Topic

Even though the first gender-segregated (meaning it had a specific area for each gender) was made in 1739 at the Parisian ball it was seen as a novelty, and closed down soon after as it was only temporary. In 1851 the first permanent gender-segregated bathroom was introduced in London’s Crystal Palace. Costing one penny per use or twenty-two cents in today's money,(Casual 1) tenants could expect a clean seat, a towel, as well as a shoe shine. The problem was that while urinals were free in men’s bathrooms, stalls cost one cent in both men’s as well as women’s bathrooms. In 1877 Massachusetts was the first state to pass a law requiring women’s toilets as well as men’s. Other states passed similar laws soon after. This was different than before because prior to this law women were forced to use the same bathroom as the women co-workers. This was bad because in Victorian society privacy and modesty were very important.(Jarvis 1)