In the main building of the University of Graz two WC facilities on the ground floor and first floor were completely refurbished during the summer. Since mid-October, they have been open to staff, students and visitors to the university – with a special feature: "All genders welcome" can be read on the milky white sliding glass doors. These lavatories are the first publicly accessible toilets at the University of Graz without separate areas for men and women.
"All genders welcome" – an invitation that some have been waiting for, while others may be, at first, a little hesitant to enter, although the modern lavatories, whose doors open without being touched, look very attractive already from the outside.
In any case, the all-gender-welcome toilets are a great relief for people who do not or cannot clearly assign themselves to the female or male gender. The feeling of being out of place is a stressful or at least unpleasant experience, especially at the WC.
People who need assistance at the lavatory and are accompanied by a person of the opposite sex know this, as do mums with a son or dads with a daughter, when they enter a WC. "Going to the toilet is a need common to all people, and no person should be afraid of wry looks or even of being verbally or physically attacked there," says Barbara Hey, head of the Coordination Centre for Gender Studies and Equal Opportunities. With her team, she suggested the realisation of the all-gender-welcome toilets, among other measures to promote diversity.
"At the university, where many people with different needs are on site – students, staff and visitors to events – it is particularly important for us to appreciate diversity. We have used the necessary renovation of the toilet facilities to create more spacious neutral areas," emphasises Peter Riedler, Vice-Rector for Financial Affairs, Resources and Location Development. With its facilities, the University of Graz has implemented what is already standard practice at many universities internationally. Apart from that, in some places there has always been "one for all", as passengers of trains and planes know.
Nevertheless, some people still feel more comfortable when they only encounter members of their own sex at the lavatory. Therefore, there will continue to be ladies' and men's toilets at the University of Graz. To ensure that everyone can find the appropriate WC, all facilities are clearly identified accordingly.
