Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian
Musings on Texas Bathroom Bills: The Universal Need to Urinate and Defecate

Musings on Texas Bathroom Bills: The Universal Need to Urinate and Defecate

Last updated on: July 21, 2017 at 11:17 am by Christy Thomas

Musings on Texas Bathroom Bills: The Universal Need to Urinate and Defecate 2017-07-21T11:17:31-05:00 Christy Thomas

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

May those who think they are doing good and being “biblical” by supporting these unimaginably cruel Texas Bathroom Bills take the time to reconsider and repent in the name of our shared humanity.

Unlocked bathroom stalls Texas Bathroom Bill

We all want open bathroom doors.

Dear Thoughtful Pastor: The Texas Legislature is considering regulating who uses what restroom. Lawyers and law enforcement say this is a non-issue because any threat to safety—such as assault and voyeurism—is already illegal. Teachers say the only privacy at risk is the transgender child’s whose already marginalized identity will be made a public issue in front of their classmates. However, many of the proponents for this legislation are people of faith. What does my faith say about how we should treat our transgender neighbors?

It is a universal truth, to be acknowledged by all, that every single human being on earth needs to urinate and defecate periodically. It is also a universal truth that all those past early childhood prefer to engage in those mandatory bodily functions in safe and private environments and as free as possible from residue left by others.

A second universal truth: young children and those with physical limitations may need help to perform those functions. Often the helper is not born with the same sexual appearance as the one needing help.

A third universal truth: when powerful people deny access to opportunities to engage in such necessary bodily acts, the likelihood of ill-health, not to mention public embarrassment, as a result of such denials grows exponentially.

A fourth universal truth: those who make it their mission to bar safe and private facilities to all have committed themselves to acting with extraordinary and merciless cruelty toward others.

The solution to the “Texas Bathroom Bill” horrors

The solution is mind-bendingly simple. Many parts of the world have long since figured this out. Provide ample private stalls which anyone may use. Build enough adequately spacious ones that more than one person can comfortably fit when necessary.

My husband and I recently returned from travels that took us into multiple countries bordering the Baltic Sea. In many places there, as well as other places we have seen, toileting facilities are not “sexed” or limited to one particular type of physical elimination possibilities.

Instead, we all enter the main door to the “WC” (water closet), find an open, fully private stall with no way to peer over or under as most US bathroom designs feature, do our business, emerge, wash our hands and leave. It is easy to tell when a private space is open because the locks indicate when the facility is in use.

Yes, those of us used to more restricted facilities do have to get over an initial discomfort factor. However, once this practice is normalized, it becomes no big deal. Also, this option solves multiple “potty parity” issues that have long bedeviled those born with less accessible urinating apparatus. In our current system, one line of the restricted facilities will nearly always have double or triple the waiting time of the other.

With all using the same toileting facilities, we all have the same waiting time—which is much less across the board.

This option is also a simple recognition that all humans deserve to be offered dignity and privacy when performing those essential functions.

You want to be biblical? Pick up your trowels

If we need to be “biblical” about this, then let us indeed start observing this procedure, found in Deuteronomy 23: “You shall have a designated area outside the camp to which you shall go. With your utensils you shall have a trowel; when you relieve yourself outside, you shall dig a hole with it and then cover up your excrement” (Deut. 23:12-13, NRSV).

Trowels anyone?

People of faith must stand to up all who would deny any human being access to those safe and private spaces. Cruelty to others is never, ever a virtue of faith. Those who claim these bathroom bills are being “Christian” or “loving” or “being safe to others” have utterly deluded themselves.

I admit to this fantasy concerning those political and religious leaders who want to deny such safety and privacy to some. When these leaders enter the afterlife, they find themselves experiencing full bladders and urgently pressing bowels. They stand before a series of pristine and private toileting facilities. However, although others freely enter and leave, each time they approach a door, they find a locked, impenetrable barrier.

In time, they unavoidably soil themselves with the byproducts of their impressively efficient digestive functions. Compassionate, non-gender signifying people clean them, dress them in fresh clothes, and send them on their way.

When the inevitable needs to urinate and defecate hit again, the same nightmare repeats itself. The cycle continues until they throw themselves upon the undeserved mercy of those they so egregiously harmed in this life and acknowledge their wrongdoing.

At that point, the doors to the facilities forever show the “open” sign, offering free access to all who wish to enter.

May those who think they are doing good and being “biblical” by supporting these unimaginably cruel Texas Bathroom Bills take the time to reconsider and repent in the name of our shared humanity. There is no justification for these actions.

Photo Credit: A creative commons photo via Visual Hunt

transgender school children

Previous Post

July 11, 2017

Putin, Russia, U.S. Sanctions, Adoptions, and Trump

Next Post

July 18, 2017 What the UMC can learn from the GOP health care debacle

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category " obedience abortion accommodation accountability administration adolescence Advent advice an ordinary death anxiety apology apportionments Ash Wednesday ask thoughtfulpastor baptism betrayal Bible bondage calling certainty change character charity children Christianity Christmas church church as garden clergy clergy credentials closure comfort compassion competition compromise Confirmation conservation conservative conspiracy theories consumer conversion coronavirua corruption courage covenant cultural context death Deconstruction discipleship discord divorce doctrine doing good drugs dysfunctional Easter Easter; Resurrection education election entertainment envy escape evaluation evil exclusive church exercise faith faithfulness family fasting fear feast featured film review finances first world problem food forgiveness fundamentalist garden gay marriage General Conference generosity giving thanks GLBT glory good government grace guilt habit happy harmony hateful acts healing health health care heaven hell hello/goodbye heresy hidden agenda holiness homelessness homosexuality humility hymn hypocrisy Imago Dei In training inclusive church indulgence injustice innocents insurance intolerance itinerancy joy Justice kindness Kingdom of Heave kingdom of heaven language laughter laundry lawsuit leadership Lent LGBTQ liberal life Little Things Matter longform meandering thoughts memories mercy metaphor metrics miracle misfortunes morality Mormon Muslim mystery worship natural disasters New Category Name nutrients older adults oppression pain Paleo paperwork partnered pastor peace pension pharmaceutical placebo politics poverty prayer privilege public schools questions quiet racism rain reason reconciliation religion repentance requirements rescue respect rest resurrection retirement Sabbath sacrament sacred salvation same-sex marriage sanctuary schism schooling science SCOTUS secrecy separation of church and state sexism sexuality short cuts silence sin sleep soil spiritual journey stillness suffering surgery sustainable church teacher technology thank you theology therapy thinking tolerance TOS trust truth Uncategorized welcome Why Easter? wisdom women worship

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 December 2025 October 2025 September 2025 July 2025 June 2025 March 2025 February 2025 December 2024 November 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 April 2024 March 2024 January 2024 December 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 October 2022 September 2022 July 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 October 2021 July 2021 June 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 January 2020 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 July 2007 March 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz