The TED Talk show is called “Why we need gender-neutral bathrooms” presented by Ivan Coyote in November, 2015.
The performance is devoted to the issue of public places as being designed only for people who fit into the old traditional mainstream division of people into two genders. It lead to the situations when trans-gender people cannot use either the place for ladies or for men because of their gender identity. The problem concerns not only adults, but children too, since they cannot even use a toilet in their school due to this aspect. Moreover, it concerns not only public bathrooms, but also change rooms, pools, gyms, universities, etc.. and these places stop being actually public, but become the places only for people who fir into the old-fashioned binary gender model. And even more, the government tries to enforce a law which will make transgender people use the bathroom which may suit them, instead of making gender-neutral ones. As for me, I have never heard that children also encountered such problems and this story shocked me. The enthusiasm of the author was quite striking but I would like to ask Ivan, what he would suggest if each more or less separate social group demanded their own place in publics (separate bathrooms, park lots, change rooms, etc.)? Isn’t he afraid that it may start a wave of reckless and useless demands?
The speaker managed to establish the contact with the audience from the first minutes of the performance. He introduced several weighty examples which convinced the audience in the significance of the issue (like the example of a small tomboy), appealed to the political sphere which could support the data that he presented. He made the argumentative line in such a way that even non-transgender people could understand their feelings and start thinking about it. Finally, in his story about a little girl the speaker touched upon children topic, which is important for every adult, regardless his or her identity. Thus, the content enabled the performer to attract the audience’s attention, on the one side. On the other side, the speaker used such stylistic devices as humour, created by funny stories and defeated expectancy effect, and a pitiful story about a kid, off-cast by the society, which made the audience sympathize with the girl and, consequently, with the whole situation and trans-genders’ hard life. However, I believe that the speaker should make his speech more interactive for the audience so that it could make everyone think and speculate on the issue, so that people could offer their own ideas or at least started forming them. Besides, the speaker could have provided his personal story, which would look more convincing and more emotional, too. I think, it would enhance the success of the performance.
“Fearmongering” – present participle. The campaign of this candidate was based on fearmongering and blackmailing, although he also promised much to do, but still his candidature had no more success.
“To foster” – a verb. Bad conditions may foster the spread of the disease if it is not treated on time, and it may lead to even more serious problems.
“Empowered” – past participle. This company is empowered to inflict a penalty, if the contract is breached, but it cannot avoid penalty itself.
“To disrobe” – a verb. She got under a heavy rain, as she was walking home after the party, so she had to disrobe as soon as she entered the house, which was warm and comforting.
“A tomboy” – a noun. We thought that she was actually a tomboy, but she has never told us about it, although all her appearance shouted about it, and we decided to let her live the way she liked and leave her alone.
Bibliography
Coyote, Ivan. “Why we need gender-neutral bathrooms.” Filmed November 2015. TED video, 11:50. http://www.ted.com/talks/ivan_coyote_why_we_need_gender_neutral_bathrooms
