(Gainesville, FL) The American College of Pediatricians urges schools and legislators to uphold sex-segregated public bathroom and locker room access. This is the best policy for the health and safety of all children. Recently, the Justice Department and others have attempted to mandate that gender identity (the subjective feeling an individual has about his or her sexuality) rather than anatomic sex determine access to public restrooms and locker rooms. These public accommodations exist for the purpose of hygiene, safety and modesty, not to affirm the self-identified gender of certain individuals. These facilities are restricted to persons of the same sex to protect the bodily privacy of all individuals. More importantly, it shields young boys and girls and all others from offensive, criminal, and dangerous behavior by voyeurs, exhibitionists, and rapists.
There are individuals with several conditions (in addition to gender dysphoria) who are uncomfortable using a multiple-occupancy, sex-designated public bathroom. These persons include but are not limited to those with a disability, deformity, or the need for assistance from a caregiver. A single-user, uni-sex bathroom is a reasonable accommodation that protects the privacy of all children.