Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever write an editorial on bathrooms. My career may be going down the toilet.

The issue of transgender bathroom use seems to be flushing the nation with lawsuits flying from left to right.

Transgender is defined as an individual who identifies with a gender opposite that at the time of his or her birth.

My first experience with the transformation of a transgender individual was watching Chaz Bono.

As a child, my family and I watched the Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour with Sonny Bono often holding a very cute Chastity Bono at the end of the show.

Chastity has since become Chaz.

The state of North Carolina took a stand recently to pass a law declaring multiple-occupancy public bathrooms or changing facilities must “be designated for and only used by individuals based on their biological sex.”

The statute applies to bathrooms in state government offices and facilities, including libraries, airports, universities, schools and highway rest stops.

A major retailer also weighed in on the issue recently when declaring “transgender team members and guests are welcome to use the restroom or fitting room facility corresponding with their gender identity.”

A conservative Christian activist group has garnered more than 700,000 signatures on a petition to boycott the store over the bathroom policy. The group believes the policy puts women and young girls in danger.

By May 25, 11 states entered into lawsuits against the Obama administration regarding a directive to let transgender students use bathrooms matching their gender identity.

As the mother of two boys, I always took them, when they were young children, to the ladies’ room, and there was never an issue. I often saw dads take their young daughters to the men’s room. Was that an issue?

I would never send my young boys into a men’s room alone unsupervised.

I have a simple solution to this perceived problem - family bathrooms with only stalls.

Everyone should feel comfortable with family bathrooms. Sounds like a great solution to me.

Those worried about the safety of their young children in a bathroom with transgender individuals should not be. Parents should never send a child into a bathroom alone. Period.

At a school, anyone uncomfortable in a boys’ or girls’ room should use the bathroom in the nurse’s office.

Now that I have resolved this problem, I will next tackle the proper way for the toilet paper roll to be placed on the holder, if anyone other than myself finds the time to actually replace the roll.

Thanks, Time Magazine, for your cover showing a row of colorful toilet paper on holders with rolls installed incorrectly.

The tissue paper needs to unfurl from the top, not the bottom!

And, I still haven’t discussed the need for men to put the seat down when they are done.

I apparently will need to be privy to additional potty issues for future opinion pieces.

See you next time, I’ve gotta go - because when you’ve gotta go, you’ve gotta go.

Debbie Galbraith

editor

East Penn Press

Salisbury Press