Beyond Unisex — Are Coloradans Cool With This New Type of Restroom?

Times are changing. There are a lot of clever signs for restrooms stating they are for whoever needs to use them. You may have seen some of these that say things like "man, woman, alien, dinosaur, whatever, just wash your hands." Those signs do make a good point. Washing your hands is essential. Who is using the restroom may not be as big of an issue as it's been made out to be.

A new style of Unisex restroom is popping up these days. My first encounter with one was at Stodgy Brewing in Fort Collins. It turns out the beautifully landscaped, down-to-earth, old Friendly Fire (woodstove sales) building is home to a very new type of restroom.

The multi-stall gender-neutral restroom is simply two or more toilets next to each other. As in, you could be doing your business and washing your hands right next to someone that does not identify as the same gender as you.

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These types of toilet/sink spaces have made headlines in the last few years all over the country, as do all things that have to do with "inclusion" these days.

Arguments for these restrooms often cite efficiency and cost, not just inclusion. As you can imagine, it would be hard to plan exactly how many of what gender will need to use a bathroom.

Many stadiums will switch a few restroom locations to the other gender depending on the event being held. I assume there were more "women" restrooms at Taylor Swift than at a Broncos game. This new way of thinking would eliminate that need.

The Development Project Manager for Western Washington University said, "In every new or major renovation project going forward, we don't anticipate there being gender-assigned restrooms in the building."

The Daily Hampshire Gazette reported in April 2023 that "architects and lawmakers are advocating for a change in the state building code to allow gender-neutral bathrooms in new construction and renovations of buildings, calling it a further affirmation of a gender-inclusive and respectful community."