Reader: Sometimes a Bathroom Is Just a Bathroom

Will the feds flush East High School's all-gender restroom?

February 2, 2025

Image: all-gender bathroom door at high school

The new bathroom was announced to parents on January 14. Scott Pribble

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On January 27, we reported on the new, all-gender bathroom at East High School that had been requested by a group of students. In an email to East parents, Vice Principal Jackie Coppola said the plan to convert a women's bathroom on the second floor was made after a thorough review of each restroom in the building, done in collaboration with the DPS Facilities Management team. "Please know that this choice was made for practical reasons only," Coppola said. "The restroom is open to all genders. In the case that we receive additional funding, we will consider taking steps to convert a men's restroom into an all-gender restroom as well."

On January 28, DPS Superintendent Alex Marrero received a letter from the United States Department of Education, announcing it had launched an investigation under Title IX that will "examine whether the District discriminates against students on the basis of sex by installing multi-stall all gender restrooms in District school facilities."

In their comments on the Westword Facebook posts regarding the bathroom, readers suggested those investigators get a clue. Says Megan:

Gestapo coming for teen restroom. There, I fixed the headline for you.

Adds Tim:

Here come the weird grown adults obsessed with kids' genitals.

Responds JohnPaul:

We’re literally the only country in the world that cares this much about this topic, and it really is transphobes and homophobes OBSESSED with the topic. Almost every other developed nation in the world does not care because at the end of the day, a bathroom is a fucking bathroom. Some European countries don’t even have a male or female option, they’ll just have one bathroom for both.

Adds Joe:

Sometimes a bathroom is just a bathroom, and there's no shortage of girls' bathrooms at East. The feds need to get over it.

Notes Sabrina:

Interesting how few can put themselves in a teenage girl’s shoes. Did anyone ask the girls how they felt?

Answers Dana:

Yes, and they said they wanted a gender-neutral bathroom

Suggests Joy:

I want our educators to worry about students' papers instead of where they're finding toilet paper.

Responds Nicki:

Rolling my 👀. I’m just glad to have any bathroom that has toilet paper.

And this just in from Niccole, who overhead her kids (a current student and recent East grad):

“Luis (Garcia) died, teachers got shot, and no one cared - now they’re losing it over a bathroom? Gross.”
Sums it up right there.

What do you think of East's gender-neutral bathroom? The feds' investigation? Post a comment or email your thoughts to [email protected].

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