Woman debunks myth that gender-neutral bathrooms are uncommon and complex with simple example

The world has gone far ahead from the times when people had to hide their true identities. There is a constant attempt to make the world an inclusive space by encouraging people to open up about their preferences and desires. Unfortunately, there are still naysayers out there trying to stop people from living their own lives. Sometimes these attempts are see-through as it is clear that it's just a way for them to chastize people for living their truth. Ashley, who goes by @ashlelnok0 on TikTok, attempts to debunk a myth against gender inclusivity through a simple explanation.

The video is a stitch with a woman named Martin, who is questioning gender-neutral bathrooms in her video. She goes on a rant, "Is this what we're having to raise our kids now in? That we have to tell them at 10 years old what an all-gender bathroom is?" Her opinion was that 10-year-olds should not be subjected to such complexities and that they must be given the liberty to have an 'uncomplicated' childhood as if allowing people to live on their own terms is a difficult task.

Ashley, through her 10-second video, attempts to break this woman's misunderstanding. She records the video while pretending to speak to one of her boys. In order to explain to them the concept of gender-neutral bathrooms, she simply says, "Hey boys, do you see that bathroom over there? You know how we all use the same one at home? It's like that." The fact of the matter is that gender-neutral bathrooms are not a unique concept and are actually the norm in most households. Families usually use a common bathroom and do not differentiate between men and women.

People, in their effort to propagate their own conservative thoughts, tend to twist the most normal thing into an out-of-the-world phenomenon. Just like how living out your truth is not abnormal, in the same way, having common bathrooms is not an out-of-place thing that will cause disorientation in the children. It is just the practice of home etiquette transferred into the outside world. Moreover, it is important to help children understand the concept of 'gender identity', therefore such discussions should actually be encouraged. Parents should be able to move out of their own comfort zone and aid their children in being able to live the way they desire. This will go a long way in giving children a wholesome life, according to Cameron Van Fossen, executive director of Gender Spectrum.

Fossen, in his interview with Time shared, “For most kids, experimenting with gender will be just that — exploration and play. For some kids though, it may feel more intense,” and parents need to be ready for both. They must be a source of information and understanding and for that they need to 'de-center' themselves and prioritize their kids. Parental understanding has been considered a huge factor by the Trevor Project in the upbringing of children as according to their report, LGBTQ youth with supportive parents are much less likely to take dangerous steps.

The comment section was in agreement with @ashlelnok0 and her views. @camd444 shared their own experience, "My nephew is more confused why he can’t come with me into the women’s bathroom when his default is all gender/family bathroom." @midtex83 commented how she had a similar conversation with her kids, "Of all the conversations I've had with my kids, this was the easiest. Their response: 'Oh. Ok.' And life moved on."