As our world evolves, we are beginning to see new conflicts and debates surface, one of these being the issue of whether transgender individuals should be allowed to use the bathroom of the gender they identify. While many fear the risk of sexual violence in bathrooms, or fail to recognize transgender individuals as the gender they identify, there is something to be said about this issue: transgender individuals should be allowed to use the bathroom of their choice.

With the recent leap for the LGBTQ+ community due to the legalization of same sex marriage, many individuals are finding the courage to "come out," publically identifying with a gender identity or sexual orientation aside from cisgender or heterosexual. While being cisgender means identifying with the sex you were assigned at birth, and heterosexual is having a sexual attraction to the opposite sex, one of the identities that claims a main spot in the LGBTQ+ acronym is transgender. Although it is often used as a broad spectrum for individuals who identify with a gender apart from cisgender, the term "transgender" is most commonly used regarding individuals who identify with the sex opposite of what they were born. This being said, why shouldn't transgender individuals be allowed to use the bathroom of their choice?
    

According to the Webster dictionary, the term "gender" is defined as being male or female (typically used with reference to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones), while "sex" is defined as either of the two main categories (male and female) into which human and other living things are divided based on their reproductive organs. This implies that gender and sex differ in the fact that sex is a label assigned based on reproductive organs, while gender is used to describe what someone mentally, socially, and spiritually identify as. Given these definitions, why should transgender individuals who identify entirely as the opposite gender need to be forced back into the bathroom of their birth sex if they have fully socially transitioned and are living life as the opposite gender? By not allowing them the right to use the bathroom they feel fits their identity best, we are contributing to the psychological damage the act of misgendering can cause. Gender dysphoria (sometimes known as Gender Identity Disorder) is known as an unsettling, uncomfortable feeling in response to the sex you were born as, and can lead to severe distress, anxiety, and depression, according to WebMD. Knowing this, we can validate the idea that the only choice made about being transgender is the choice to socially and/or physically transition, not in whether you are diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder. To continue on the psychological note, according to the studentroom.co.uk, 65% of the transgender population has attempted suicide, and 77% of the transgender population currently suffers from anxiety or depression, which validates the point that not letting transgender individuals fully identify as their preferred gender can truly tip someone over the edge. Why should we hold our personal opinions to a higher level of importance than another individual's mental health, even though it is something they truly cannot choose?
       

Some may argue that we refuse to accept transgender individuals in their preferred bathrooms due to the supposed threat of sexual violence they may bring, which can be debunked by the plain logic that being one who commits the crime of sexual assault and one who identifies as transgender have no direct correlation whatsoever. Transgender individuals going into a bathroom opposite their birth sex isn't to sexually harass other people in bathrooms, their motive is the same as everyone else's: use the bathroom, and leave. It's as simple as that.
       

Recently, a transgender friend of mine (Female to Male) attempted to change clothes in the boy's restroom at school prior to attending a musical theatre class, in which he was quickly denied access by a teacher, then forced into the girl's restroom instead. This left him shaken, very upset with the teacher for sending him to a place that brought him a great deal of obvious discomfort. This as well led his peers to question his sex, what he "really was." By speaking as someone who has seen the effect of this injustice firsthand, I am able to also account for the joy of being allowed access to the boy's dressing room when the school musical came along. He was overjoyed, happy to be acknowledged for who he really is.
    

Speaking from situations I've come to witness, as well as research on psychology and mental health, refusing transgender individuals access to the bathroom of their choice only deepens the issue of self-acceptance and discomfort of social rejection. By not allowing them access to their preferred restroom, we are forcing the idea that they are not "truly" the gender they identify as, which can worsen the psychological state they are already in, adding to the weight of gender dysphoria. Whether gender neutral bathrooms should be suggested, or trans individuals are simply granted access to whichever bathroom they choose, everyone has the same intention: use the bathroom, and leave. It's as simple as that. Why should someone face an unpleasant trip to the bathroom due to their gender identity? We are all human, and we all deserve to pee in peace.