Inclusive restrooms

 In Nightlife

The following experience always makes me upset when it happens. It’s when I go to the men’s room and the lavatory attendant tells me to go to the ladies room. That frequently happens to me when I have my endearing curly hair down and they don’t see my beard. When that happens I always say that I’m at the right place and just walk in to the men’s room. But a couple of weeks ago when I was traveling in Vietnam I just couldn’t take it anymore. I was clubbing with my friend Bono in Danang. I had to go the restroom after drinking a couple of G&T’s, but I couldn’t get in! I got stopped two times by a lavatory attendant. I first told the guy that I was at the right place and wanted to walk in to the men’s room but they literary wouldn’t let me in. I had to get angry and keep pointing to my beard before I finally could go in to the men’s room. Then the second lavatory attendant stopped me. I was about to explode but I explained it again. Then the lady told me it was my fault because I have long hair. I was stunned!

I think I already was a bit tensed about this subject. While traveling in Vietnam, people would just randomly tell me that I looked like a girl because of my long hair. Or when I would meet a nice Vietnamese person, they frequently asked me when I was going to cut my hair. They would call Bono a ‘standard man’. We actually laughed about that. But for me, after hearing the same thing about my hair for a few weeks, it wasn’t funny anymore.

I know they probably don’t really understand how offending it is what they say. The way they pigeonhole masculinity and femininity is really depressing. Even here in Amsterdam I have those restrooms dramas. So what can I or we do about that? Cutting my hair is out of the question. Everybody should look however he or she wants to look like. And frankly I think it’s fabulous. The next option is to stop with division of men and women in to separate restrooms. It would help a lot of people, for example the transgender people or myself, not to get upset. I also think it is a lot more fun seeing everybody in one place. Maybe men would understand women better when they see them doing their make-up and visa versa. Also a dad with his daughter or a mother with her son doesn’t have to feel uncomfortable anymore. It’s much more inclusive, which in my opinion is always a more positive thing than being excluded.

There are many things in life that cause stress, using the restroom shouldn’t be one of them.

What are your thoughts on this subject?


Pictures by: Remco Sijtzema

Styling: Elio Heres in collaboration with Luxury 4 Life PR

Make-up: Leonie Schuurman

Assistant styling: Maikel Huijsman

The look: necklace by Topshop, jacket by Noir Near Future, pants by Esther Haamke and shoes by Solestruck

About the look: To show all the people who pigeonhole that mixing gender can be a fabulous, gorgeous and inclusive thing I came up with the nightlife look below. I love the mirrors on the jacket from Noir Near Future. The pants by Ester Haamke almost felt like it was custom made for me. I felt so powerful and fabulous is this look! The I want to feel to keep my fight against pigeonholes and conformity going.

Elio Heres

Elio Heres

Elio Heres

Elio Heres

Elio Heres

Elio Heres

Koeskoes!

 

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Showing 7 comments
  • Shiro Samurai
    Reply

    I totally agree with you and I understand what you mean. I wish people would stop sticking to outdated ideals of masculinity and femininity because it’s hurtful to a lot of people, especially those who don’t want to fit neatly into a box that society has made up.
    Oh and by the way, you look amazing and I applaud your self-confidence to stand up and dress however you want in this world! You are an inspiration.

    • Elio Heres
      Reply

      Thanks so much for your comment and compliment. I think nobody fits neatly into a box that society has made up for us. The funny part is that us all together make the society so we are able to change it to!

  • Milex
    Reply

  • Francesca
    Reply

    Just keep bashing de men’s restroom door! Eventually they give in. One toilet for both sexes would be great. And I have already been to one. Not sure where though. I believe in one state of the USA you would not have this agony, caus you have to go the the restroom for the gender you were born with.
    I always go to the men’s room and never been stopped by an attendant so far. The upside, for me, is the what-is-going-on-here-faces of men, thinking they are in the wrong restroom and then discovered I am in the ‘wrong’ restroom ^_^

    • Elio Heres
      Reply

      Thanks for your comment sweetie. I think we should just totally stop with giving people the idea that they could be ‘wrong’ just by going to the restroom. We will get there. I read the other day dat the municipality of the city of Utrecht will have genderless restrooms. Perfect!

  • Lianne
    Reply

    Ik kwam op je blog na je te hebben gezien in Nederland in bed. Al scrollend door je blog kwam ik deze post tegen en hoewel hij al oud is wil ik er toch een comment op geven. Hoewel ik voor ook een gender neutraal toilet ben (vooral als je problemen ondervind zoals jij) ben ik tegen alleen gender neutrale toiletten. Als vrouw zijnde zou ik mij niet op mijn gemak voelen als bepaalde mannen in hetzelfde toilet aanwezig zouden zijn. Helaas zijn niet alle mannen te vertrouwen en zou ik mij niet veilig voelen. Vind dus dat de keuze naar welk toilet je wil gaan aanwezig moet blijven. In Amerika heb je op vliegvelden ook 3 keuzes; dames, heren en neutraal.

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