I’m always fascinated when entering into a women’s toilet as to the graffiti I will find. The anonymity these confined spaces offer seem to result in comments, questions, jokes, which would find no place uttered to another person face to face. On a toilet wall however, they are free to take life with no perceived consequence. On the walls of women’s toilets especially, you become suddenly aware of how this is a female only space. It feels near guaranteed that only other women will read your comments. In a society in which the female voice is so often stifled, and free interaction between women is so rarely experienced, such fleeting comments on toilet walls take on another dimension. They are the product not only of anonymity, but an awareness of freedom from the male gaze. From schools to libraries to pubs, different women have felt the need to share the banal, the offensive and the poignant with other women. Its quite the revelation.
interesting!
I bumped into your profile on OKC (I think I was searching for “feminism”) and found this, so I guess I found what I was looking for. Wonderful post – thank you. I occasionally see bits and pieces of this when at events where they’ve chosen to convert gendered toilets into “toilets with/without urinals”. I’ve linked you elsewhere, if that’s ok?
~ Cas
Yes of course that’s fine, and I’m glad you liked the post
That one about rape is just the perfect argument for women-only spaces (which are explictly inclusive of trans women) – I don’t know where else one would see such a straightforward sensible response.
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