Apples and Oranges?

October 5, 2016 2:03 AM

How can we label two changing rooms to sort of split users evenly without reference to gender or sex? More details after the jump.

My local LGBTQ association is organizing an "all bodies swimming day", where we will rent a pool for a few hours, so that we can all have a safe environment to enjoy swimming, without the typical problems we (specially the trans folk) face when going to a public pool.

The thing is that there are two changing rooms. Of course we will all be able to change in any of them. We could just cover the signs, but maybe we can come up with something clever or funny for labeling them instead, that would also represent aproximate halves of the population?

It won't be strict. Nobody will be forced to go to a different changing rooms because they say to-mah-to instead of to-may-to, it is mostly for the lulz.

Since this will most likely become a regular thing, I wanted to ask the hivemind for some ideas to make it different each time.

For cultural relevance, this is Sweden, but a University town with people from all over the world.

posted by Promethea to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (56 answers total)

Here in the States I would go for food options where folks tend to have a decided preference that matters little really. Pie versus cake, coffee or tea, Coca-Cola versus Pepsi. Do you have a similar friendly food rivalry?
posted by Nancy_LockIsLit_Palmer at 2:15 AM on October 5, 2016 [4 favorites]

How about a tomato on each (to capture the tomayto-tomahtoe joke)? Or maybe just something earnest, like two ungendered symbols with rainbow colors? (like this). Or just something silly, like two unicorns or pictures of galaxies or starfish, as a jab at the absurdity of the labelling to begin with?
posted by stillmoving at 2:21 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]

Kitten vs. puppy
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 2:48 AM on October 5, 2016 [7 favorites]

Clearly label them as being unisex, because I've been to enough shitty restaurants and bars where they have, like, "Cats and Kittens" Or "Stirrups and Spurs" on the gendered bathroom and it's trained me, even as a queer person, to wonder which one is the "right" one.

I'd also go with a pun on that, too - unicorn! Unicycle!
posted by Jilder at 2:55 AM on October 5, 2016 [52 favorites]

I don't know how things work in Sweden, but many countries give things implicit gender even when it isn't reflected in their actual gender or the language used to describe them. For instance, I would say that kittens are "female"; puppies are "male". You might find that some people understand the signs as conveying a meaning that you never intended.
posted by Joe in Australia at 2:56 AM on October 5, 2016 [7 favorites]

Oh, Jilder, snap.
posted by Joe in Australia at 2:57 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]

You could always go for the combat option, too - Star Wars Vs Star Trek, opposing local politicians or sports teams, Tea Vs Coffee, Wine Vs Whiskey. That kind of thing.
posted by Jilder at 2:57 AM on October 5, 2016

Sun / Moon; Snowflake / Raindrop;
posted by misteraitch at 3:06 AM on October 5, 2016

Response by poster: Just to clarify, this won't be an open event. Attendees will have registered before and know that changing rooms will be genderless (which is the main reason we're doing this).

Also, politics and religion won't be involved.
posted by Promethea at 3:14 AM on October 5, 2016

Infinity and Beyond
posted by tilde at 3:24 AM on October 5, 2016 [14 favorites]

DC / Marvel.
posted by Major Clanger at 3:32 AM on October 5, 2016 [5 favorites]

Windows/Mac
posted by GeeEmm at 3:53 AM on October 5, 2016 [4 favorites]

A coffeeshop in my neighborhood has two unisex bathrooms and they labeled them "Loo #1" and "Loo #2."
posted by Violet Hour at 3:55 AM on October 5, 2016 [11 favorites]

People who divide people into two groups
People who don't

See, even there I'd be looking for subtle hints about which one was "really" for me. Easiest solution is Everybody and Everybody. Otherwise it's all "wait, are they saying Marvel/apples/Android is for girls?"
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 4:05 AM on October 5, 2016 [9 favorites]

I like the idea of numbering them because there's less room for reading in stuff that's not there, but I'd call them 1 and A. So both can be first while still being different.

I also think this is a good idea however you do it, it helps each person remember which one they used in case they leave something in there or whatever.
posted by shelleycat at 4:09 AM on October 5, 2016 [24 favorites]

I'm of the mind that being clever in this situation is more likely to confuse than amuse. The best look for your event would be to not present a sudden demand to self-sort via a confusing criteria. Even something silly like "unicorn/unicycle" reads as "men/women" to me. Maybe you can add levity in other ways, like adding "(Don't ever change, darling)" under the sign "Changing Room."
posted by ejs at 4:25 AM on October 5, 2016 [7 favorites]

I also think any clever name is likely to confuse, even if people know in advance that they'll be unisex. I think I'd go for something that would actually split people like: names a-H and J-Z or Born Jan-May, Born Jun-Dec or something.
posted by AFII at 4:35 AM on October 5, 2016 [9 favorites]

To expand on AFII's idea, how about splitting by astrology signs?
posted by Sophont at 5:17 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]

'You' and 'Me.'
posted by box at 5:32 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]

'Ask' and 'Guess'
posted by Segundus at 5:38 AM on October 5, 2016 [5 favorites]

'Over' and 'Under' - with corresponding pictures of the two toilet roll 'hangs'. ;)
posted by Salamander at 5:40 AM on October 5, 2016 [12 favorites]

The first ungendered public toilets I encountered in the wild (Ashland, OR) were labeled 'people' and 'other people' , I've also seen 'either' and 'or' for the same (though it implies a binary which I understand you might be trying to avoid)
posted by heyforfour at 5:57 AM on October 5, 2016 [4 favorites]

All and Y'all.
posted by mal de coucou at 6:14 AM on October 5, 2016 [7 favorites]

Antingen/eller
Lingon/blåbär
Kaffedrickare/Tefantaster
Star Wars/Star Trek
posted by harujion at 6:38 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]

I am going to go against the others saying that labeling the bathrooms with humor will be alienating. If I was invited to a queer event that I had to register for and had been given information on, that included there will be gender neutral changing rooms-I would see the random labels and immediately find it cute.

To offset the possibility of confusion, though, I'd suggest picking two things that are related, not opposites:

Cosmonauts / Astronauts
Sugar / Spice
Sun / Moon
Cake / Ice cream
Stars / Comets
Oceans / Rivers
Crocodiles / Alligators
Analog / Digital (clocks, maybe? hanging real ones on the door might be tricky, but would be great)
East / West
Different Eras - Victorian / Elizabethan, etc, with a picture of a group of mixed company dressed in fanciful clothes
Landscape / Portrait



If you decide against labeling in this way, you can always pick a great, recognizable quote and split it in half. My first suggestion:

All for one | One for all
posted by FirstMateKate at 6:43 AM on October 5, 2016 [46 favorites]

I was walking past our gender-neutral toilets this afternoon (I'm also in Sweden, they're all gender-neutral) and realised I really want to get changed in an elk changing room. So now I think you should have an elk (aka moose) and a lynx changing room with silhouette images of each on the doors.
posted by shelleycat at 7:09 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]

In English, there are objects that are called different things in different parts of the country (soda/pop, bubbler/fountain) and words that are spelled differently in different countries (tyre/tire, anything with British s/z). Are there things like that in Swedish, or an old/modern spelling shift?
posted by aimedwander at 7:10 AM on October 5, 2016

How about three things on each door? So, for animal creatures, silhouettes of different animals - moose, rabbit, bear, squirrel, lynx, elk. Make sure both has a horned creature and both have a small creature. Then you are a parade of animals just as we are.

I also like "all for one, one for all."

This is such a cool idea.
posted by amanda at 7:13 AM on October 5, 2016

If you want something more recognizable, these results for all gender bathroom sign are probably the closest. I like these the best.
posted by Flamingo at 8:01 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]

I am a fan of being honest and I think that, in a swimming pool situation, it is enough of a novelty to have changing rooms that are free from gender labels. Why not just label each changing room with something honest like "Changing Room for Everyone" or "Gender Neutral Changing Room?"
posted by jazh at 8:14 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]

You could also challenge the notions of "this room is for some people but not others" by putting the same cute symbol on both doors. Two doors that both have elk, for example, could be more fun than the other universal change room symbols.

Also, the pool where my city does its all bodies swim labels the change room with the amenities inside, since only one of them has changing cubicles. That's been helpful for folks to know.
posted by Banknote of the year at 8:27 AM on October 5, 2016 [6 favorites]

"Whomever" and "Whoever"
posted by Lucinda at 8:48 AM on October 5, 2016 [7 favorites]

Tony Stark/Captain America
posted by corb at 8:51 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]

"A" and "B"
posted by Rob Rockets at 8:56 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]

changing room / also a changing room
posted by The corpse in the library at 9:24 AM on October 5, 2016 [2 favorites]

There are 10 kinds of people in the world: people who understand binary math and people who don't. "Understand binary" "Don't understand binary"
posted by at at 10:23 AM on October 5, 2016

Anyone and Everyone
posted by shesbenevolent at 11:20 AM on October 5, 2016 [5 favorites]

You should just make a sign that says "changing room".

Coming up with cutesy binaries reinforces the idea you're trying to get rid of. See, for example, all the theme restaurants that do this, and their clientele fully understand that the "cat" and "rooster" or "shoe" and "pipe" or "beer bottle" and "cocktail glass" signs correspond to gender.
posted by Sara C. at 11:24 AM on October 5, 2016 [3 favorites]

North / South
Yellow / Green
Grass / Sky
Brain / Heart
Love / Peace
Throw / Catch
posted by Lanark at 11:30 AM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]

As someone who has trouble differentiating look alike places it would be nice if there was some sort of differentiation. I like the Anyone and Everyone and A/1. Or Up/Down; Left/Right; Strange/Charm; Proton/Electron; East/West; North/South; Hot/Cold.
posted by Mitheral at 11:31 AM on October 5, 2016

I realize this might not be possible, but in my wildest dreams, this would be two identical "holographic" signs that look different depending on where you're standing.
posted by meemzi at 12:10 PM on October 5, 2016

I want to nth the idea of using cardinal directions, but only if they at least vaguely align with the positions of each locker room.

Calling the southernmost locker room "North" would make my brain itch and make me think ungenerous thoughts towards the labeller.
posted by sparklemotion at 12:16 PM on October 5, 2016

You could mimic the holographic thing with paper, like this.

You could do warning signs: THIS BATHROOM IS FOR HUMANS ONLY. NO ALLIGATORS (Unicorns, chupacabra, whatever you want) ALLOWED.

Or unicorns only instead of humans.
posted by meemzi at 12:19 PM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]

Odd people / Even people
posted by criticalbill at 12:26 PM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]

Jam / Honey
Tits / Ass (ymmv)
Cake / Ice-cream
Hip-hop / Country
Cream / Custard
Twitter / Facebook
Credit / Debit
Quasar / Electron
etc / ad inf
posted by criticalbill at 12:42 PM on October 5, 2016

Room on the left: "Girls and Boys"
Room on the right: "Boys and Girls"

Sign in the middle with arrows pointing to both sides "Not sure"

You may prefer to use "Women and Men" and "Men and Women"


Alternatively:

"Those who are biologically female but cis female use Changing Room 2 on Wednesday mornings in October, unless their middle initial is in the middle third of the alphabet. If they are biologically mosiac but cis female use Changing Room B on Wednesday mornings in October if their middle initial is not in the middle third of the alphabet Those who are not sure of their biological gender but identify as cis female use the alternate Changing Room unless it is a Wednesday..." etc.

Make a sign approximately 2' x 3' and fill it with this incomprehensible stuff in small print and hang the sign between the two changing rooms. Do not label either changing room but refer to them on the sign as Changing room 2 and Changing room B. Make it impossible for anyone to determine which changing room they should use regardless of their gender identity. If the changing rooms are originally male/female go into them and put courtesy boxes of menstrual products beside the urinals and hang a sample of clearly gender specific garments of both types to ensure that the rooms signal that persons of either gender identity use the rooms.
posted by Jane the Brown at 1:20 PM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]

Two signs both read:
Half of you please use this room
posted by forforf at 3:37 PM on October 5, 2016 [8 favorites]

With urinals/without urinals (since that might be an actual reason for someone to choose one over the other)
posted by MsMolly at 4:12 PM on October 5, 2016 [8 favorites]

I like humans/humans. Or if you really want them to be different humans/homosapiens.
posted by catatethebird at 4:31 PM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]

I also like the idea of letting me know which room has shower curtains/cubicals and which has open showers (if this is a thing at this pool). So I like the idea of labeling them as A and 1 and listing their amenities.
posted by bleep at 4:48 PM on October 5, 2016 [1 favorite]

I like alligators/crocodiles.

A restaurant in Santa Cruz has Aliens & Robots. They're very definitely both unisex.
posted by fingersandtoes at 7:41 PM on October 5, 2016

"???" and "!!!"

In my circles we'd use vi and emacs.
posted by the marble index at 9:04 PM on October 5, 2016

A-M and N-Z. (first letter of surname)
posted by xris at 9:27 PM on October 5, 2016

"You could use this one" and "Or you could use this one"
posted by The corpse in the library at 9:33 AM on October 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

Room on the left: "Girls and Boys"
Room on the right: "Boys and Girls"

Sign in the middle with arrows pointing to both sides "Not sure"


I'm sure you know this, but for those who come here in the future: please do not do this. I'm neither boy nor girl, and the definitely doesn't mean I'm not sure about my gender.
posted by FirstMateKate at 10:15 AM on October 6, 2016 [9 favorites]

all user bathroom symbol
posted by aniola at 1:16 PM on January 14, 2017