Why is it IMPORTANT?
We shouldn’t have to accept that women are restricted to queuing up with men for the portable toilets when men get the option of both urinals and portable toilets.
“We don’t have to use PORTABLE TOILETS for everything anymore”
At festivals, events, and in any public space, women are unfortunately more than used to having to queue to carry out what should be the quickest piece of body admin — peeing. It’s well known that women tend to go in groups to the bathroom, a tendency that must be in part inspired by the fact that we need to entertain ourselves as we wait! ‘The Girls’ Bathroom’ is such a cultural icon, there’s even a podcast named after it.
We’ve made the space our own, but that’s out of necessity rather than us actually wanting to spend that much time in a queue. At festivals in particular, it seems pretty heinous that we should have to use the smelly, unhygienic portable toilets when men get the luxury of choice between those and their touch-free urinals. We don’t have to use portable toilets for everything anymore though, now that PEEQUAL has entered the (bath)room.
“PEEQUAL provides a safe space”
Neither men nor women want to queue to pee, so it’s pretty surprising that it’s only after PEEQUALs have been introduced that the need for women’s urinals has been recognised by many. We need to do more than just stand there and unzip to pee, but having access to a space dedicated solely to that bodily function makes the whole process much quicker for everyone.
Many of us have to go to the toilet more often simply to have a private space to change our sanitary products. PEEQUAL provides a safe space to do that without a wait or the nauseating smell of a portable toilet to contend with. Marshalled by friendly women as volunteers, the comfort and safety of those who squat to pee is prioritised. Not only do we now have an option to pee quicker, but we can do it somewhere that has retained the sanctity of The Girls’ Bathroom.
“You’ll Never have to miss a set again”
Perhaps the most significant difference it makes for festivalgoers is that you’ll never have to miss a set again because you needed a pee! Gone are the 45 minute loo queues at festivals with PEEQUALs… Get your squat on and enjoy the music, people!
