Gender-fluid model Rain Dove has shared their experience after videoing themselves visiting both men and women's toilets to gauge current reaction from the public.
Rain, 32, revealed they first conducted the experiment prior to the pandemic and admitted they found it 'far more dangerous and confrontational to enter the women's restroom in gender nonconformity'.
However two years on, Rain said they found that women were now much more understanding and willing to accept they were allowed to be in there once they had explained - but admitted they did feel 'unsafe at times' in both spaces.
Social experiment: Gender-fluid model Rain Dove has shared their experience after videoing themselves visiting both men and women's toilets to gauge current reaction from the public
Sharing a video of public reaction to entering the toilets in gender nonconformity clothing, Rain received both welcoming and hostile reactions.
Their explanation of the results began: 'The results were different this time.'
Explaining their experience before, they said: I've done this experiment prior to Covid-19 and in it I found that it was far more dangerous and confrontational to enter the women's restroom in gender nonconformity.'
'People hit, shouted, and even had me dragged out. However in a new 2022 study of over 75 binary bathrooms tested (in London area) things were noticeably shifted. I was stopped and confronted about an equal number of times in both restrooms.'
Scary: Rain, 32, revealed they first conducted the experiment prior to the pandemic and admitted they found it 'far more dangerous and confrontational to enter the women's restroom in gender nonconformity'
Rain entered the male toilet wearing a dress and the women's toilet wearing a white T-shirt and trousers, which they described as 'gender nonconformity'.
They explained the change in results, saying: 'People in the men's room were more likely to get security involved than before. People in the women's room were more likely to accept that I was allowed to be in there if I explained.
'But people in the men's room were more likely to demand proof of some kind. Such as an ID or even use of urinals. Overall both were unsafe feeling at times.'
Better experience: However two years on, Rain said they found that women were now much more understanding and willing to accept they were allowed to be in there once they had explained - but admitted they did feel 'unsafe at times' in both spaces
Rain also described the switch in feelings towards being in a female space, adding that for the first time since doing the experiments they felt 'safer' in the women's bathroom.
They said: 'But to the credit- I felt safer in the women's room than the men's for the majority of the time (and for the first time since doing these experiments).'
Rain went on to explain how they feel 'empathy' towards the women who are scared of their presence in the women's bathroom because it is 'rooted in trauma'.
They said: 'Although in the women's room I have always felt a huge amount of empathy or guilt whenever my natural aesthetic scares someone because I know that fear is rooted in trauma which is valid.
Reactions: Rain entered the male toilet wearing a dress and the women's toilet wearing a white T-shirt and trousers, which they described as 'gender nonconformity'
'But yet- if I have to use the bathroom on my 'birth certificate' then this is what a 'woman's room attendee looks like'.
'Even in a dress I can get reported in the 'women's room' often as a product of transphobia when people assume I'm a transwoman.
'Typically my encounters, even if I'm hit by someone, lead to me holding them in their trauma and telling them it will be ok.
They concluded: 'We still have a long way to go to create safe places for people just to relieve themselves. But for my safety for now- if I just want to feel the safest and don't have capacity to educate- I'll be using the men's room in a collared shirt or jacket. That seems the safest combo'
'That weighs a lot on my conscience sometimes- creating that amount of disturbance and anguish just by existing.'
They concluded: 'We still have a long way to go to create safe places for people just to relieve themselves. But for my safety for now- if I just want to feel the safest and don't have capacity to educate- I'll be using the men's room in a collared shirt or jacket. That seems the safest combo.
'NOTE: The findings pertain to my personal experience. Different intersectionalities, individuals and locations may have different results. This was just me in this place at this time. NOTE: Do not attempt to do these experiments alone.'
Getting involved: They explained the change in results, saying: 'People in the men's room were more likely to get security involved than before. People in the women's room were more likely to accept that I was allowed to be in there if I explained'
Early last year, Rain Dove revealed they have replied to 50k direct messages over the past year from fans asking for advice.
They explained they spend three hours every day going through messages and responding to them, 'listening and loving', and that they get through around 135 DMs a day.
Taking to Instagram, they penned: 'I ANSWERED 50k DMS in 365 days!! Rarely do I post about accomplishments here - but today I'm feeling really proud.
'Listening and loving': Rain Dove revealed they've answered 50k DMs over the past year
'After being transient and alone for so long I made a vow that I would try to be here for as many people as possible - if not for anything than just so they weren't alone too.
'Everyday I've dedicated 2 hours in the morning and at least 1 hour at night to listening, learning and responding to Your DMs. It's brought me great comfort, awareness, education and hope.
'I'm so grateful to be able to spend time with You. That's about 135 messages per day! No matter where in the world I will be, no matter what's going on in my life, no matter how blobbish I feel at times I will continue this do this this year.
'I want You know You are loved. We are loved together. Here's to another year of listening and loving' [sic]
Advisor: They commit three hours every day to replying to those reaching out for advice
Rain then listed of all the ways followers can reach out.
Rain is genderfluid and from New York - making their name modelling both men's and women's clothes.
They became a model after losing a bet and agreeing to go to a Calvin Klein lingerie casting call; they were told to come back the following day to the male casting, and was hired.
They wrote: 'I want You know You are loved. We are loved together'
'I think all people are androgynous,' Rain told Buzzfeed in a 2015 interview. 'It's just that we've created these genders.
'I think that 'androgynous' applies to someone who doesn't appear physically to be gender specific — you won't be able to figure out what's in their pants.'
Rain was previously in a relationship with actress Rose McGowan. The pair dated from early 2018 to summer 2019.
Ex: Rain was previously in a relationship with actress Rose McGowan. The pair dated from early 2018 to summer 2019
Via Daily mail UK
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