CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
Six months after the furious Federal election culture wars and the conversation surrounding trans rights has mellowed in Australia.
According to the census, Australians who identify as gender diverse comes to a rate of 47 per 100,000. A number that is slowly being reflected on TV screen and in Parliamentary debate.
One conversation that seems to be breaking ground is the need for public bathrooms not limited to just male and female. Trans groups say that for some people, having access to gender-neutral bathrooms is the only way they can feel comfortable enough to go about their business. Gender-neutral bathrooms, disabled access or not, allow for use by a wider range of people.
Once viewed as a beacon of leftie oppression, the concept of gender neutral bathrooms is widely becoming mainstreamed – particularly in venues frequented by the LGBTI community.
However, it is not just the gay clubs and art galleries making the effort. One surprising ally for the Trans community has been the stale VB-soaked hip hop venues of suburban Australia.
“I guess we’ve always been gender neutral with out bathrooms.” says Kevy Oner, owner and licensee of Betoota’s premiere hip hop club, The Blind Rail Guard Hotel.
“That’s if you’d even want to use the loo here. Usually the toilet has been kicked into a thousands pieces of porcelain by the main set. But still, there’s always a hole in the ground for ya to slash in – doesn’t matter if you’re Arthur, Martha or Martyr”
As Kevy points out, Trans and Non-Binary patrons have always felt safe in his venue, unless of course they get caught checking out a handsome drill rapper in front of their misso.
“Yeah you might get your extensions pulled out if you get caught staring. But as for the bathrooms. There’s one door in and one door out. One in, one out. We banned groups going to the toilets long ago, mostly due to cocaine”
“I mean, you can’t really decipher the signage on any door of this venue. These little eshays have defaced just about every inch of my business with textas and spray cans”
“I have people walking into the staff office to take a shit. So yeah, if you can find a toilet, feel free. It’s for anyone that’s game”
