Both Sexes Forced to Shower, Change, and Urinate Together, Says Law Professor John Banzhaf

Washington, DC, February 13, 2016 --(PR.com)-- Contrary to well established tradition, men and women are being forced to shower, change clothing, and even urinate together in some public facilities, says public interest law professor John Banzhaf.

And the new trend goes well beyond single-occupant coed restrooms or shower stalls which can be used by only one person at a time, or even in rare situations involving someone who is truly transsexual, but rather include open showers as well as multi-user coed restrooms, notes Banzhaf.

As reported by the Detroit Free Press, Planet Fitness permitted an anatomic male who looked like a large, tall man to use the locker room where women change, and even the showers where exercise buffs soap down after a workout.

As quoted in that same article, Planet Fitness says it has a national policy of permitting any male who simply claims to identify as female - without any proof of being transgendered, and regardless of appearance as a male or female - to use its large open changing area (locker room) and showers labeled for women.

The woman who confronted the large, tall man says that labeling separate male and female showers and changing areas, but not disclosing to its members that it permits any male who claims a sincere self-reported gender identity to use those female facilities, misrepresents the accommodations, according to the website Mline.com.

Interestingly, that same website has also reported that the plaintiff's membership was revoked because she told some other female patrons that, under Planet Fitness' policy, they might be seen in various states of undress in all gym facilities (including showers and changing rooms) by any man who simply claims to be a woman.

This Planet Fitness policy, known on its website as its Judgment-Free Zone, apparently is not communicated to current members or persons considering joining, according to Mline.com, nor does it even appear on the company's web site where current or prospective members might reasonably become aware of it.

Apparently going even a step further, the George Washington University has just established what may be the first of many multi-user coed restrooms where men and women can urinate together at the same time, says Banzhaf.

In other words, in the restroom labeled All Gender Restroom, a woman coming in to urinate and/or wash her hands would walk right by as many as three men who were actively using the urinals, or stand immediately next to one while washing her hands, says Banzhaf, who teaches at the University's law school.

Since the restroom for many years was labeled for use by men, no announcement of its altered status was ever made, and regular users may not check for a possible signage change each time they enter, it is possible that some men standing exposed while using a urinal may suddenly find a woman standing directly behind them, or even to the side with not even a privacy barrier between them, as she washes her hands, Banzhaf argues.

This might be particularly upsetting to men suffering from what is sometimes called shy bladder syndrome if their restroom companion was of the opposite gender, and probably embarrassing to any man who is not comfortable engaging in bodily functions in the presence of an adult female, claims Banzhaf.

This goes far beyond the growing trend at many universities to provide so-called unisex restrooms, since such facilities - like those on airplanes - are almost always limited to only one person at a time, and users customarily would lock the door during each use, Banzhaf says.

According to Banzhaf, it is also apparently different from coed dormitory bathrooms which many colleges have established since they usually provide individual stalls to insure privacy, and inappropriate sexual activities are largely deterred because all the users know each other.

In contrast, the new All Gender Restroom at GWU is designed to permit four persons to use it at once, not including those who might be washing or drying their hands, combing hair or putting on makeup, etc., and is open to any member of the general public who might walk into the open university building, Banzhaf notes from personal observation.