Information collected from a MyVoice survey was used in an article published in the Journal of Homosexuality June 2019 edition entitled ‘Youth Perspectives Regarding the Regulating of Bathroom Use by Transgender Individuals.’
The survey, which featured young people ages 14-24, noted several key points relating to the use of public restrooms.
1) bathroom use is private and should be a personal decision
2) choosing bathrooms is a matter of equality, freedom, and human rights
3) transgender people are not sexual perpetrators
4) forcing transgender people to use particular bathrooms puts them at risk
Although many schools have policies restricting bathroom use, 79 percent of the respondents do not support these restrictions on transgender people.
Approximately 150,000 young people in the United States ages 13-24 identify as transgender. Also, nearly 70 percent report avoiding using a public restroom in a school setting because they feel unsafe or uncomfortable.
This paper was co-authored by Halley P. Crissman, MD MPH; Christina Czuhajewski, MSI; Michelle H. Moniz, MD, MSc; Missy Plegue, MA; and Tammy Chang, MD, MPH.