title: "Kicked out": LGBTQ youths' bathroom experiences and preferences.
abstract: Attention toward who can use which gender binary, multi-stall bathroom has brought to the forefront, once again, the ways in which youth are supported or marginalized. No study has documented sexual and gender minority youths' experiences with and perspectives about bathrooms. We collected qualitative data in 2014-2015. Participants were 25 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) youth, aged 14-19, in the United States and Canada. Their comments describe first- and second-hand bathroom experiences, identify advocacy efforts, and highlight the roles of peers and adults in making bathrooms safe (or not). Youth emphasized the importance of gender-neutral bathrooms in fostering a sense of safety and inclusivity. Adult support and gay-straight alliances (GSAs) were important contributors to a welcoming environment and fostered advocacy efforts for gender-neutral bathrooms. We encourage purposeful inclusivity of youths' voices when enacting bathroom-specific policies and legislation that directly influence their health and well-being.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Minnesota, 308 Harvard Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States. Electronic address: porta@umn.edu.
authors.forename: Carolyn M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Porta
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, 717 Delaware St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414, United States. Electronic address: gowe0009@umn.edu.
authors.forename: Amy L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Gower
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, 717 Delaware St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414, United States. Electronic address: cjmehus@umn.edu.
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Mehus
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Minnesota, 308 Harvard Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States. Electronic address: yuxx0362@umn.edu.
authors.forename: Xiaohui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, Canada. Electronic address: elizabeth.saewyc@ubc.ca.
authors.forename: Elizabeth M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Saewyc
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, 717 Delaware St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414, United States. Electronic address: eisen012@umn.edu.
authors.forename: Marla E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Eisenberg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001290:Attitude; D002170:Canada; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012449:Safety / Q000592:standards*; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D000072339:Sexual and Gender Minorities / Q000523:psychology*; D014038:Toilet Facilities / Q000145:classification / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Bathroom legislation; Gay-straight alliances; LGBTQ youth; Safety; Schools