Dear The Real Singapore,
I refer to the article contributed by your reader earlier: "I am falling in love with my NS buddy because of the buddy system".
The TRS reader in this article said that he is a homosexual and he is falling in love with his buddy in NS. How would his buddy feel being harrassed by a man looking at him showering and peeing in the toilet?
This made me think, why are homosexuals allowed to use regular toilets and showers with others of the same sex as themselves?
The concept actually does not involve the gender of the party.
The reason why we have male and female toilets in the first place is because Females do not enjoy sharing the toilet with the opposite sex because they will be looked at and this makes them uncomfortable. Similarly, men are attracted to the female body and enjoy staring at females because that's what they like. Some males also would feel uncomfortable if girls were looking at them. That is perfectly normal, this is why modern society developed separate toilets for males and a females.
Now when you apply this concept to gays, they are attracted to people of the same sex so letting them use the current toilets will be defeating the purpose of protecting innocent users from being stared at.
It is exactly the same as a 'Chi Ko Pek' going and using the female toilet. The 'Chi Ko Pek' can say that he won't stare at another female peeing or showering but in reality who knows what goes on in there? The females are going to be uncomfortable because there is a male there. So straight males will also feel uncomfortable that there is a gay male present in their toilets and showers.
I am all for gender equality and I am not trying to sound homophobic, but I just wanted the point out that allowing homosexuals to use the current toilets may defeat the purpose of having split-sex bathrooms.
I believe that if LGBTs want equal rights, the government should create a special toilet for the Gay and Lesbian people so that the Straight people will not feel that their privacy is not violated and they are protected from sexual harrassment.
Now I write this is because I have bad experiences in junior college where a gay classmates constantly stares at my private parts when I am peeing or using the showers after my rugby session. I feel highly disturbed by it and I feel sexually harrassed but I do not dare to raise this up because I do not want to sound like a homophobe.
Before the gay or LBGT community start lashing out at me, I really hope you read my article sincerely and hope that you realize that I am not targetting you guys but I am just raising a valid concern as a straight person. You realize I am NOT using terms like me being a "normal" person and I am not labelling LGBTs as "abnormal" people because I believe in the freedom to love whoever you want.
This is simply a case of protecting innocent parties from unwanted stares and sexual harassment when they use public toilets.
What do the other TRS readers think?
Sincerely,
John Tan
TRS Contributor