There is a fantastic children’s book called Everyone Poops by Tarō Gomi. It was one of our kids favorites — fun to read and engaging artwork (actual images of poop, notwithstanding). It’s not much of a spoiler to tell you it’s about the fact that every human, every living animal, eliminates waste. And although there may be great variation in size and shape, it is something we all have to do, a universally shared experience. (My favorite part: “A one-hump camel makes a one-hump poop. And a two-hump camel makes a two-hump poop. …only kidding!”)
And so as human animals we universally share the need to take care of business in a safe, relatively dignified place, right? So whatever you think about transgender people, we can all start there. And I think that’s where the Michigan school board did start when it was tasked with developing some volunteer guidelines to ensure a place for all children to take care of business.
Now many people have legitimate concerns about how, functionally, that is going to happen and the effects it might have on them and their children. Yes, of course. Let’s talk about that. Let’s learn more. Let’s figure it out. But let’s keep in mind the overarching goals (safety, dignity) and avoid reactionary legislation, such as a bill Senator Tom Casperson is planning to introduce. As North Carolina has demonstrated, it would just make matters worse. Everyone poops, Senator. But nobody has to be a poop.
John Auchter draws cartoons. Lots and lots of them. You can find them at his incredibly popular website auchtoon.com.
My public bathroom fears were exacerbated while in public schools during a time when no one I knew knew what transgender was (1970s). The fear was from like-gendered preying upon me, bullies, in the bathroom. I learned how to avoid conflict by going to class THEN getting a pass to potty, when no one else was there. We’re often afraid of the wrong things. This stupid transgender debate is just the latest example.
The flavor of the week, month, the public bathroom. As if we do not have enough on our plate with Detroit Schools, Flint Water, Line 5, lets make a problem where we have no problem. Politicians like to do this, draw you off on a new tangent. I have been at full house Red Wing games, and the bathrooms are just packed, so you share the mensroom with the ladies, and guess what? No problems, no gender police, no police at all, just people taking care of busness. Is this the best we can vote into office? C’mon Sen. Casperson, deal with real people issues. PLEASE!
The real problem is not transgender folks, it is the perverts. We already have laws to deal with that bunch. Let’s just move on folks. (You may notice I did not use any profanities or vulgarities in this comment.)
When I was in high school, the Boys’ Room mostly was a place to smoke cigarettes. We had a great time lighting up, and messing with Mr. Budczik. He was the poor old teacher who had to check the second floor Boys’ Room after first period, to try to catch us smoking. I never went into the Girls’ Room, and I assume neither did Mr. Budczik.
Please don’t let Arlan see this cartoon. After all, he might get the idea of checking out the stalls in every bathroom he enters. Of course, he will need a -stool- to stand on!
The cartoon reminded me of Graphenwohr, Germany 1984. The Army field training barracks had 20 stalls with no doors across from each other. You could be the only one in there and there was this one guy that would take the stòol across from you then try to strike up a conversation. A few took to sitting across anyone else to avoid the toilet buddy dude which further eliminated your chance of privacy.
Solution: I cut eye holes in a Stars & Stripes newspaper, half dozen of us took a section to the latrine and sat down across from someone. I swear I can still hear the echo of the guffaws, the problem became a joke but nobody sat across from anyone unless it was last resort.
thus the oxymoron “military intelligence”