A winding line of women waiting for the restroom may seem like a simple inconvenience, but feminist critic and activist Soraya Chemaly calls it a prime example of "male-centeredness."
Chemaly joined HuffPost Live on Wednesday to discuss her piece for Time, which argues that long lines at the ladies' room constitutes "everyday sexism" that favors the bodies of men. Chemaly explained to host Nancy Redd:
Whose bodies are worthy of prioritization? Whose bodies need to be recognized as legitimate? Those are really fundamental issues in society, and they come together in super interesting ways in public space and in public toilets. So when you see a line, as I did last week, of 50 women standing waiting patiently and quietly while men breeze in and out of the restroom, it's really not just this minor irritation. It's reflective of much deeper issues about bodies, embodiment, ... elimination and social justice. I also think it's just one aspect on a very broad spectrum of how important bodily needs and sanitation are to people's equal rights.
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