(Dis)ordered Spaces? Managing the Competing Rights of Children in the Gendered Space of the School Toilet

Abstract

Rights are often perceived as unproblematic and normative, perhaps particularly in childhood where rights are primarily positioned as protective and participatory. However, in a landscape where the rights of trans* and gender non-conforming persons are an increasing focus, rights are once again revealed as being contested, controversial and in-conflict. While trans* identities are constructed by some as being normative, simply part of the continuum of gender identity, for others, trans* is perceived as ‘disorder’ both biologically and socially [1]. Here, we take the space of the toilet and its binary structure, as emblematic of wider “mechanisms of gender regulation” [2]. We consider the challenges faced by schools (and other social institutions) in managing toilet spaces and the competing and contested rights of those who lay claim to them.