Countries with Gender Neutral Bathrooms 2024

Canada

Canada was one of the leading countries leading the charge to include gender-neutral bathrooms in public spaces. The initial legislation was established in 2014, and discussions were held to confirm a symbol to indicate the gender-neutral bathroom. Possible signs for the restroom included a pink triangle or possibly a rainbow triangle. Although there are many gender-neutral bathrooms throughout Canada, Vancouver was the first municipality to offer bathrooms in public buildings.

China

The first toilets that were unisex and gender-neutral appeared in China sometime before 2013. Later, unisex toilets appeared in Shenyang and Chengdu in 2015. A year later in 2016, gender-neutral toilets appeared in Zhangjiabin River in the Shanghai district, and many other toilets have since followed. A recent campaign was launched to make all toilets across China gender-neutral.

India

The Indian Supreme Court ruled in 2014 that people who are transgender will be recognized as a third gender. This ruling helped establish toilets in separate areas for gender-neutral people. Later, in 2017, the Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation established new guidelines indicating that members of the transgender community could use whatever toilets they felt most comfortable with. Although the central government has accommodated transgender citizens, it has not stopped violence and attacks against the transgender community, which continue to be an ongoing safety concern for the transgender community.

Thailand

As early as 2013, Thailand began creating separate toilets for effeminate male-bodied people. These toilets are in public spaces as well in private schools and businesses. Several alliances in Thailand, like the Thai Transgender Alliance, have worked to make these separate public bathrooms a reality.

United States

In 2015, New York became the first state to implement gender-neutral toilets throughout the public buildings in the state. Since then, OSHA has recently decreed that any single-use restroom in the workplace must be gender-neutral. In private offices and facilities, many companies have a unisex bathroom for people to use. Although legislation is changing to include unisex and gender-neutral bathrooms in public spaces, many transgendered community members still receive abuse and violent protest.

Nepal

Bageshwori Park was the first area to have two unisex toilets. The MP used the Parliamentarian Development Fund to establish bathrooms for a growing trend in Nepal to offer accommodations for transgender people. Several organizations and alliances within Nepal continue to support separate toilets for transgender students within the public and private school systems.

Japan

Although no formal laws indicate the intended use of public restrooms, many residents assume that the restroom stalls are mostly gender-free. In the future, the Tokyo government was planning to place unisex toilets throughout the city. Their ultimate goal was to have at least seven of the main buildings being used for the Olympics to include gender-neutral bathrooms to accommodate transgender citizens and visitors. There are no plans in place for the rest of Japan regarding gender-neutral restrooms through public areas.