Parent of transgender teen in Dublin says they are terrified of using school toilets

It's something most of us never have to think about.

I never realised the struggle for those transitioning gender when it came to bathrooms or changing rooms until I went away with one of my trans friends. We went swimming at one stage and they stood there torn between what changing room to use knowing that whichever one they choose issues could arise. Recently a Dublin parent of a young transgender teen spoke about how terrified her child is of using their school bathroom and it's incredibly eye-opening. The mother of the 17-year-old trans student has said that her child will often fast or go the entire day without drinking to avoid using the bathrooms at school. She went on to say that while her child first registered in school as a female he is now a trans boy and feels unsafe using the toilets at his school. She said the stress is not only impacting on his mental health but also his physical wellbeing;

"He would come home completely dehydrated and would have to go to bed for hours and then get up and do his homework."

The concerned mum said that her son was advised to use the disabled toilet at school but because of the nature of the toilet it can be opened from the outside and people continuously walked in on him. She said the lock was eventually changed but that it simply isn't enough and that all public toilets should be gender-neutral to help keep young transgender people safe. I completely agree that more public places need to adopt a gender-neutral ethos when it comes to facilities like toilets to help those transitioning to feel accepted and included.