Canadian Museum for Human Rights makes all its washrooms gender-inclusive

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is doing away with men's and women's washrooms in a move it says makes the space safer for 2SLGBTQ people.

The CMHR has made all of its washrooms gender-inclusive, the museum announced Tuesday, coinciding with the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.

"People are still faced with being forced into addressing or acknowledging or engaging in a binary systemic that continues to cause harm, so these kind of steps to remove some of those barriers is helping," said Haran Vijayanathan, director for equity and growth with the museum.

Vijayanathan said the museum made the switch based on feedback from the public on the need for more inclusive and accessible spaces.

By the end of the week, instead of the gendered icons that used to be posted outside washrooms, signs will advertise amenities in each bathroom, including urinals, toilets and change tables. Every washroom will now have free menstrual products and disposal sites. Single occupancy bathrooms will continue to be available as well.

"We know this change is overdue," CMHR CEO Isha Khan said in a statement. "It is important we join the growing number of organizations taking gender-inclusive approaches to make their washrooms safer and more accessible for everyone."

The existing bathrooms remain physically unchanged for now, though the museum plans to ask visitors, staff and volunteers for any suggested changes. Those could include floor-to-ceiling privacy panels around toilets and urinals. 

Vijayanathan said the changes also stem from recommendations in a report prepared by Laurelle Harris, a Winnipeg mediator, arbitrator and lawyer.

Harris was hired to conduct an external review of museum practices that was released in 2020. It highlighted issues of systemic racism and discrimination at the museum.

The review followed a series of CBC News stories that found CMHR employees were told to censor 2SLGBTQ content on tours at the request of some guests, which included religious groups.

Last fall, the museum created an advisory council for a project aimed at designing exhibitions and education programming on what's known as the LGBT purge.

From 1955 through 1996, thousands from those communities working in the RCMP, Canadian military and federal civil service were sanctioned, investigated and fired on the bases of their sexual or gender identity.

Vijayanathan said the museum wants to ensure the space is comfortable and safe for everyone.

"We have a commitment to address that," he said. "We're hoping that more members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community do feel free and comfortable coming into our spaces."

Need for more education

Winnipeg transgender rights advocate Shandi Strong said it's important to mark days like the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.

"It bothers me that we still have these fights, and being a human rights activist it also still bothers me that we still fight for human rights for people of colour, for food and education," she said. 

"Being the optimist that I am I like to think that we're fighting against a really small group of people that hate us, because that's where the word phobia comes from, you know, these are people that are afraid of us and hate us."

Strong said most hate comes from ignorance, anger and frustration, which is why there's a continued need for education.

One place to learn and show your support is at the Trans March on June 4, said Strong, which happens near the tail end of Pride week festivities.

"The goal of this march has always been to give people hope, to show them some heroes and some inspiration to say, you know, it's going to be OK," she said. "I think a lot of people need that."