London theatre goes all out to be trans-inclusive in its bathrooms
Amid a fierce debate in the US around the rights of transgender people to use a gender-appropriate bathroom, a London theatre has quietly made its bathrooms pretty inclusive.
The Young Vic tweeted on Friday to reveal new signage for the bathrooms in its theatre, restaurant and bar.
The tweet includes a photo of the new signage which includes symbols for male, female and which are inclusive of transgender people.
It also included the hashtags “#LGBTQ” amd “#transinclusive”.
The gesture from the London-based theatre comes as a debate roars in the US, during which transgender people have been smeared by right-wing politicians as sexual predators.
North Carolina and Mississippi have both recently passed bills meaning trans people can only use the bathroom which corresponds to their gender at birth.
The North Carolina HB2 bill goes further, to roll back local laws protecting trans people.
Yesterday, the company which manages the rights to the hit musical West Side Story announced that it would not licence the show in either state while the law is in place.
Retail giant Target has since been the subject of a boycott after it announced that customers can use the bathroom which corresponds to their gender identity.
Cirque du Soleil earlier this month cancelled gigs in North Carolina over the state’s new anti-LGBT law.
Hundreds of business leaders have urged the repeal of North Carolina’s HB2, and multiple celebrities have pulled out of appearances, including Ringo Starr and, Bruce Springsteen.
Springsteen was even accused of using “bully tactics” for cancelling the concert by one of the state’s Representatives.
But dozens of celebrities and hundreds of fans came to the defence of Springsteen, commending him for taking a stand.
Others such as Mumford and Sons and Cyndi Lauper have said they will appear but that they will donate their profits to LGBT rights organisations.
Mississippi also faces similar threats as Bryan Adams and Sharon Stone have pulled out of appearances there.
Gillian Anderson is currently performing in a Young Vic production of A Streetcar Named Desire.
The X Files star recently spoke out about being offered “half” the pay of co-star David Duchovny in a reboot of the cult series.
