Massachusetts is playing catch up to the U.K. when it comes to unisex bathrooms in public places, but the transgender bathroom law will assure that young women here will have the same sort of bathroom stress as their counterparts across the pond.

The Daily Mail says many girls in the United Kingdom are holding in their urine, refusing to drink liquids and are staying home from school to avoid having to share unisex bathrooms with the boys. The paper says that so many young girls are intimidated by using gender-neutral bathrooms in school that some are even staying home while menstruating because they’re afraid of feeling “period shame.”

The Daily Mail quotes Dr. Tessa Katz, who says, "holding urine or not drinking during the day, if done regularly, could lead to infections of the urinary tract or bladder."

She adds, “The psychological effects of girls not feeling safe enough to use mixed-sex toilets is also concerning.”

If young girls and women are uncomfortable sharing public restrooms with boys and men then alternative facilities should be made available to them.

The government says it is unlawful and cruel to force individuals to use public restrooms that were intended for their gender. If that is true, then those who choose to do so exclusively should have that option available to them. After all, they have rights too, and last time I checked they were the overwhelming majority.

Allowing males to enter female restrooms for whatever purpose is perverse and twisted. If females do not want to share their facilities with males, they should not have to.

Barry Richard is the host of The Barry Richard Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Contact him at barry@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @BarryJRichard58. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

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