In 2022, just a month and a half after my twenty-first birthday, I came out of the closet as transgender. A lot has changed since I came out; I’m more confident in my self-expression — I have no problem wearing a dress and makeup in public and I no longer associate myself with my deadname in any way. But one thing has stayed absolutely the same for me since the very day I came out: I am incredibly uncomfortable using a public restroom, especially here at the University of Arizona. As the semester starts and I return to in-person classes, I can’t shake the anxiety that comes with using the restroom.

I do use a public restroom when I really have to, and it’s the women’s restroom that I use, but I’ve never once been comfortable inside of one. I do not pass as cisgender in any way, meaning no one would think I was assigned female at birth by looking at me, and I hate the idea of feeding the “man in a dress” discourse just by using the restroom. If any cis woman is in there, I immediately feel like I’m being judged, and the worst part is, I’m worried I might scare somebody by using the restroom. However, I don’t want to use the men’s restroom either. Not only does using a men’s restroom make me feel gross (it’s a feeling I can only describe as “I’m not supposed to be in here”), but I also feel scared of the male strangers in the restroom — my mind can’t let go of the idea that, in such a private and vulnerable place, I could be assaulted.

There is one type of restroom I am comfortable using, though: a gender neutral restroom. Most gender neutral restrooms are a door leading to their own private stall, meaning the whole room has space for just one person. There are gender neutral restrooms in Tucson, but they are few and far between.

Here at the University of Arizona, I’ve just gotten used to the idea that I probably won’t be comfortable in any restroom. There are gender neutral restrooms at the university, but they are mostly in newer buildings and there are very few when compared to gendered restrooms. Last semester, I spent my semester studying abroad in London at St. Mary’s University in Twickenham. I was blown away by the amount of gender neutral restrooms at the university. Whenever I had to go, I could do so without any of the anxieties I have to experience here. Every day I was at the university, regardless of which building I was in, there was somewhere for me to go. That made me realize that using the restroom shouldn’t be that complicated. Gender neutral restrooms should be everywhere.

While I appreciate the gender neutral restrooms the university has, it’s nowhere near enough. The Student Union Memorial Center has one on the third floor, far away from the food court, classrooms and bookstore, and even a building as large as the Main Library only has two, one on the first floor and one on the second.

I believe that there’s two main ways to solve this problem: 1. the university should absolutely build more gender neutral restrooms in more buildings to allow more students to use them, and 2. the university should add more signage to indicate where current gender neutral restrooms are. Looking at the campus map while researching for this story, I found gender neutral restrooms I didn’t know existed. It’s great that there are more than I thought, but I shouldn’t have to consult the campus map every time I need to pee, nor should anyone else. As students return to campus for the new school year, it’s more important than ever to make sure that everyone knows where they can find a restroom that suits their needs.

Follow the Daily Wildcat on Instagram and Twitter/X

Kate is a student at the University of Arizona. She loves improv comedy and comic books.