Why we need gender-neutral bathrooms | Ivan Coyote

譯者: Echo Yip 審譯者: Conway Ye

There are a few things that all of us need.

有幾樣東西我們所有人都需要。

We all need air to breathe.

我們都需要有空氣呼吸。

We need clean water to drink.

我們都需要有乾淨的水喝。

We need food to eat. We need shelter and love.

我們都需要有食物吃。 我們都需要庇護和愛。

You know. Love is great, too.

你知道，愛也是很重要的。

And we all need a safe place to pee.

而且我們都需要安全的地方小解。

(Laughter) Yeah?

（笑聲）對吧？

As a trans person who doesn't fit neatly into the gender binary,

作為不符合兩性框架的變性者，

if I could change the world tomorrow

如果我明天就能改變世界，

to make it easier for me to navigate,

讓我可以更自在的徜徉其中，

the very first thing I would do

我會做的第一件事就是，

is blink and create single stall, gender-neutral bathrooms

在眨眼間，把獨立的跨性別廁所，

in all public places.

建設於每個公共場所。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Trans people and trans issues,

變性者與變性議題，

they've been getting a lot of mainstream media attention lately.

最近受到大量的主流媒體注目。

And this is a great and necessary thing,

這是件很棒也必要的事情，

but most of that attention has been focused

但是大多的注意力

on a very few individuals,

只集中在少數人身上，

most of whom are kinda rich

這些人大多都是蠻有錢

and pretty famous,

也滿有名的，

and probably don't have to worry that much anymore about where they're going to pee

而且大概也不再需要太擔心

他們在社區大學上課時 要在哪裡如廁；

in between classes at their community college,

or where they're going to get changed into their gym strip

或是在公立高中裡要去哪裡換運動服。

at their public high school.

Fame and money insulates these television star trans people

名聲與金錢將這些 媒體寵兒的跨性別者

與幾乎每天都會碰到的困難隔離，

from most of the everyday challenges

that the rest of us have to tackle on a daily basis.

而我們其餘的人 必須每天克服這些難題。

Public bathrooms.

公共廁所。

They've been a problem for me since as far back as I can remember,

從我有記憶以來 它們對我而言便是個難題，

first when I was just a little baby tomboy

最開始當我還只是個小男人婆時，

and then later as a masculine-appearing, predominantly estrogen-based organism.

接著是有陽剛外表 與明顯雌性器官的時候。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Now, today as a trans person, public bathrooms and change rooms

現在，作為一個變性者 ， 公共浴廁與更衣室

are where I am most likely to be questioned or harassed.

是我最常被質疑或騷擾的地方。

I've often been verbally attacked behind their doors.

我時常在更衣室門後 受到門外人的言語攻擊。

I've been hauled out by security guards with my pants still halfway pulled up.

我曾經在褲子穿到一半時 被保全拖出去。

I've been stared at, screamed at, whispered about,

我受到打量；有人對我 大呼小叫或是背後耳語。

and one time I got smacked in the face by a little old lady's purse

還有一次，一位矮小的年長女性 用皮包甩了我一巴掌。

that from the looks of the shiner I took home that day

而且從那天我身上的瘀青來看，

I am pretty certain contained at least 70 dollars of rolled up small change

我蠻肯定那皮包裡至少有 70 美金的零錢，

and a large hard candy collection.

還有一大包的綜合水果硬糖。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And I know what some of you are thinking,

我知道你們之中有些人會這麼想，

and you're mostly right.

而你基本上是正確的，

I can and do just use the men's room most of the time these days.

在大多數的時候， 我可以用男廁就好，

But that doesn't solve my change room dilemmas, does it?

但那並不能解決我使用 更衣室的困境，對吧？

And I shouldn't have to use the men's room because I'm not a man.

而且我不應該使用男士洗手間 因為我並不是男性。

I'm a trans person.

我是一位變性人。

And now we've got these fearmongering politicians

現在我們碰到一群煽動恐懼的政客，

that keep trying to pass these bathroom bills.

試圖通過一些廁所法案。

Have you heard about these?

你們有聽過相關法案嗎？

They try to legislate to try and force people like myself

他們試圖用立法 來強迫像我一樣的人們

to use the bathroom that they deem most appropriate

去使用他們認為最恰當的廁所──

according to the gender I was assigned at birth.

根據我的生理性別──

And if these politicians ever get their way,

要是如這群政客所願的話，

in Arizona or California or Florida

不論是在亞利桑那州 加州或佛羅里達，

or just last week in Houston, Texas,

或者只是上週在德州休斯頓，

or Ottawa,

或渥太華，

well then, using the men's room will not be a legal option for me either.

那我在這些地方 使用男廁所都是違法的事。

And every time one of these politicians brings one of these bills to the table,

每當這些政客提出相關的提案時，

I can't help but wonder, you know,

我不禁懷疑，你知道，

just who will and exactly how would we go about enforcing laws like these. Right?

究竟有誰會去執行 這樣的法律？要怎麼執行？

Panty checks?

檢查內褲？

Really.

說笑的吧？

Genital inspections outside of bath change rooms at public pools?

在公共游泳池更衣室外 查核你的生殖器？

There's no legal or ethical or plausible way

沒有在法律或倫理上合理的理由

to enforce laws like these anyway.

去實施這樣的法律。

They exist only to foster fear

他們的存在只是為了促進恐懼

and promote transphobia.

並傳播跨性別恐懼症。

They don't make anyone safer.

他們沒有讓任何人變得更安全。

But they do for sure make the world more dangerous for some of us.

但他們肯定讓我們 其中一些人的世界更危險。

And meanwhile, our trans children suffer.

而與此同時，

我們跨性別的孩子為此受苦。

They drop out of school, or they opt out of life altogether.

他們輟學，甚至棄世而逃。

Trans people, especially trans and gender-nonconforming youth

跨性別者，特別是 對性別認知不同的年輕人，

face additional challenges when accessing pools and gyms,

在進入游泳池和健身房的時候 必須面臨更多的挑戰，

but also universities,

不只游泳池，還有大學、

hospitals, libraries.

醫院、圖書館。

Don't even get me started on how they treat us in airports.

千萬別讓我告訴你 我們在機場是如何被對待的。

If we don't move now

如果我們現在不行動，

to make sure that these places

以確保這些地方

are truly open and accessible to everyone,

是真的開放而且可供每一個人使用，

then we just need to get honest

那我們乾脆誠實一點，

and quit calling them public places.

別叫它們為公共場所了。

We need to just admit

我們必須承認，

that they are really only open for people

這些場所只開放給

who fit neatly into one of two gender boxes,

只符合兩性概念的族群，

which I do not.

而我並不在其列。

I never have.

我從來就不是。

And this starts very early.

而這從很早就開始了。

I know a little girl. She's the daughter of a friend of mine.

我認識一個小女孩， 他是我朋友的女兒。

She's a self-identified tomboy.

她自己覺得自己是個男人婆。

I'm talking about cowboy boots

我說的是她的牛仔靴，

and Caterpillar yellow toy trucks and bug jars, the whole nine yards.

巨無霸黃色玩具卡車， 和果醬罐裡的昆蟲，全部都是。

One time I asked her what her favorite color was.

有一次我問她，她最愛什麼顏色，

She told me, "Camouflage."

她告訴我：「迷彩。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So that awesome little kid,

這麼棒的一個小孩子，

she came home from school last October

在去年十月，

從幼兒園上完半天課回家時，

from her half day of preschool

with soggy pants on because the other kids at school were harassing her

穿著濕掉的褲子 ， 因為學校裡的其他孩子騷擾她，

when she tried to use the girls' bathroom.

就在她試著要去女生廁所的時候。

And the teacher had already instructed her to stay out of the boys' bathroom.

而她的老師已經教過她 不能走進男廁。

And she had drank two glasses of that red juice

她喝了兩大杯的果汁

at the Halloween party,

在萬聖節派對上。

and I mean, who can resist that red juice, right? It's so good.

我說，誰有辦法抗拒 果汁的誘惑呢？它太好喝了！

And she couldn't hold her pee any longer.

也因此她再也憋不住尿了。

Her and her classmates were four years old.

她和她的同學們才四歲，

They already felt empowered enough

但他們已經覺得自己有權力

to police her use of the so-called public bathrooms.

去監督她使用所謂的公共廁所。

She was four years old.

她才四歲啊！

She had already been taught the brutal lesson

她卻已經接受了這殘忍的一課，

that there was no bathroom door at preschool

幼稚園裡沒有一間廁所門上的

with a sign on it that welcomed people like her.

標誌符號是歡迎像她這樣的人。

She'd already learned that bathrooms were going to be a problem,

她體悟到如廁將會是一個大麻煩，

and that problem started with her

這個麻煩開始跟著她，

and was hers alone.

而她必須自己面對。

So my friend asked me to talk to her little daughter,

所以我朋友請我跟她女兒談談，

and I did.

我就去了。

I wanted to tell her

我想告訴她，

that me and her mom were going to march on down

我跟她母親會殺到學校 去跟學校理論，

and talk to that school, and the problem was going to go away,

然後所有的問題都搞定了。

but I knew that wasn't true.

但我知道這不是真的。

I wanted to tell her that it was all going to get better when she got older,

我想告訴她等她長大之後 這一切都會變好，

but I couldn't.

但我也不能。

So I asked her to tell me the story of what had happened,

所以我問她整件事是如何發生的，

asked her to tell me how it made her feel.

讓她告訴我她的感受。

"Mad and sad,"

她告訴我：「好生氣又好難過！」

she told me.

So I told her

所以我告訴她

that she wasn't alone

她不是孤單的，

and that it wasn't right what had happened to her,

還有發生在她身上的事情不是對的。

and then she asked me if I had ever peed in my pants before.

然後她問我，有沒有尿在褲子上過？

I said yes, I had,

我說有，我有。

but not for a really long time.

不過好久好久沒有尿在褲子上了。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Which of course was a lie,

這當然是個謊言，

because you know how you hit, like, 42 or 43,

因為你們也知道，到了 42、43 歲，

and sometimes you just, I don't know, you pee a little bit

我不知道，有時候你只是漏了一點尿，

when you cough or sneeze,

可能只是在咳嗽或是打哈欠的時候，

when you're running upstairs, or you're stretching.

或是跑上樓梯，或只是伸個懶腰，

Don't lie.

別說謊！

It happens. Right?

事情就是這樣，對吧？

She doesn't need to know that, I figure.

她不需要知道這事，我想。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I told her, when you get older, your bladder is going to grow bigger, too.

我跟她說，當你長大之後 你的膀胱也會一起變大。

When you get old like me,

當你到我這個年紀時，

you're going to be able to hold your pee for way longer,

你憋尿的時間就長很多了，

I promised her.

我向她保證。

"Until you can get home?"

「憋到可以回家的時候嗎？」

she asked me.

她如此問道。

I said, "Yes,

我說：「是。

until you can get home."

直到你回到家的時候。」

She seemed to take some comfort in that.

她對此感到舒坦了些。

So let's just build some single stall, gender-neutral bathrooms

所以，讓我們建立一些無性別廁所吧！

with a little bench for getting changed into your gym clothes.

裡面還要放小板凳， 可以換上健身服。

We can't change the world overnight

我們不可能一夜之間 為了我們的孩子改變全世界，

for our children,

but we can give them a safe and private place

但我們可以給他們一個 安全而隱私的地方，

to escape that world,

讓他們逃離那個世界，

if only for just a minute.

哪怕只是一分鐘。

This we can do.

這就是我們可以做到的。

So let's just do it.

所以讓我們著手吧。

And if you are one of those people who is sitting out there right now

而如果你現在正坐在那兒，

already coming up with a list of reasons in your head why this is not a priority,

腦中浮現了一整張清單的理由， 證明這不是最急迫的，

or it's too expensive,

或這太昂貴了，

or telling yourself that giving a trans person a safe place to pee

又或者覺得給跨性別者 一個地方上廁所

or get changed in

或換衣服

supports a lifestyle choice that you feel offends your morality,

有違你的道德感，

or your masculinity,

或男子氣概，

or your religious beliefs,

或宗教信仰，

then let me just appeal

那讓我懇求你吧！

to the part of your heart that probably, hopefully,

懇求你心中還有那麼一絲絲

does care about the rest of the population.

真心在乎大眾群體的地方。

If you can't bring yourself to care enough about people like me,

如果你沒辦法說服自己 給予像我這樣的人足夠的關懷，

then what about women and girls

那你又如何對待對身體意象 有障礙的婦女呢？

with body image issues?

What about anyone with body image stuff going on?

那又該如何對待所有 對身體意象有障礙的人呢？

What about that boy at school who is a foot shorter than his classmates,

那些在學校裡比其他同學 矮上 30 公分的男生呢？

whose voice still hasn't dropped yet? Hey?

還沒變聲的他們？

Oh, grade eight,

噢！八年級啊！

what a cruel master you can be.

你是個多麼殘酷的大師啊！

Right?

對吧？

What about people with anxiety issues?

還有那些焦慮症患者呢？

What about people with disabilities or who need assistance in there?

還有那些殘障人士 或需要協助的人呢?

What about folks with bodies who, for whatever reason,

還有那些人，不論什麼緣故

don't fit into the mainstream idea of what a body should look like?

就是不符合大家對身體 應該長怎樣的主流認知？

How many of us still feel shy

我們之中還有多少人 覺得害羞或是害怕，

or afraid to disrobe in front of our peers,

當你在同儕之中脫下衣衫的時候？

and how many of us allow that fear

而我們之中又有多少人因為這種恐懼

to keep us from something as important

而讓我們不能做一些重要的日常活動，

as physical exercise?

像是運動健身？

Would all those people not benefit

這些族群不是都會受益於 這些單獨隔間的洗手間嗎？

from these single stall facilities?

We can't change transphobic minds overnight,

我們不能一夜之間 改變人們對跨性別者的恐懼，

but we can give everybody

但我們可以給每個人 一個更衣的地方。

a place to get changed in

so that we can all get to work

為此我們可以一起努力

making the world safer

讓這個世界更安全，

for all of us.

無論你是哪種人。

Thank you for listening.

謝謝你們的聆聽。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）