- A photograph posted online of a set of toilets designated as "gender neutral" at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre has provoked some hostile reaction
- The toilets have been temporarily designated in this way for a four-day event at the request of the organisers, the centre's management said
- The question of gender-neutral toilets has been a hot-button issue around the world
- Some passers-by interviewed by TODAY saw the move as positive
- PinkDot SG said that such toilets help to provide a safe space for those who need it
SINGAPORE: A photograph posted online of a set of toilets designated as "gender neutral" at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre has provoked some hostile reactions, including comments that Singapore was becoming "woke".
"Woke" is a term that started off as a positive way to describe some evolving social attitudes and practices, but is now generally used as a negative term by opponents of some changes.
The discussion on the internet was triggered on Wednesday (Aug 16) by the posting of the photograph online. It has since been widely shared.
In response to TODAY's queries, a representative from Suntec's building management said that one set of toilets has been temporarily designated in this manner for Wikimania 2023, at the request of the organisers for the duration of the event.
The event started on Wednesday and will run until Saturday.
Wikimania 2023 is an annual conference associated with the Wikimedia Foundation, an American non-profit body best known for the online resource Wikipedia.
The organisation advocates an inclusive approach to some minority groups in society.
On the event website, it is stated that besides modifications to the toilets, other inclusive measures include making the room scent-free for individuals with sensitivities or allergies to scents, designated staff members and volunteers to help participants, and a quiet room that is made available to anyone who may need it.
TODAY visited Suntec's convention centre on Wednesday and found that the gender-neutral toilets were in a converted female restroom with 11 cubicles, located on the third floor.
The question of gender-neutral toilets has been a hot-button issue around the world, although it is now relatively common in some countries to find individual toilets marked with both a female and male symbol that are available to anyone.
Often, these individual toilets are not contained within a room housing a set of toilets but are accessed directly from outside.
Difference between gender-neutral toilets and unisex toilets
REACTIONS ONLINE
The photograph of the gender-neutral toilets in Suntec's convention centre was posted on the HardwareZone online forum.
On the discussion thread, a user going by the name of "dushensiao" commented: “Suntec going woke, gg (good game) for share price soon.”
Another user named "Uncle Lorger" wrote: “Wah, really in Suntec? Wonder if those perverts will go in.”
Yet another user named "focus1974" commented: “There're only 2 genders, male and female. There is no in-between.”
Some online users also wondered whether the washrooms were set aside in place of handicapped toilets, saying, “Wheelchaired people share with woke people? Is it one cubicle by itself?”
In addressing that concern, the Suntec building management said that the number of toilets available for disabled persons was unaffected.
Source from Channel News Asia
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