Unisex public toilet

Unisex public toilets (also referred to as gender-inclusive, gender-neutral, mixed-sex or all-gender, or without any prefix at all) are public toilets that are not separated by sex or gender.

Unisex public toilets take different forms: they may be single-occupancy facilities where only one single room or enclosure is provided; or multi-user facilities which are open to all and where users may either share sinks in an open area or each have their own sink in their private cubicle, stall or room. Unisex public toilets may either replace single-sex toilets, or may be an addition to single-sex toilets.

Unisex public toilets can be used by people of any sex or gender identity. Such toilet facilities can benefit transgender populations and people outside of the gender binary, and can reduce bathroom queues through more balanced occupation. Sex separation in public toilets (also called sex segregation), as opposed to unisex toilets, is the separation of public toilets into male and female; this separation is sometimes enforced by local laws and building codes. Key differences between male and female public toilets in most Western countries include the presence of urinals for men and boys, and sanitary bins for the disposal of menstrual hygiene products for women and girls. (Sanitary bins may easily be included in the setup of unisex public toilets.)

The historical purposes of sex-separated toilets in the United States and Europe, as well as the timing of their appearance, are disputed amongst scholars. The earliest laws enshrining sex segregation were deeply rooted in the separate spheres movement, which pushed the idea that men belonged in the public sphere and women in the private sphere. However some argue that the informal convention of sex segregation that predates any laws existed to ensure safety and privacy.