Museum Staff Advocate for All-Gender Restrooms in Response to Attacks on Trans Rights
All-Gender Restrooms in Museums: Fostering Inclusivity Through Design
Museums have long positioned themselves as beacons of education, culture, and inclusivity. From art galleries to science centers, they are often driven by the mission to serve diverse communities through accessible programming and welcoming spaces. However, one seemingly small but crucial component of inclusivity often goes overlooked: all-gender restrooms.
As global advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights continues amidst escalating backlash, museums are increasingly recognizing their role in championing inclusivity—not only through exhibitions and educational programming but also in the physical space they provide. All-gender restrooms, also known as gender-inclusive or gender-neutral bathrooms, are emerging as a vital feature in these inclusive efforts.
Why All-Gender Restrooms Matter
Gender-segregated public restrooms have long posed challenges for transgender, nonbinary, gender-nonconforming individuals, and even for families, disabled individuals, and caregivers. The binary nature of traditional restrooms may exclude those who do not identify strictly as male or female or may face discomfort or safety concerns when using sex-segregated facilities.
All-gender restrooms provide a safer, more welcoming alternative that accommodates a broader spectrum of needs. By opting for inclusive signage and design, these restrooms affirm the right of every individual to access public amenities comfortably and with dignity.
Leading by Example: Manchester Museum
One significant case study in inclusive restroom design is the Manchester Museum, which reimagined its facilities as part of a broader care-centered approach during a 2022 redevelopment. Under the guidance of Learning Facilitator and Visitor Team Coordinator Mattie Davies, the museum collaborated with The Proud Trust, a local LGBTQ+ youth organization, to design restrooms that prioritize functionality and inclusivity over gender identity.
Rather than using traditional gendered silhouettes for signage—often exclusionary and reduce identity to visual stereotypes—the museum opted for the universal toilet icon. These restrooms include features like baby-changing stations, private sinks, and Changing Places toilets equipped with full-size changing benches and hoists for individuals with complex mobility needs. The goal is clear: any visitor, regardless of gender, ability, or caregiving responsibilities, should feel accommodated and respected.
Cultural Institutions Making Progress
The Manchester Museum is part of a growing movement of museums that are rethinking restroom access to align with their diversity and inclusion values. The Whitney Museum of American Art, Baltimore Art Museum, and San Francisco’s Exploratorium all stand out for their innovation in this area.
At the Baltimore Art Museum, all-gender restrooms have even been named in honor of director and artist John Waters, underlining the convergence of art, identity, and access. And in San Francisco’s Exploratorium, transgender staff members creatively led a sociocultural exploration with “Bathroom Boundaries”—an exhibition that challenged visitors’ assumptions by dividing restrooms based on quirky attributes like height or eye color to draw attention to the arbitrary nature of conventional gender segregation.
Institutional Shifts Sparked by Exhibitions
Sometimes, all-gender restrooms emerge from the context of specific exhibitions. For example, at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the 2019 “Gender Bending Fashion” exhibit drove the temporary installation of all-gender facilities. While the restrooms were later reverted to their former status, museum consultant Matisse DuPont successfully lobbied to make them gender-inclusive again—highlighting how advocacy often goes beyond programmatic work into the physical and structural aspects of museums.
Similarly, the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds launched a 2023 exhibition titled “Forgotten Battles,” which included trans awareness training and the conversion of one women’s restroom into a gender-inclusive format—serving both a symbolic and practical purpose in affirming trans identities.
Beyond Queerness—Universal Design Principles
What becomes evident is that all-gender restrooms are not only about serving queer and trans visitors. These facilities support a variety of needs: families with young children, people with caregivers, neurodivergent individuals who need more privacy and decreased sensory input, and people with different physical abilities.
The implementation of toilets with in-stall sinks, manual towel dispensers to avoid noisy air dryers, and accessible signage all tie into principles of universal design—design that is usable by all people to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation.
Inclusive Messaging and Staff Training
Welcoming restrooms must be paired with institutional messaging and policies that back inclusivity. Museums like Manchester Museum train their staff to respond to complaints about gender-inclusive restrooms with kindness, emphasizing organizational values and pointing visitors to alternative facilities if needed. This proactive stance fosters a culture where inclusion is not optional—it is embedded in the visitor experience.
A Step Toward Queer Inclusion
As debates over trans rights intensify, especially in the United States and the United Kingdom, cultural institutions have both an opportunity and an obligation to counter discrimination. From the policy level down to the restroom sign, museums can stand as safe havens and advocates