‘Why common toilet for trans persons when it’s separate for cisgender?’

CHENNAI: While many have hailed the State government’s novel initiative to provide a separate toilet for trans persons at the Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus (KCBT) in Kilambakkam, members of the LGBTQIA+ community are peeved the decision to keep it separately from cisgender toilets.

Transwoman activist, writer, and founder of Trans Rights Now Collective (TNRC) and Thirunangai Press LLP Grace Banu said that there was nothing novel about the initiative at Kilambakkam and that similar steps were taken earlier by the government but in vain. “Toilets were built for the trans community in Tiruchy (Tiruchy Central Bus Stand), Chengalpattu, and also at a few bypasses, but they were not useful,” Banu said.

"Now that they have built a toilet for trans persons, will toilets be constructed for transmen, transwomen, intersex, and other genders as well? A toilet is a personal space. The government's focus should rather be on taking steps to address the discrimination and harassment faced by LGBTQIA+ persons in cismen and ciswomen toilets," Grace said.

"Why build separate toilets for the LGBTQIA+ community? It would be better if a proposal was made for gender-neutral toilets, but no one asked for a separate toilet for trans persons. This is not a big change," Grace questioned.

Transwomen activist and founder of the Bringing Adequate Values of Humanity Movement (BRAVOH) Olga B Aaron said that awareness should be given on why transwomen need a separate toilet. “As a transwoman, I never asked for a separate toilet. Awareness should be on why should we need a separate toilet. There are separate toilets for men and women but for trans folks, why is it a gender-neutral toilet? If anybody can utilise the gender-neutral toilet, what about my privacy and safety? Toilet is being politicised here,” she noted.

Olga stated that the State government should be investing in providing opportunities for education, employment opportunities, housing, and healthcare for the trans community rather than building toilets. "Transpersons have to decide whether they want to use men's or women's toilets. This is the awareness that the general public needs to know," Olga added.

'Separate toilet built for the trans community will create a safe space'

Transwoman, writer, activist, and an assistant teacher in a city school, Agni Pradeep, earlier took to social media and welcomed the government’s initiative.

Elaborating on the same, Agni Pradeep said, "We are asking the society to address transwomen as women. Transwomen are utilising ciswomen toilets, but not all the time the toilets are comfortable for them. The reason is that not everyone is accepting transwomen as women. Not all transwomen undergo gender-affirmation surgery. Some identify themselves as transwomen, and for the reason of safety and comfort, separate toilets were built, especially if they’re not yet open about their gender identity.”

Agni dismissed the quick responses from society like "transwomen can use women's toilet itself, why separate toilet?" and said that people should appreciate the government's move as a stepping stone. "Now only transpersons are gaining more social acceptance. We should not impose our deep ideologies and be the ones to stop the government's initial step," Agni said.

Asking about the scope for gender-neutral toilets in Tamil Nadu, in reference to the article published by The Leflet where a transwoman advocate, R Kanmani, wrote to the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court Justice Sanjay Vijaykumar Gangapurwala and put forth her experience stating that the lack of gender-neutral toilets in the court premises has severely affected her physical and mental health, Agni said that it is not sure how healthy and safe the implementation of gender-neutral toilets in Tamil Nadu will be for the community in this climate.

"Gender-neutral toilets is a long-term goal as the social acceptance for the trans community is still evolving here. Trans persons are still facing oppression. At this time, implementing gender-neutral toilets will affect the community rather than be a benefit because there are trans persons, trans persons who haven't undergone gender-affirmation surgery, non-binary persons, genderqueer, intersex, and gender nonconforming persons. When there are persons with various gender identities, the move for gender-neutral toilets might lead to further discrimination towards the community," Agni said.

"For trans persons, a toilet built separately for them is safe. Gender-neutral toilets can be implemented when the social acceptance for the trans community is fully normalised," Agni added.

On the State government's decision to build a toilet for trans persons not near cisgender toilets at the KCBT, Agni said that it is highly condemnable. "I haven't visited the terminus yet, but the toilet should have been built near cisgender toilets itself. This itself sets a wrong view on the trans community and discriminates them from the rest. A toilet is a basic amenity, when men's and women's toilet is built nearby, why not build a toilet for transpersons in the same place for easy accessibility? This is highly condemnable."

Agni Pradeep concurred with Grace Banu and Olga B Aaron's opinions that the toilet built at the KCBT for trans persons is being politicised. "A toilet built for trans persons, not near cisgender toilets is very condemnable. This feels like a good deed done for the sake of it and is being politicised to showcase that the government is inclusive. But, in fact, the toilet is excluded and built away from cisgender toilets."

Like Grace Banu, Agni Pradeep also urged the State government to focus on many other issues raised by the community such as horizontal reservation. 

CMDA says the toilet is built separately to give transpersons privacy

Anshul Mishra, Member-Secretary of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) clarified that the toilet for trans persons was not constructed far from cisgender toilets. “It’s on the same corridor, and built to prevent trans persons from facing stigma and discrimination. Discrimination is our worry, and we believed it would also be more comfortable than a gender-neutral toilet.”

"While we have toilets for men and women separately, for much, we haven't thought about toilets for the trans community, so for the first time in any public infrastructure in Tamil Nadu, a separate toilet has been built so that the trans community can access it without any hustles," he added.

On the possibility of gender-neutral toilets for everyone in public spaces in Tamil Nadu, Anshul welcomed the suggestion and added: “That's a good suggestion, I won't say that it is not possible, This particular argument that we should have a gender-neutral toilet only for trans persons is a possibility. We’re evolving and we’ll get there in the future.”

Way back in April 2017, the Madras High Court had directed the Tamil Nadu government to respond to a plea seeking gender-neutral public toilets across the State, including Chennai, for transpersons after carrying out a survey on the facilities available for them. But, the State government hasn't responded to the plea so far.