Artists Come Up With Better Bathroom Signs To Address Gender Spectrum

"The fear we harbor is larger than any actual threat."

From: NewNowNext

 A group of artists determined to strip universal bathroom symbols of their offensive undertones have come together to create a set of new options — better options that are more inclusive for people who don’t identify as the stick figure “man” and “woman” we see most often.

 Speaking with the Huffington Post, NYU Steinhardt professor of media, culture and communications Nicholas Mirzoeff criticized the opposition to transgender-inclusive restrooms while noting the ongoing national argument over the issue is “absolutely not about safety.”

 It’s about fear, he says.

 “Over time, we’ll see, just as we did when we removed the ‘white’ and ‘colored’ signs from bathrooms and drinking fountains, the fear we harbor is larger than any actual threat,” he said. “We’ve seen in taking those signs down, it took away people’s humiliation, it restored a sense of dignity and nobody was actually damaged in the long run from that transformation.”

 Mirzoeff also makes a case for updating the symbols on bathroom signs to help usher in new understanding.

 “Symbols are not simplifications,” he said. “They are condensations into compact form, and that’s their power, because they contain multitudes of meaning and that’s what makes them emotional. Think of a flag. A flag is just a piece of cloth made out of varying colors. But try telling that to someone who serves in the military. Try telling that to a protester who is burning the flag.”

Check out some of the artists’ new suggestions and many more over at Huff Post.