Restrooms and changing rooms are some of the most gendered public spaces encountered in everyday life. As “containers” of bodies, they reflect norms about gender that are rooted in historical and cultural beliefs. They are also vehicles for people to mark and signify their social identities. Currently, these norms are being challenged by transgender and gender diverse individuals and their allies. Rigid gender norms are reflected in the standardized design of toilet and locker rooms. As existing norms evolve, changes in architecture are following along. But there is also plenty of evidence for changing design practices related to other gender-related issues like the changing role of women in society, multi-cultural differences, and social participation by people with severe disabilities.
The project employs storytelling as its primary educational tool, highlighting both small-scale individual stories and larger, national and international news stories. The stories will be exhibited in the atrium for a few weeks before and after Transgender Awareness Week, with programming including a Conversation on Gender and Space with Ivan Coyote, Susan Stryker and Seb Choe. The exhibit is designed to be interactive and dynamic. Visitors can offer their own stories and comment on those of others. The exhibition will use the ready-made containers as hosts for displaying and sharing stories collected before, during, and after the event.
