For many students, stopping into the washroom between classes is just another routine activity that they don’t think twice about. For those who do not identify with the gender assigned to them at birth, however, using a public washroom can be an anxiety-inducing, ostracizing, and even life-threatening experience.
If the name Nathan Lyndsay doesn’t sound familiar to you, then perhaps you’ve heard about the “shit-in” protest he co-organized at SFU last February, which garnered media attention from newspapers from SFU’s the Peak to the Georgia Straight, the Globe and Mail, and the National Post. In an effort to demand more gender-inclusive facilities on campus, Nathan and his co-organizers occupied a men’s washroom in the AQ and placed a sign on the door reading “All genders welcome”, and “This toilet has been liberated from the gender binary.” Though SFU security threatened to arrest the protesters, the demonstration otherwise received vast support from SFU students and faculty alike.
Nathan’s efforts to help eliminate violence against trans* and gender-variant individuals does not end there. Last summer, he gave a TED Talk, hosted by TEDxGastownWomen, to raise awareness about the threats trans* and gender-variant individuals face on a regular basis when using public washrooms. He also lobbied for SFU to adopt a preferred name policy, which would allow students to choose the name they prefer on their student I.D. cards and class lists. The policy would prevent trans* students from being forced to carry I.D. with their birth name, placing them in confusing and potentially humiliating situations. In addition, the policy would help prevent trans* students from being involuntarily “outed” if their birth name is used in class roll call.
Nathan, a fourth-year Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies major at SFU, was recently granted the Rosemary Brown Undergraduate Scholarship in Social Justice – an award that was well-deserved, for his persistent dedication to making campus an equally safe and comfortable space for everyone, regardless of their gender identity.
Recently you gave a TED Talk about the importance of gender inclusive washrooms in public spaces. What was the most rewarding part of giving the talk?
I thought this talk was super rewarding because of all the media coverage we ended up getting. This is an issue that is talked about at length in the queer community and in queer spaces, but is rarely thought about or considered in the more “mainstream” conservative community. To be able to reach this audience was an important step in the movement of implementing gender inclusive washrooms, because without the support of people in positions of power or with more privilege these washrooms wouldn’t exist. The talk enabled me to reach this audience and make them care about this issue.
Any updates on the movement for gender inclusive washrooms at SFU?
Myself and my other co-organizers, Marlena Boyle and Bonnie Thornburry, are currently in talks with the university admin. We actually just met with them a few weeks ago and are in the process of designing washrooms signs for the single-stalled washrooms, which will be converted first.
As we know, not everyone is willing to adopt an open mind, especially when it comes to ideas that challenge traditional perceptions of gender. How do you choose to approach this negativity?
I have been totally guilty of reading comments [on social media] and getting upset, [but] I’ve come to realize that it’s simply not worth it to read these comments, so now for the most part I don’t. I’ve happily engaged in conversations around why these washrooms are important with folks who have a different opinion than me, but in terms of internet comments it’s not something I have time for or want to engage in, in any way critically.
How could SFU as a school continue to work toward being more accommodating to trans students?
I think many ways, the most important two being allowing trans* students to use their “preferred” name on I.D. cards and class lists, and having gender inclusive washrooms. These are the two areas my activism has organized around. Other areas would be admin educating themselves on these issues or paying organizations like Out on Campus to run seminars on these topics. Any of those would be a good place to start.
What makes a good ally?
For folks who want to be good allies, I would say the first step of allyship is shutting up and listening. People who experience these realities are the masters and experts of their own lives, and if you aren’t living and dealing with something every day then you know nothing about it. Listening is your best way to allyship.
Any advice for students who want to institute positive change in their community, but don’t know where to start?
My advice to folks wanting to institute positive change but not knowing where to start is the history of activism is a history of protesting and fighting. Nobody gets what they want by asking politely. Organize a protest with other students who are interested in the topic you are trying to get changed.
On a somewhat unrelated note, what can we find you doing on any average day?
I’m a bit of a nerd and love reading. I also am obsessed with my three cats and most of my day revolves around feeding them treats and chatting with them. I also love nature and hiking.
You can watch Nathan’s TED Talk about gender inclusive washrooms here: