I identify as a woman. So, when I read the sign below, I thought: this is wrong. And I was right. Obviously. The irony of this moment made me angry, and suddenly, restroom signs were things I couldn’t un-see. Everywhere I went, they followed me. Despite trying to ignore them, the rage grew and grew, until I channeled it into attention. I noticed how these seemingly harmless visuals construct and validate two rigid gender categories, reinforcing harmful stereotypes about our bodies and where they belong.
In this blog, IDS student Riya Behl, (who studies MA Power, Participation & Social Change) uses photographs of restroom signs to explore inclusivity and accessibility through an intersectional lens.
This is one of a series of blogs supported by the IDS Alumni Office and written by current IDS students and PhD researchers from the current academic year. Click below to read the full blog.
