Netizens confused by 'woke' gender-neutral handicap toilet in Suntec: 'Why can't they just call it unisex?'

The New Paper
Aug 18, 2023

A gender-neutral toilet at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre has stirred up debate online as to whether a gender-neutral symbol needed to be used, considering it was a handicap toilet to begin with. 

A photo of the signage outside the toilet was posted on the SgFollowsAll Instagram page on Thursday (Aug 17).

Signage pointing to the direction of the gender-neutral bathroom read: "This restroom may be used by any person regardless of gender identity or expression."

It is accompanied by a gender-neutral toilet symbol; a disabled toilet symbol can also be seen below.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by SgfollowsAll (@sgfollowsall)

Describing the gender-neutral label of the toilet as "woke", several netizens expressed their confusion in the comments. 

"Why can't they just call it a unisex toilet instead of using a woke label?", wrote one user.

"Handicapped toilets are gender neutral... don't be so woke," said another.

Woke is slang for “being aware of and actively attentive to important societal issues”, specifically those surrounding the topics of race and gender.

There were also those who raised the issue of safety, as gender-neutral toilets “could lead to more cases of sexual assault and harassment”.

"Creeps and perverts are always hidden in plain sight... if you want to use this toilet, just don't go alone," one user warned.

Responding to queries by AsiaOne, a Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre spokesman confirmed that there is a temporarily designated gender-neutral toilet on Level 3 of the Convention Centre.  

The toilet has been "temporarily designated as a gender-neutral toilet" at the request of the organisers of Wikimania 2023 for the duration of the event which runs from Aug 16 to Aug 19. 

The gender-neutral toilets were in a converted female toilet with 11 cubicles, Today Online reported.

According to the Wikimania website, it is an annual conference celebrating free knowledge projects such as Wikipedia and hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, with this year's theme being 'Diversity. Collaboration. Future.'.