However, all forms of sexism have negative effects on how women are perceived and treated by others as well as on women themselves. It is now clear that sexism takes different forms, some of which can be disguised as protection and flattery. The theory of and research on ambivalent sexism - which encompasses both attitudes that are overtly negative (hostile sexism) and those that seem subjectively positive but are actually harmful (benevolent sexism) - have made substantial contributions to understanding how sexism operates and the consequences it has for women. Talk about toilets involves warranting ‘place-identity’ as gender identity is situated and access limited to those who are constructed as belonging. Discourse about toilet provision draws upon both heteronormative ideology to challenge access to trans people and others who challenge normative gender roles. Cis women are presented as a threat to trans women and other cis women who are misgendered. Where men are explicitly acknowledged as an issue, cis and trans women are collectively identified as requiring a safe space. Talk about refuge in public bathrooms involved the negotiation of who belonged in differing gender categories and who warranted a need for refuge. Gender identities are situated and constructed within public toilets. There is also an opportunity to explore how a discursive approach can be applied interdisciplinary with town planning and the built environment. Discursive Psychology was used to explore how accessibility to toilets is constructed. The data was formed of online posts on Dezeen, a forum for building design professionals, and Mumsnet, a parenting forum, in response to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government ‘Technical review on increasing accessibility and provision of toilets for men and women’. This research explores how individuals negotiate differing positions on toilet provision and accessibility. Public toilet provision in the UK fails to meet the needs of cis women while trans communities are absent from current building regulations. The results are discussed in the context of their theoretical implications for the literature of benevolent sexism and heteronormativity. Most, but not all, benevolent-sexism themes were prevalent in comments on right-leaning sites. Results showed that support for trans* access to public bathrooms was most prevalent in discussions on left-leaning sites, while opposition was most prevalent in discussions on right-leaning sites. The common themes in such discussions were arguments promoting benevolent sexism, including that women and girls need protection by men and from men, and that sex differences are natural. This analysis includes 9,764 online comments posted on the 13 most-shared articles or blog posts about trans* bathroom accommodation from September 2015 to September 2016. The recent adoption of bathroom bills restricting trans* people’s access to public bathrooms of their choice in the United States has elicited a vigorous public debate invoking benevolent sexism, heteronormativity, and partisanship.
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