Pride, Privacy, & Public Toilets

For the full version of this article, written by TE Board Member Avery Pope, check out our free Substack post or subscribe to our Patreon.

June is Pride Month—and at Toilet Equity, that means we’re celebrating inclusivity and accessibility. Our toilets are designed for everyone, regardless of gender identity, because public restrooms should never be a barrier to health or safety.

But across the country, laws are still being passed that require people to use bathrooms based on the sex listed on their birth certificate. These so-called “bathroom bills” are framed as protecting women’s privacy and safety—but the data tells a very different story.

A 2025 research brief from UCLA’s Williams Institute reviewed multiple studies across the U.S. and found no increase in safety or privacy violations in public restrooms after trans-inclusive policies were implemented. Assaults and incidents were rare before these policies—and stayed rare after. What the data did show was that transgender people face high levels of harassment and even physical assault when forced to use bathrooms that don’t match their gender identity.

Want to dig into the data more?

In fact, over half of transgender people report avoiding public restrooms altogether—some going as far as limiting food and water intake just to avoid having to pee in public. The result? Higher risk of UTIs, dehydration, kidney issues, and disruptions to school or work.

At Toilet Equity, we’re here to flush the myths and uplift the facts:

✅ No evidence shows inclusive bathrooms increase safety risks to women.

❌ Trans and nonbinary people do face real harm without access to safe toilets.

💜 Everyone deserves dignity when nature calls.

But there's another risk women do face in bathrooms!

That’s why our loos are single-stall, gender-neutral, lockable, and inclusive. Every person should be able to pee, change a pad, or take a moment to breathe without fear.

Pride is about visibility, safety, and belonging—and that includes bathroom access.

Want to dive into the nitty gritty of sex-selected versus gendered bathrooms and learn how plumbing codes might affect your wait times? Check out the full blog post for free on our Substack or subscribe to our Patreon for early access each month!

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This article originally appeared in our June 2025 email newsletter. You can subscribe to receive future updates here.