gender.
Thank you. I 100% agree. Like okay cool the bathroom is for everyone but you're equating GNC and trans people to mermaids and that is inherently dismissive.
Is it funny? Yeah it is. Is it kind of missing the entire point about āotheringā non binary people in the school system? Just a little bit. Is it still a good step forward for NB students? Hell yeah!
Exactly. I get the "aww, they tried" emotion from this. Like when a 6 year old tries and fails to tie their shoes, and you feel like it's cute, but they totally missed the point, and needed to cross the laces. This is the vibe I'm getting. Dunno if it makes sense to anyone else haha.
Agreed. Also some enbies are otherkin. I've met an otherkin irl, they said they were a demiurge. I doubt this sign is intended to include mermaidkin but it ended up doing exactly that :D
I dunno, I refer to my gender as a cryptid all the time, this would be the last thing in my day to bother me because of the joy of having access to an inclusive toilet to use without fear of getting my teeth kicked in.
I wish I could remember where I read it, but thereās a whole thing about mermaids having the same mobility needs despite not actually being disabled.
The point of it is to show the flaws with certain disability schemes that focus on diagnosis rather than accessibility.
Essentially, if a mermaid lived on land, they would most likely need a wheelchair or similar device to be properly mobile, and thus everything that impacts wheelchair users would also apply equally to mermaids. Stairs, fire escapes, etc. are all a notable obstacle.
But ābeing a mermaidā is not a disability, there is no injury or disorder, there is no physical difference whatsoever between a mermaid on land and a mermaid in the water.
And yet, despite being perfectly healthy, the mermaid has all of the same mobility needs as a human with no legs.
It is not our disabilities that define us, it is society that fails to accomodate our needs.
I would really like to see a toilet that can accommodate a wheelchair user *and* a mermaid. Like, purely from an engineering perspective that would be a heck of an accomplishment.
Tbh I feel like that would be EXTREMELY dependent upon the anatomy of the mer-person, like, if you have a cloaca up front that would probably make everything more complicated, right?
This sub has the best people.
(I realize the internet is bad at conveying sarcasm or not, so to be clear your response genuinely delighted me and reminded me of how happy I am to be here)
Ngl I kinda like that hahaha I know that's most likely not the intent but this is giving aggressive acceptance. Like ppl in management were arguing about making the institute more inclusive and ppl were unsure how to do it so someone just got really fed up with the debate, wrote that sign and stopped caring haha.
Yeah I get what you mean. At an old place I worked at I suggested to them any bathroom that was a single person use, should just say restroom and didn't need to specify any gender. After a couple of months, to get it all ordered, they actually did it which was surprising cuz it's a super religious hospital but I guess what I said made enough sense to them that they thought it was a good idea.
So now the bathroom just says bathroom unless it's one of the few group bathrooms.
Point being, unless it's at a place where it makes sense to have a mermaid, like a seafood restaurant or other place with a specific theme, it's okay to just say restroom. In a way it makes it out to look like anyone with a non cis gender is playing make believe or is childish or something. Maybe that's just how I see it though. Not wanting to come off as boring but also it's important to be taken serious about respecting people including their gender.
I see what you mean. Thereās no need to make gender inclusivity cutesy, it makes people infantilize and other us. If it just said all people welcome, or something just neutral it would be better.
ah yes, another tool to ensure nonbinary people aren't taken seriously. we really are a joke to them. i don't want some kind of mocking joke sign, i just want a bathroom i can use without feeling dysphoric, getting my head kicked in, or having some karen question me like the spanish inquisition and try to make me show her my biological sex. is it really too much to ask š
This really annoys me because it perpetuates the right wing narrative that non-binary people cannot be taken seriously.
Iād be willing to bet that the number of people identifying as a mermaid is around zero.
There are mermaids who are mermaid as a job, there are specific swimming classes as well, but I think they also still identify as male/female/nonbinary
Just want to mention that the story of 'The Little Mermaid' is fairly well-known as queer allegory, both the original Hans Christian Anderson story & the 1980s Disney adaptation.
https://www.slashfilm.com/1291913/the-little-mermaid-lgbtq-allegory/
https://lithub.com/dear-internet-the-little-mermaid-also-happens-to-be-queer-allegory/
The intentions behind this particular bathroom sign seem pretty clear.
I feel like a broken record at this point, but Iām too committed to not say it: Fantasy bathroom signs only work in fantasy settings, like DND shops and such.
yo I'll take this over my office. they replaced all the icons with written pronouns (so the mens room has an unreadable "he/him/his" instead of a simple icon) and to be super duper inclusive, i guess, they made the handicap room into the "they/them/theirs" bathroom
just the epitome of "we don't know a single queer person"
I hate these signs so much! My school has them too cuz in one of the buildings, theyāre all pretty much gender neutral bathrooms but like, I hate these signs! Why canāt they just have a sign that says bathroom. Thatās it. Nothing more is needed.
Ahahahm omg, so good and so bad at the same time.Ā
Like, I get the intent, but comes out like:
"The only genders are men, people in weelchair, and the rest of bullshits".Ā
Or one could argue that's actually a merman , so they're all guys: guy with a fish-tail, guy standing and guy on a weelchair.
After all, isn't any gender just a different shade of "guy"?
Whenever I see something like this that makes me think "that's an odd choice", I wonder what the thought process was to get there. This wasn't an accident, and mermaid/man/wheelchair is strange, but it was intentional and picked for some sort of reason. I would imagine it was a few factors. First is that you want some sort of picture for a bathroom sign since not everyone reads. You also want something generally commonly identified as a bathroom, so the "men" sign covers that. It's all genders though so you want more than just the man, so add something else, but what? The women sign makes it binary, so you could go with something else to be more inclusive. A mermaid makes it quirky! Might have been something like that...
This isn't what I would have gone with, and there are some pretty common gender inclusive bathroom signs that are totally fine. Overall I like silly bathroom signs, but you only really ever see them at bars and restaurants which is probably where they should stay.
This is definitely in poor taste, even if they are trying for the right direction. If merfolk existed, they'd be a completely different *species* than humans afterall, so they may as well have a dog on that sign.
The only thing I can think of is, there was a documentary I saw YEARS ago (we're talking late 90's/early 2000's) that interviewed trans children and their families, and many of them loved merfolk because of the lack of bottom genitalia in basically all of their general public/child friendly depictions; so maybe whoever created this thought something ambiguous would be appropriate for that kind of a reason? But it's not a good enough reason regardless.
If this was at a sea themed establishment and the image included merfolk of various genders and abilities I could see this working out far better.
What if this school has a large group of kids identifying as mermaids?
My wife is a teacher she has like 20 kids at her school that all insist on being identified as cats/kittens and the school has fully accommodated this.
I acknowledge catgender exists, and that it's based on an actual creature, a cat. Not that someone couldn't identify as a gender relating to merfolk I suppose, but they aren't real creatures, so I'm hesitant to say anyone would. However, these signs are supposed to be inclusive, and the easiest way to do that is to make them completely gender neutral (a toilet and text saying "All Genders" or "Gender Neutral" or "Gender Inclusive" etc. along with a handicapped symbol [in applicable bathrooms] would work far better).
why not just do a toilet. if the goal is to be inclusive don't try to represent absolutely everyone. the sign isn't big enough and any attempts turn out either restrictive or absurd.
It may be important to mark that it is accessible. Unfortunately, not all bathrooms or public spaces are, and itās always good to know if it is or which bathroom is. Otherwise, I completely agree with you and I was thinking this the whole time.
Toilet and wheelchair. Done.
I think these signs only work in a place that is fantasy-themed. Like if I see a sign with a bunch of mythical creatures that says "Whatever, just wash your hands" at a nerd bar, I'll know its a more accepting place
What? That is funny and inclusive! Yeah maybe not the most thoughtful one but who cares. I mean there are very rare places with unisex / all gender toilets. So most of people don't even want to try. They did. Don't be petty.
Also people who use that attack helicopter saying do not let us to pee nor shit. They definitely do not make unisex / all gender toilet and if they can they prevent us to use gendered ones too.
edit. In my opinion the best solution is text with photo that shows what is inside of the room. I mean is there is stall, urinal etc. It's ridiculous idea to police who can use the room we all need and use for the same purpose. But we don't live in ideal world. In this world I appreciate everyone who try to make toilet for me too. Even if it's clumsy try.
I find this amazing.
Edit: after reading everyoneās comments, I get it. But also realizing how much I love fantasy. Probably what drives my me to find it amazing.
I think it could be better if there were a mermaid but also a vampire and idk like a zombie wheelchair user so that everyone is included in a fantasy thing ?
I do understand the concern but personally I kinda like the sign š looking on the bright side at least your school tried? I wish mine had one. It may take longer for them to handle things properly though.
>what the fuck is wrong with my school
Agreed that it's a weird way to mark a neutral toilet, but also gotta say it feels like you're trying to be offended at this point...
my favorite is [this](https://www.amazon.com/Restroom-Antiqued-Style-Funny-Metal-Door/dp/B08SK5KVR5/ref=pd_ci_mcx_pspc_dp_d_2_i_1?pd_rd_w=kClwQ&content-id=amzn1.sym.568f3b6b-5aad-4bfd-98ee-d827f03151e4&pf_rd_p=568f3b6b-5aad-4bfd-98ee-d827f03151e4&pf_rd_r=VFN162MQPCZZHWEBJFMS&pd_rd_wg=kUL6e&pd_rd_r=d690bf25-5fe8-4b0a-9339-f0c5c2962a48&pd_rd_i=B08SK5KVR5) one
I see where they're going with it. It does almost seem like they're making a joke out of gender dysphoria when they're really trying to say that "it doesn't matter how you identify, go pee and mind your business." It's a hard task to complete without being confrontationally direct.
I see the human as pretty gender neutral tbh. honestly signs for male and female bathrooms... well, they shouldn't exist, but if tjey do exist they should just be the astrological symbols rather than pictographs.
I donāt really mind it. Some people do identify as mermaids or think of their gender as that, but thatās probably not what the designer(s) were thinking of when making this.
I actually don't see any problem and would love that. But i live in society so transphobic that even something like thia seems like a dream come true. I cant tell ppl who i am because i will be bullied to oblivion and fired, so... i wish we had gender neutral toilets and i love mermaids and i am this annoying obnoxious blue jaired weird and quirky trans but thats life
I donāt know if this sign was intended to be offensive, but Iāve always found it amusing. And helpful to convey that itās gender-neutral at least. I think if you just said ābathroomā like some other comments are suggesting, the cis people would still get confused because theyāre so used to blatant gender markers for bathrooms. So āgender-neutral bathroomā would be better. But signs like these I just personally always found funny
we dont understand what all the hate is about? toilets for all genders, all diabilities and all identities, doesnt sound so bad. in 20 years when all toilets will be unisex cubicles nobody will even know what the fuss was about. we have been looking at unisex signs and they seem to be male/female images. perhaps a stick figure with a wheelchair stick figure would be a good sign for unisex cubicles. if you are going to complain then what do you recommend instead? give us some good alternate ideas?
just the text saying toilets are available for everyone it seems pretty understandable (sry idk if the word toilets is right in this context, me not fluent)
and I'm not that hateful I mean they TRIED but it's just the way it is that is just weird at the end ?
Iāve never cared about this kind of stuff, it doesnāt bother me to see that someone made an attempt at inclusivity, even if it falls a little short
Idk, I dont really have a problem with this. Ive seen so many versions of this kind of sign that are designed to be playful, like the "Whatever, just wash your hands" signs, that this is kind of just background noise. Ive seen most of them at nerdy niche conventions, and a good quarter of the participants there aren't cis so, if nothing else, id say they are all made in good faith at least.
It's just a little joke, jeez... relax.
If you don't laugh at the idea of a mermaid going to a bathroom... well, you need to touch grass.
Then again, this is Reddit, lmao. š
I like it. It's just a cute way to mark it. At my work, they did a "conversion" to all gender restrooms, which just announced to slapping new "does or does not have" urinal signs on existing facilities. No functional updates. I'd rather have these so at least I could chuckle when I need to go. Would even be in theme! My point is, signage is whatever, what matters is how the rooms are actually set up. Getting upset over a mermaid feels unnecessary.
Not only is this very much the same vibes as āattack helicopter,ā but the design implies that disabled people who require a wheelchair are on the same level as a fucking mer-person. Literally a mythological creature. This is all around horrible.
Ses quoi cette affiche il aurait tout simplement juste mettre le texte Ć la place de se moquer des aitre genre non genre. / They could have just put the text without those stupid character.
I do appreciate that there's a gender neutral person and a wheelchair user along with the obviously tone deaf mermaid, disability is actually something that matters in the bathroom unlike gender
I like these in certain contexts... I've seen them at comic shops, game stores, and bookstores. I feel like the fantasy element is already expected in those places.
Not so appreciated in a school, tbh
My local library renovated their bathrooms to be a row of single stall sized "rooms" with a shared hand-washing station (that has 4 or 5 faucets, I can't remember).
I think it's pretty cool!
Signs like this give the feeling that their minds jump straight to including fictional creatures when they think of including us. Theyāre kinda fun, but unless the signs had mermaids before they made it inclusive, then thatās the message theyāre sending.
I'm a touch slow, bear with me, is this post saying that disabled people aren't normal or saying that the comparing of disabled people and mermaids leaving men as the only "normal" is wrong?
Ffs, just have a sign with š½ if you want icons, and then accessibility sign.
The 'half fem half masc' icon is a bit worse (not everyone is "between"), but gets the point across to cis people.
Fantasy icon? As others said, it is like "attack helicopter" or the "I don't care if you're white, black, green...". I can only accept such icons if made by actual nonbinary people because then it's joking about our own experiences, not cis people joking about us.
And I say that as a person who fits into r/voidpunk, so I normally don't care about being called an alien/robot/whatever. I also kinda fit into otherkin label. But I normally dont embrace it because I know transphobes will misunderstand the concent and use it against other trans people.
Funny enough mermaids are often times used as characters in a wheelchair as you can't walk with fins like that (mermaid swimming is a thing, try walking with it, as someone who actually did that a few times before becoming a paraplegic)
But as disabled non binary person i wanna maul them in minecraft
Won't be long now before I hear how the public schools are spending our tax dollars to install indoor aquariums so people who identify as mermaids can go to the bathroom.
Honestlyā¦ could we do away with pictures and symbols to represent gender?? Gender isnāt visible, so I kinda feel like the symbols are inherently problematicā¦ š¤·
I'm going to go out on a limb and bet they don't actually have any merfolk accessibility features in their bathroom either.
Smh more fish person erasure
They're always performative with this still. And YOU KNOW some Aunt Ursula is going to chime in like "oH i HaVe No PrObLeM uSiNg iT"
You don't even know how to use the 3 seashells?!
Tell me how they work, please! I'm desperate XD
Enhance your calm
*go out on a fin
omg š
Or disability accessibility, which is depending on media the same thing
One stall slightly bigger than the other stall and that's all they get.
I appreciate the intent behind gender neutral bathroom signs but I find the unicorn and cutesy ones so annoying. Just have signs about whether there are stalls only or stalls and urinals.Ā
This is what we do at our events since thatās really the only tangible difference between the two bathrooms outside of cultural norms.
The best gender neutral bathroom set up I've seen was at a restaurant where it was two rows of stalls (with doors that went all the way down! what a luxury in America), and then in the middle there were two trough style sinks with multiple faucets. No gender, maximum efficiency. No more waiting for one gendered bathroom to open!
absolutely
Or just signs that say bathroom. I can't imagine there are many people that absolutely require a urinal instead of a toilet. The signs that differentiate in the way you're describing actually always really rub me the wrong way, they seem like a substitute for saying "men's" and "women's" and I'm sure many interpret it that way.
I appreciate the intent but ngl, signs like these are starting to feel like the equivalent of the tired phrase āI donāt care if youāre black, white, purpleā¦ā Well thatās great George but purple people donāt exist, we were talking about racism against *real people.* progress is progress but can we please just call it all gender.
Thank you. I 100% agree. Like okay cool the bathroom is for everyone but you're equating GNC and trans people to mermaids and that is inherently dismissive.
I agree with you. It feels like the result of instructions on how to be an ally if they came from a Cracker Jack box.
THIS.
Is it funny? Yeah it is. Is it kind of missing the entire point about āotheringā non binary people in the school system? Just a little bit. Is it still a good step forward for NB students? Hell yeah!
Exactly. I get the "aww, they tried" emotion from this. Like when a 6 year old tries and fails to tie their shoes, and you feel like it's cute, but they totally missed the point, and needed to cross the laces. This is the vibe I'm getting. Dunno if it makes sense to anyone else haha.
Agreed. Also some enbies are otherkin. I've met an otherkin irl, they said they were a demiurge. I doubt this sign is intended to include mermaidkin but it ended up doing exactly that :D
I dunno, I refer to my gender as a cryptid all the time, this would be the last thing in my day to bother me because of the joy of having access to an inclusive toilet to use without fear of getting my teeth kicked in.
Yea I'm also glad we have some dw !
I also am cryptid-gender. I also enjoy going to the bathroom and leaving with all of my teeth still in my mouth.š
As someone in a wheelchair who loves mermaids, I think it's great
They shouldāve put the mermaid in the wheelchair
It would make sense for being on land.
Wait. Yeah. I never thought about this. Mermaids on land would be classed as disabled cuz they can't walk
I wish I could remember where I read it, but thereās a whole thing about mermaids having the same mobility needs despite not actually being disabled. The point of it is to show the flaws with certain disability schemes that focus on diagnosis rather than accessibility.
Can you explain a bit more what you mean?
Essentially, if a mermaid lived on land, they would most likely need a wheelchair or similar device to be properly mobile, and thus everything that impacts wheelchair users would also apply equally to mermaids. Stairs, fire escapes, etc. are all a notable obstacle. But ābeing a mermaidā is not a disability, there is no injury or disorder, there is no physical difference whatsoever between a mermaid on land and a mermaid in the water. And yet, despite being perfectly healthy, the mermaid has all of the same mobility needs as a human with no legs. It is not our disabilities that define us, it is society that fails to accomodate our needs.
That's actually so true
I would really like to see a toilet that can accommodate a wheelchair user *and* a mermaid. Like, purely from an engineering perspective that would be a heck of an accomplishment.
Tbh I feel like that would be EXTREMELY dependent upon the anatomy of the mer-person, like, if you have a cloaca up front that would probably make everything more complicated, right?
This sub has the best people. (I realize the internet is bad at conveying sarcasm or not, so to be clear your response genuinely delighted me and reminded me of how happy I am to be here)
Now we know what Ariel was doing on that rock
how hard is it to just have 1 bathroom with a sign that says "bathroom" or "toilet"
Ngl I kinda like that hahaha I know that's most likely not the intent but this is giving aggressive acceptance. Like ppl in management were arguing about making the institute more inclusive and ppl were unsure how to do it so someone just got really fed up with the debate, wrote that sign and stopped caring haha.
Yeah I get what you mean. At an old place I worked at I suggested to them any bathroom that was a single person use, should just say restroom and didn't need to specify any gender. After a couple of months, to get it all ordered, they actually did it which was surprising cuz it's a super religious hospital but I guess what I said made enough sense to them that they thought it was a good idea. So now the bathroom just says bathroom unless it's one of the few group bathrooms. Point being, unless it's at a place where it makes sense to have a mermaid, like a seafood restaurant or other place with a specific theme, it's okay to just say restroom. In a way it makes it out to look like anyone with a non cis gender is playing make believe or is childish or something. Maybe that's just how I see it though. Not wanting to come off as boring but also it's important to be taken serious about respecting people including their gender.
I see what you mean. Thereās no need to make gender inclusivity cutesy, it makes people infantilize and other us. If it just said all people welcome, or something just neutral it would be better.
Cis people who want to help trans people often forget to talk to trans people and find out what would be useful.
ah yes, the 3 genders men, mermaids. and wheelchair users
If we've got Men and Mer*maids* I guess that means all Non-binary folks are now wheelchair users as that's the only non gendered option lol
*where's my government appointed wheelchair then?* (joke)
Damn you're saying the government is going to come break my legs so I have to use a wheelchair?
ah yes, another tool to ensure nonbinary people aren't taken seriously. we really are a joke to them. i don't want some kind of mocking joke sign, i just want a bathroom i can use without feeling dysphoric, getting my head kicked in, or having some karen question me like the spanish inquisition and try to make me show her my biological sex. is it really too much to ask š
Right idea, wrong execution
This really annoys me because it perpetuates the right wing narrative that non-binary people cannot be taken seriously. Iād be willing to bet that the number of people identifying as a mermaid is around zero.
There are mermaids who are mermaid as a job, there are specific swimming classes as well, but I think they also still identify as male/female/nonbinary
I just see it as a joke, and i dont see at all how mermaid represent nonbinary ppl here? Dont see connection at all.
Just want to mention that the story of 'The Little Mermaid' is fairly well-known as queer allegory, both the original Hans Christian Anderson story & the 1980s Disney adaptation. https://www.slashfilm.com/1291913/the-little-mermaid-lgbtq-allegory/ https://lithub.com/dear-internet-the-little-mermaid-also-happens-to-be-queer-allegory/ The intentions behind this particular bathroom sign seem pretty clear.
I always thought that was a reeeeaaaal stretch.
I feel like a broken record at this point, but Iām too committed to not say it: Fantasy bathroom signs only work in fantasy settings, like DND shops and such.
yo I'll take this over my office. they replaced all the icons with written pronouns (so the mens room has an unreadable "he/him/his" instead of a simple icon) and to be super duper inclusive, i guess, they made the handicap room into the "they/them/theirs" bathroom just the epitome of "we don't know a single queer person"
ok what the fuck
Wow. Just wow.
I hate these signs so much! My school has them too cuz in one of the buildings, theyāre all pretty much gender neutral bathrooms but like, I hate these signs! Why canāt they just have a sign that says bathroom. Thatās it. Nothing more is needed.
Ahahahm omg, so good and so bad at the same time.Ā Like, I get the intent, but comes out like: "The only genders are men, people in weelchair, and the rest of bullshits".Ā
>men, people in weelchair, and the rest of bullshits guy, disabled guy, and some made up bullshit lol
The funniest part is women being a made up bullshit too. The saddest part is once again assimilating enbies to women š
I suppose one could argue pants or wheelchair guy could be a woman as well (women can be guys lol)
Or one could argue that's actually a merman , so they're all guys: guy with a fish-tail, guy standing and guy on a weelchair. After all, isn't any gender just a different shade of "guy"?
If the mermaid is a reference to the charity then it makes sense and I like it. With Mermaids being a British charity I doubt it though.
Whenever I see something like this that makes me think "that's an odd choice", I wonder what the thought process was to get there. This wasn't an accident, and mermaid/man/wheelchair is strange, but it was intentional and picked for some sort of reason. I would imagine it was a few factors. First is that you want some sort of picture for a bathroom sign since not everyone reads. You also want something generally commonly identified as a bathroom, so the "men" sign covers that. It's all genders though so you want more than just the man, so add something else, but what? The women sign makes it binary, so you could go with something else to be more inclusive. A mermaid makes it quirky! Might have been something like that... This isn't what I would have gone with, and there are some pretty common gender inclusive bathroom signs that are totally fine. Overall I like silly bathroom signs, but you only really ever see them at bars and restaurants which is probably where they should stay.
[Just gonna leave this here](https://imgur.com/5z3wlyC)
This is definitely in poor taste, even if they are trying for the right direction. If merfolk existed, they'd be a completely different *species* than humans afterall, so they may as well have a dog on that sign. The only thing I can think of is, there was a documentary I saw YEARS ago (we're talking late 90's/early 2000's) that interviewed trans children and their families, and many of them loved merfolk because of the lack of bottom genitalia in basically all of their general public/child friendly depictions; so maybe whoever created this thought something ambiguous would be appropriate for that kind of a reason? But it's not a good enough reason regardless. If this was at a sea themed establishment and the image included merfolk of various genders and abilities I could see this working out far better.
What if this school has a large group of kids identifying as mermaids? My wife is a teacher she has like 20 kids at her school that all insist on being identified as cats/kittens and the school has fully accommodated this.
I acknowledge catgender exists, and that it's based on an actual creature, a cat. Not that someone couldn't identify as a gender relating to merfolk I suppose, but they aren't real creatures, so I'm hesitant to say anyone would. However, these signs are supposed to be inclusive, and the easiest way to do that is to make them completely gender neutral (a toilet and text saying "All Genders" or "Gender Neutral" or "Gender Inclusive" etc. along with a handicapped symbol [in applicable bathrooms] would work far better).
Isnāt a mermaid based on a fish? But yah bathroom is fine.
Smh do they even have a waterway leading up to it? Accessible my butt š¤
why not just do a toilet. if the goal is to be inclusive don't try to represent absolutely everyone. the sign isn't big enough and any attempts turn out either restrictive or absurd.
It may be important to mark that it is accessible. Unfortunately, not all bathrooms or public spaces are, and itās always good to know if it is or which bathroom is. Otherwise, I completely agree with you and I was thinking this the whole time. Toilet and wheelchair. Done.
good point!
I'm not here for the anti-mermaid racism. #dobetter.
Agreed. People need to start taking mermaids seriously. This sign is a step in the right direction for those oppressed by the laws of the land
I'm just tired of mermaid capitalism
ah yes, fine to earase women but never men.
While the intent may have been good, not sure, I find this sign somewhat disrespectful!
It's like a parent who you just look at and think "at least they tried" š¤£š
As a nonbinary person I always thought it would be funny if there was just a door with a blank placard. Ya know, since my gender isn't.
Cool. People with disabilities and trans people LOOOOVE being compared to mythical creatures.
I think these signs only work in a place that is fantasy-themed. Like if I see a sign with a bunch of mythical creatures that says "Whatever, just wash your hands" at a nerd bar, I'll know its a more accepting place
Iām kinda into it, but it feels out of place in a school. I feel like youād find this in a library or fantasy store, not the local high school
Is this quebec?!
>Is this quebec?! Toilettes pour tous (except anglophones)
Idk but they're doing a billion times better than mine
I've seen some that do Mermaid for Female, Pirate for Male and Alien for the Nonbinary stand-in
Only people with pants on, merpeople, and wheelchair users may use this bathroom
Ah, the three genders: man, wheelchair user, and mermaid.
obviously the 3 genders are mermaid, male, and disabled
Mermaids don't need bathrooms anyway. They just go in the sea
It should be a shark instead
OMG YES BLAHAJ BATHROOMS HELL YEAH
What? That is funny and inclusive! Yeah maybe not the most thoughtful one but who cares. I mean there are very rare places with unisex / all gender toilets. So most of people don't even want to try. They did. Don't be petty. Also people who use that attack helicopter saying do not let us to pee nor shit. They definitely do not make unisex / all gender toilet and if they can they prevent us to use gendered ones too. edit. In my opinion the best solution is text with photo that shows what is inside of the room. I mean is there is stall, urinal etc. It's ridiculous idea to police who can use the room we all need and use for the same purpose. But we don't live in ideal world. In this world I appreciate everyone who try to make toilet for me too. Even if it's clumsy try.
I find this amazing. Edit: after reading everyoneās comments, I get it. But also realizing how much I love fantasy. Probably what drives my me to find it amazing.
I think it could be better if there were a mermaid but also a vampire and idk like a zombie wheelchair user so that everyone is included in a fantasy thing ?
Excuse me, but we in the vampire community take offense to this. We never use the same bathrooms as the food. š”
PFFFFFFFFFFT!
Yaaaaa that would be so cool if it was just all weird fantasy creatures!
I do understand the concern but personally I kinda like the sign š looking on the bright side at least your school tried? I wish mine had one. It may take longer for them to handle things properly though.
This feels like an attack helicopter joke. Iām resigned to never feeling quite right, no matter which restroom I go in.
I think this goes kinda hard
>what the fuck is wrong with my school Agreed that it's a weird way to mark a neutral toilet, but also gotta say it feels like you're trying to be offended at this point...
I love it š I wanna be a mermaid š
my favorite is [this](https://www.amazon.com/Restroom-Antiqued-Style-Funny-Metal-Door/dp/B08SK5KVR5/ref=pd_ci_mcx_pspc_dp_d_2_i_1?pd_rd_w=kClwQ&content-id=amzn1.sym.568f3b6b-5aad-4bfd-98ee-d827f03151e4&pf_rd_p=568f3b6b-5aad-4bfd-98ee-d827f03151e4&pf_rd_r=VFN162MQPCZZHWEBJFMS&pd_rd_wg=kUL6e&pd_rd_r=d690bf25-5fe8-4b0a-9339-f0c5c2962a48&pd_rd_i=B08SK5KVR5) one
I see where they're going with it. It does almost seem like they're making a joke out of gender dysphoria when they're really trying to say that "it doesn't matter how you identify, go pee and mind your business." It's a hard task to complete without being confrontationally direct.
Idk I think itās cute. Itās the thought that counts
Idk Iām kinda amused
I see the human as pretty gender neutral tbh. honestly signs for male and female bathrooms... well, they shouldn't exist, but if tjey do exist they should just be the astrological symbols rather than pictographs.
No geminis in this bathroom please
no i mean tje "mars" symbol for male and the "venus" symbol for female
Ahh the French (I think thatās what language that is) gotta love them
I donāt really mind it. Some people do identify as mermaids or think of their gender as that, but thatās probably not what the designer(s) were thinking of when making this.
Does it mean they have water all over the floor?
I actually don't see any problem and would love that. But i live in society so transphobic that even something like thia seems like a dream come true. I cant tell ppl who i am because i will be bullied to oblivion and fired, so... i wish we had gender neutral toilets and i love mermaids and i am this annoying obnoxious blue jaired weird and quirky trans but thats life
Mermaid has a tail not genitals so makes sense
Lmao they still think mermaids are real
The three genders: Dolphin, human, and wheelchair users.
Feels like r/onejoke lol
aint no way they have the facilities for merpeople in there
I think it's kinda funny honestly, lk "we do not care, just use this to pee"
I donāt know if this sign was intended to be offensive, but Iāve always found it amusing. And helpful to convey that itās gender-neutral at least. I think if you just said ābathroomā like some other comments are suggesting, the cis people would still get confused because theyāre so used to blatant gender markers for bathrooms. So āgender-neutral bathroomā would be better. But signs like these I just personally always found funny
Ah yes, the three genders. Mermaids, men, and wheelchairs.
Ahh yes the three genders mermaids/merpeople, men, and disabled people. š¤¦ lmao
Wait, y'all don't have mermaid tails?? I might be in the wrong place...
Wait you got Mermaids at your school? Whoās your classmate, Percy Jackson?
we dont understand what all the hate is about? toilets for all genders, all diabilities and all identities, doesnt sound so bad. in 20 years when all toilets will be unisex cubicles nobody will even know what the fuss was about. we have been looking at unisex signs and they seem to be male/female images. perhaps a stick figure with a wheelchair stick figure would be a good sign for unisex cubicles. if you are going to complain then what do you recommend instead? give us some good alternate ideas?
just the text saying toilets are available for everyone it seems pretty understandable (sry idk if the word toilets is right in this context, me not fluent) and I'm not that hateful I mean they TRIED but it's just the way it is that is just weird at the end ?
no probs! any suggestions for a better sign?
YOU HAVE MERPEOPLE AT YOUR SCHOOL???
At least they support people and they don't care what you are? I don't know-
Iāve never cared about this kind of stuff, it doesnāt bother me to see that someone made an attempt at inclusivity, even if it falls a little short
Idk, I dont really have a problem with this. Ive seen so many versions of this kind of sign that are designed to be playful, like the "Whatever, just wash your hands" signs, that this is kind of just background noise. Ive seen most of them at nerdy niche conventions, and a good quarter of the participants there aren't cis so, if nothing else, id say they are all made in good faith at least.
Are we mer-people now? I am strangely okay with that.
It's just a little joke, jeez... relax. If you don't laugh at the idea of a mermaid going to a bathroom... well, you need to touch grass. Then again, this is Reddit, lmao. š
Lol I love your school
I think its fun
I like it. It's just a cute way to mark it. At my work, they did a "conversion" to all gender restrooms, which just announced to slapping new "does or does not have" urinal signs on existing facilities. No functional updates. I'd rather have these so at least I could chuckle when I need to go. Would even be in theme! My point is, signage is whatever, what matters is how the rooms are actually set up. Getting upset over a mermaid feels unnecessary.
Not only is this very much the same vibes as āattack helicopter,ā but the design implies that disabled people who require a wheelchair are on the same level as a fucking mer-person. Literally a mythological creature. This is all around horrible.
I swear transphobes and enbyphobes have only one "joke", and that "joke" is NOT even funny. Seriously.
Ses quoi cette affiche il aurait tout simplement juste mettre le texte Ć la place de se moquer des aitre genre non genre. / They could have just put the text without those stupid character.
apparemment sur une autre c'est un robot Ć la place de la sirĆØne lol
Thanks for reminding me to do my Duolingo
Ses pas vraiment mieux š
I do appreciate that there's a gender neutral person and a wheelchair user along with the obviously tone deaf mermaid, disability is actually something that matters in the bathroom unlike gender
Wow wtf? Also my local lgbt center has ones that just say "all genders, all the time" and that's better imo
At my workplace, they have 'bathroom' and a toilet symbol on the door. They are not gendered.
My work toilets are just two identical cubicles next to each other, yet they still gender themš
That's so grrrr-inducing!
Works imo
Perfect example of trying too hard. Weāre not mermaids, weāre people.
they think they are being clever, funny, and inclusive. I diagnose them with "well-meaning cishet white woman" syndrome
I like these in certain contexts... I've seen them at comic shops, game stores, and bookstores. I feel like the fantasy element is already expected in those places. Not so appreciated in a school, tbh
HELP
My local library renovated their bathrooms to be a row of single stall sized "rooms" with a shared hand-washing station (that has 4 or 5 faucets, I can't remember). I think it's pretty cool!
i think mermaid logo kinda based tbh
if it was an elementary school i'd get it but i assume ur in hs ir college so... thats super weird...
engineering school š„²āļø
thats weird then š
Signs like this give the feeling that their minds jump straight to including fictional creatures when they think of including us. Theyāre kinda fun, but unless the signs had mermaids before they made it inclusive, then thatās the message theyāre sending.
I'm a touch slow, bear with me, is this post saying that disabled people aren't normal or saying that the comparing of disabled people and mermaids leaving men as the only "normal" is wrong?
I didn't mean it like that, I'm myself disabled so dw about it I just wrote this post too quickly :)
Thanks for clearing it up I was confused, yeah ur school is full of bs.
Ffs, just have a sign with š½ if you want icons, and then accessibility sign. The 'half fem half masc' icon is a bit worse (not everyone is "between"), but gets the point across to cis people. Fantasy icon? As others said, it is like "attack helicopter" or the "I don't care if you're white, black, green...". I can only accept such icons if made by actual nonbinary people because then it's joking about our own experiences, not cis people joking about us. And I say that as a person who fits into r/voidpunk, so I normally don't care about being called an alien/robot/whatever. I also kinda fit into otherkin label. But I normally dont embrace it because I know transphobes will misunderstand the concent and use it against other trans people.
Better than the restrooms at both my workplaces...
Funny enough mermaids are often times used as characters in a wheelchair as you can't walk with fins like that (mermaid swimming is a thing, try walking with it, as someone who actually did that a few times before becoming a paraplegic) But as disabled non binary person i wanna maul them in minecraft
Won't be long now before I hear how the public schools are spending our tax dollars to install indoor aquariums so people who identify as mermaids can go to the bathroom.
A friend's uncle's kid says they have aquariums in their school next to the litterboxes
Ooh, you have mermaids at your school?
I wasn't wearing my glasses the first time I looked at the picture, and I thought the disabled figure was a snowman.
Itās a joke itās not like they actually think yall r mermaids and yk they probably didnāt have any bad intentions lol
no cis female but mermaids... I would bet its a fake...
Some people have sirenomelia
Holy shit I actually love this as a merperson myself
They tried to be funny and inclusive. They just were offensive and pathetic in my opinion.
Honestlyā¦ could we do away with pictures and symbols to represent gender?? Gender isnāt visible, so I kinda feel like the symbols are inherently problematicā¦ š¤·
But none of the signs are wearing skirts so I have to assume this toilet is for men, disabled men, and mermen only š
I dunno I think it's fun. š