The Possibility of Gender-Neutral Public Bathrooms Following Bostock v. Clayton County
Presentation Type
Poster
Faculty Advisor
Thomas Loikith
Access Type
Event
Start Date
26-4-2024 9:45 AM
End Date
26-4-2024 10:44 AM
Description
The Fourteenth Amendment has assured all persons in the U.S. the “equal protection of the laws” since its ratification in 1868. Despite the explicit language of the Fourteenth Amendment, however, groups within the country have had to fight for equality, as seen by the experiences of African Americans and women in the 19th and 20th centuries. One of the groups not yet enjoying full equality under the laws is the LGBTQ+ community. Specifically, non-binaries do not yet enjoy equal protection under the Constitution as to which public bathroom facilities they can use. What can be done to ensure that non-binaries experience full protection under the Fourteenth Amendment when it comes to use of public bathroom facilities? This is a complex problem requiring interdisciplinary research to achieve a more comprehensive understanding and suggest resolutions of the problem. I researched and analyzed the problem through the perspectives of law and sociology. I used qualitative research methodology, analyzing scholarly and other sources to find common ground between disciplinary insights. I then integrated common insights to achieve a fuller understanding of the research problem. As a result, I am able to offer suggested resolutions of the problem. I have not completed my research of this problem. I anticipate completing my research by early April. However, I tentatively conclude that the federal government should ensure equal protection of the laws to non-binaries by enacting legislation more explicitly protecting their use of public bathroom facilities consistent with which gender they identify.
The Possibility of Gender-Neutral Public Bathrooms Following Bostock v. Clayton County
The Fourteenth Amendment has assured all persons in the U.S. the “equal protection of the laws” since its ratification in 1868. Despite the explicit language of the Fourteenth Amendment, however, groups within the country have had to fight for equality, as seen by the experiences of African Americans and women in the 19th and 20th centuries. One of the groups not yet enjoying full equality under the laws is the LGBTQ+ community. Specifically, non-binaries do not yet enjoy equal protection under the Constitution as to which public bathroom facilities they can use. What can be done to ensure that non-binaries experience full protection under the Fourteenth Amendment when it comes to use of public bathroom facilities? This is a complex problem requiring interdisciplinary research to achieve a more comprehensive understanding and suggest resolutions of the problem. I researched and analyzed the problem through the perspectives of law and sociology. I used qualitative research methodology, analyzing scholarly and other sources to find common ground between disciplinary insights. I then integrated common insights to achieve a fuller understanding of the research problem. As a result, I am able to offer suggested resolutions of the problem. I have not completed my research of this problem. I anticipate completing my research by early April. However, I tentatively conclude that the federal government should ensure equal protection of the laws to non-binaries by enacting legislation more explicitly protecting their use of public bathroom facilities consistent with which gender they identify.