Restroom laws

[KristiKross]

I am planning a trip by car through Indiana, Tennessee and north Georgia. I want to go as Kristi and am concerned about doing so because I know at some point I will need to pee. Does anyone know about restroom laws in these areas.... I really want to do the trip enfemme...
:o
:)

[Kris Avery]

Wal-Mart's gas stations known as Murphy USA all have a unisex restroom if it gets difficult.

[KristiKross]

Thank you. Any other tg friendly places along the way?

[michelle.foster]

There are road side stops that I have used, not a lot of people there. At a truck stop, I walked into the woman's rest room, saw a line but choose to back out. We ended up stopping up the road for lunch, where I used theirs. We were also at Target, I walked straight into the Lady's room, and into the first stall. If you walk in as if you are suppose to be there, I don't believe anyone will notice.
Good Luck

[SheriM]

I've used rest stops before. Go in, do your thing and walk out. If there are too many people and especially if there are children, I will get in my car and wait for the next stop. I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable and certainly do not want a confrontation with a parent.
SheriM

[Sarasometimes]

Almost all Starbucks shops have single seat unisex restrooms check their website for locations. I took a quick glance and there are many in those states. I also have found salons to be great places. I just walk in ask a few questions about their services then ask if I might use the restroom, never been denied, yet. Have a great safe trip, just rely on your instincts.

[Krisi]

My observation in my travels is that most of the rest stops on Interstate highways are usually pretty busy and are often patroled by police. I would try to find a more low key place to do my business.

[Debra Russell]

Honey if you dress to blend, be yourself, don't be self conscious you will do fine .......................... Debra

[Lorileah]

http://safe2pee.wordpress.com/bathroom-resources/ Look there and see if there are any places on your route

Some jurisdictions (e.g., Colorado, Iowa, San Francisco, New York City, and the District of Columbia), however, have indicated that denying transgender people the right to use a gender identity-appropriate restroom violates nondiscrimination laws. In addition, Washington's Human Rights Commission states that "transgender employees should be permitted to use the restroom that is consistent with the individual's gender identity." Some jurisdictions (e.g., Iowa, San Francisco, and D.C.) make clear that transgender people cannot be required to prove their gender to gain access to a public bathroom, unless everyone has to show ID to use that bathroom. Other jurisdictions (e.g., Chicago) continue to allow businesses to determine whether a transgender patron is given access to the male or female bathroom based on the gender on his or her ID.

"Many businesses, universities and other public places are installing single-stall, unisex restrooms, which alleviate many of the difficulties that transgender people experience when seeking safe restroom access. While this is often a useful step towards addressing the needs of transgender people and others, we believe that transgender individuals should have the right to use restrooms corresponding to their gender identity rather than being restricted to only using gender-neutral " ACLU site.

At least 160 cities and counties have passed their own laws prohibiting gender identity discrimination including Atlanta, Boise, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Dallas, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Louisville, Nashville, New Orleans, and Pittsburgh. A list of localities with nondiscrimination laws that cover gender identity and/or expression is available at http://www.transgenderlaw.org/ndlaws/index.htm#jurisdictions.

The governors of Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania have banned discrimination against transgender state workers through executive orders. Unless an executive order is expressly limited in duration or is rescinded, its protections usually stay in effect even after the person issuing the order leaves office. Some cities and counties have also passed protections for their transgender public employees. A list of localities that ban discrimination against their public employees on the basis of gender identity or expression is available at http://www.transgenderlaw.org/ndlaws/index.htm#public.

General rule. Use the restroom you are presenting as, get in, lock the stall, do your thing, wash and get out.

[Amy Fakley]

as a bonafide resident of "the sticks between Atlanta and Nashville", I feel a certain duty to point out that the legality of the situation might not be your biggest concern.

If you're outed in the lady's room, and someone runs out of there frightened, and she gets her husband and his buddies all worked up about it, you may very well have a very bad situation waiting for you when you come out of the restroom. If that happens 200 miles from anywhere at 10:30pm at a mostly empty truck stop, by the time the cops get there, it might not even matter. And they might not be in your corner when they do get there.

don't stop living your life out of fear, by any means.
But I'd say stick to the beaten path ... stay where the crowds (and lots of witnesses) are. Blend in. Be aware of the context where ever you go, and have a good trip :-)

[Krisi]

That's a good point and one I have tried to make in the past. Many people don't know of laws protecting transgender people's rights and many more don't care. If the wrong person takes exeption to a crossdresser using the ladies restroom there's going to be a butt whipping and it will be your butt getting whipped. Laws might punish the ones who did the whipping but that's not going to help you.

I think any decision to use the ladies restroom has to be based on your presentation. Do you think you pass? Do you think you pass in some people's eyes? Do you think you leave them wondering? Or are you a dude in a dress? If you need a shave or have a bald head and no wig, you really shouldn't try to use the ladies restroom.

[MelanieAnne]

Indiana, Tennessee, and north Georgia are all pretty conservative areas. I don't know if you are transgendered or just a crossdresser. But most states have laws requiring people to use the appropriate restroom for their gender. You might get away with it. But is it worth the considerable risk, if some woman takes offense and runs out screaming? You can buy little urinals quite cheap. You could just carry an empty juice jug with the wide mouth, and pee in the car in a back corner of a rest area, or any deserted area. Many of us think we pass, because no one says anything or confronts us. But most women are not easily fooled, and using a womens restroom is risky, if more than one person is in there. I have used the womens restroom briefly in full guy mode, when someone was in the mens restroom, and I really had to go. But it was a one stall room, with a lock on the door, in a truck stop gas station. But going into a large womens restroom, with other women in there, is asking for trouble, in my opinion.

[lexivanderpump]

I would use the womens restroom. Unless you are FAR from passing. I dont think anyone would notice if you walk in like you belong. Good luck and be safe. Be extra careful with the Rest Areas, I hear they can be strange and at times dangerous.

Love,
Lexi V.

[Tracii G]

The rest areas in Kentucky are clean as a pin and usually not all that busy.Just go in and pick a stall do your deal and walk out.
I have used them all over the state dressed and never had a problem.
Walmart is safe too. Kroger grocery stores are a good choice because they have unisex or family rest rooms.Kroger is trans friendly BTW.

[JenniferR771]

Some states, like mine, have "family rest rooms" so dads can take kids or change diapers and so forth. Unisex single occupancy. Ideal.

[BOBBI G.]

Really, it will probably just end up in you own reluctance or acceptance of yourself. If you are comfortable, and sure of yourself, I doubt you should have any problems. It is not the laws you have to worry much about, it is the mindset of the people there at the time. Be aware of surroundings, there are always idiots on the loose.

Bobbi

[DeeArel]

When I need a "clean" restroom, I stop at a Fairfield Inn or Hampton Inn. Do a quick scan at the rear of the lobby and you will find a sign that will point you in the correct direction. These hotels do not know if you are a guest or not so will most likely not say anything other than a "hi" from the desk attendant. A hi back sends him/her back to the task being done.

[nicole_1968cd]

You can always use http://www.refugerestrooms.org/ to find a unisex/family/handicap restrooms

[JenX]

There is also an app for that...

http://www.genderfest.com/Forums/tabid/86/aft/11/Default.aspx

[Michelle55]

Indiana has lots of cornfields and for at least for a few more weeks all the corn is still standing. Once you get about 20 feet in the field no one can see you.

[AKADonna]

I've travelled lots of Interstates in the South, used the Rest Area women's restrooms dressed as Donna without incident. My biggest reservation is in changing from male or female or female to male in a restroom. To do this, I always pull into a gas station and go inside looking for a single occupancy room (either mens or womens).

[CherylFlint]

Your're playing with fire if you can't "pass".
The Interstate rest stops in TN have a trooper 24-7 so you better be able to "pass" if you want to go to the girls restroom.
If you can't "pass" in the daylight, don't even think about going through TN dressed.
BIG mistake. NOT worth the risk.
I know a lot of you will say "no big deal", but in TN it IS a big deal. I know, it's where I live.

[Rogina B]

UNLESS a municipality has a specific ordinance against it,public [restrooms] are a matter of personal choice. There is no "law". Lorileah helped out by giving links toward the municipalities that took it on to have gender inclusive human rights ordinances covering way more than just bathrooms,and that is a great thing. The OP may as well worry about gas station cashiers,getting pulled over with mismatching ID as worry about peeing in a bathroom on her road trip..

[kimdl93]

Local or state Laws aside, the real question is whether you can choose use a bathroom based on your gender presentation or the arrangement of things between your legs. I don't check the local laws before using a women's room. I use it because I am presenting as a woman and barring a physical inspection by the bathroom police, that choice remains up to my personal discretion.

There's another thread that beats womens fear factor into the ground. Repeated throughout is the assertion that women have justifiable fears of sexual violence and therefore, have a right to exclude CDrs from the restroom. (The proponents of this mind set graciously exclude TS people from this rule). Implicit in this argument is the notion that we are sexual predators. Not that long ago, this same kind of bigotry was used to justify 'separate but equal" bathrooms (which of course never were) , whites only drinking fountains, and lynchings.

[Krisi]

Most people and most laws consider what is between your legs, not is what is in your mind when considering restroom use. We may not like it, but it's fact. Being a crossdresser is not easy.

[Tamara Croft]

And before this thread goes down the same way that other one did, it's being locked.

People want to know the laws on restrooms, try using google, it's full of information you know!