Call for gender-neutral bathrooms to fight transphobia

Gender-neutral bathrooms can help reduce the number of cases of transphobia and homophobia, and serve as a practical tool in promoting the need for a more open society, according to the Kunsill Nazzjonali taz-Zghazagh (KNZ).

The council said in a statement that the International Transgender Day of Visibility celebrated on Sunday should serve to honour and stand with those who suffered and still suffer from transphobia.

“As part of a European community, the Maltese Islands are open to different cultures and peoples which give our children and youths a firsthand experience of acceptance and belonging for them to grow even more as individuals,” the statement read.

KNZ said that Malta introduced extensive legislation related to human rights but noted that no practical and parallel educational curriculum had followed to enhance a direct understanding of reality in these cases.

“Ample instances of both transphobia and homophobia happen on a day to day basis, and whilst some make the news, other may suffer in silence,” KNZ said.

It called for an educational campaign – not only on legislation – to promote the need to learn how to live with one another, accept each other’s differences and help others flourish as individuals.

KNZ said it would be installing gender-neutral bathrooms at their offices in the near future and invited other businesses, organisations and public offices to follow suit.

In a separate statement, the Gay-Straight Alliance MCAST (GSAM) called for the re-labelling of at least one bathroom stall in every MCAST institute as gender-neutral would increase the acceptance of trans and gender non-conforming individuals.

G-SAM said that the comfort and safety of all students was a goal that was commonly shared between students themselves as well as MCAST.

“Such gender-neutral bathrooms will be just a small step towards educating the general society of a diverse community, an aim that G-SAM is advocating for in the events it organises.”