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Restaurants and public facilities rely on gender-neutral toilets. More barriers are now falling in Bern.
New toilet rules apply in the Bernese gastronomy. Since November, larger catering establishments with more than 50 seats no longer have to offer separate toilets.
This is intended to create offers for people who do not clearly feel they belong to one gender. But also for parents and grandparents who have to go to the toilet with their offspring.
Legend:
The Bern nightclub Kapitel relies on gender-neutral toilets.
Keystone/Peter Klaunzer
Bern is catching up with the canton of Lucerne, for example, where unisex toilets have been allowed in pubs since 2018. The hurdles for unisex toilets have also fallen for clubs like the Bollwerk chapter.
The dance hall is now introducing a new toilet concept for guests. Although there are still two toilets. The former men’s toilet is mutating into an “all-gender toilet, where everyone is welcome,” says Diego Dahinden, co-managing director of the chapter.
Gone are the days of stick figures with and without skirts in the chapter. Tobias Burkhalter, President of Gastro Bern, sees more than just advantages in this. “Toilets are often a place of retreat. I’m not quite sure if it’s going to be good when everything is suddenly mixed up, “he says to Radio SRF.
Despite gender-neutral toilets, it is also important to the Kapitel dance club to continue to offer night owls this retreat. The solution for those responsible for the chapter is the “Finta” toilet. Everyone can go on this, except for those who define themselves as men.
Legend:
In 2018, the Hotel Anker in Lucerne pushed ahead with gender-neutral toilets.
Keystone/Urs Flüeler
All people are welcome in the former women’s toilet. Except for cis men. «The toilet is a safer space for finta people. A safer way to go to the toilet, »continues Dahinden. But men who define themselves as men were also given their place of retreat. “If a male person feels uncomfortable with the toilet situation, he can use the staff toilet.”
One toilet for everyone – unisex toilets are unlikely to become standard in Bern’s restaurants anytime soon. Especially if modifications are necessary. “There are more urgent things that concern us,” Burkhalter continues, addressing the shortage of skilled workers or the energy crisis.
Museum receives praise for unisex toilets
Meanwhile, the Natural History Museum in Bern has had good experiences with unisex toilets. In 2021, the museum converted twelve toilets into gender-neutral quiet places as part of the “Queer” exhibition.
Curator Simon Jäggi wanted to know how these were received by the public and encouraged people to give their opinions on the unisex toilets. “Almost 80 percent of over 400 responses were positive,” says Jäggi. A number of visitors would still have liked gender-separated toilets, for example because of the free-standing urinals. Therefore, in the future, a mix of different toilets will be offered.