Gender-neutral facilities would be a win for all
One multistall, gender-neutral bathroom with fewer overall fixtures would reduce the overall costs of the project.
During my time at Acton-Carlisle High School, I worked with state LGBTQ+ advocates to alter the Massachusetts plumbing code to allow multistall, gender-neutral bathrooms in educational settings. Dr. Laurie Hunter was very supportive of these efforts, meeting with me multiple times and even testifying herself in support of the changes when they were approved in December 2023. I was very surprised, therefore, to learn that the proposed amenities building deemed too expensive by voters would feature 16 toilets/urinals and would be divided by gender.
Besides graduation and Kicks for Cancer, I find it hard to imagine any event at Lower Field that attracts enough spectators to use all 16 gendered fixtures on a regular basis; only three (gender-neutral) portable toilets currently fill the same need. To me, the obvious solution is to combine the two gendered bathrooms into one multistall, gender-neutral bathroom with fewer overall fixtures, reducing the overall costs of the project.
Multistall gender-neutral bathrooms arguably allow for more privacy compared with gender-segregated facilities, as they do not include urinals and are required to have floor-to-ceiling partitions. They may be more convenient for families, as they allow caregivers of any gender to accompany loved ones without feeling uncomfortable, and they are less dysphoria-inducing for trans and gender-non-conforming individuals. Most importantly, their versatility allows more stalls to be available at any given moment to individuals of every gender.
Rather than a mere compromise, this solution would be a win for everyone: The amenities building could be constructed at a more acceptable price to taxpayers, disabled patrons would finally have access to facilities that meet their needs, and bathrooms would be more inclusive of trans and gender-non-conforming patrons.
Alex Nugent
Mildred Circle
