Taipei: Only five out of 149 government-listed all-gender restrooms inspected across Taiwan met the required standards, as revealed by an LGBTQ+ rights group on Wednesday.
According to Focus Taiwan, the inspection was conducted by the Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights (TAPCPR), and the findings were announced at a news conference in Taipei. Chien Chih-chieh, secretary-general of TAPCPR, highlighted that some facilities labeled as all-gender restrooms were no different from conventional men’s and women’s restrooms.
In September and October, TAPCPR scrutinized 149 restrooms across 17 counties and cities, out of the 831 all-gender restrooms listed by the Ministry of Environment (MOENV). The inspection revealed that only five restrooms met all the key standards established by the ministry and 13 other organizations. These standards include clear all-gender signage and fully enclosed urinal cubicles, along with advanced indicators like neutral colors and designs free of gender-stereotyped imagery.
The TAPCPR emphasized the importance of these design features for non-binary individuals who may feel uncomfortable or unsafe with unclear signage and gendered imagery. Chien also pointed out the issue of “ghost restrooms,” which were listed but could not be found.
The alliance reported that 95 restrooms failed to meet the standards, as they were either conventional gender-segregated facilities or lacked necessary features like screens or partitions for urinals. While 54 restrooms complied with the basic indicators, only five met the advanced standards, with four located in New Taipei and one in Taipei.
Chien urged the MOENV to rectify the situation, noting that the ministry has an action plan to increase the number of all-gender restrooms to over 1,200 by 2029, backed by a budget of NT$280.35 million (US$8.98 million).
The MOENV responded by stating that most of the listed all-gender restrooms were designated before the introduction of its action plan in 2024. The ministry assured that it would continue to provide subsidies and guidance to facilitate improvements. Currently, Taiwan’s all-gender restrooms are public toilets designated by managing agencies to enhance accessibility.
