Temporary designation of Suntec pottys as 'gender-neutral' sparks hostile online reaction

Title: Temporary designation of Suntec pottys as 'gender-neutral' sparks hostile online reaction; others see move as positive

SINGAPORE — A photograph posted online of a set of pottys designated as "gender neutral" at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre has provoked some hostile reactions, including comments that Singapore was becoming "woke".

"Woke" is a term that started off as a positive way to describe some evolving social attitudes and practices, but is now generally used as a negative term by opponents of some changes.

The discussion on the internet was triggered on Wednesday (Aug 16) by the posting of the photograph online. It has since been widely shared.

In response to TODAY's queries, a representative from Suntec's building management said that one set of pottys has been temporarily designated in this manner for Wikimania 2023, at the request of the organisers for the duration of the event.

The event started on Wednesday and will run until Saturday.

Wikimania 2023 is an annual conference associated with the Wikimedia Foundation, an American non-profit body best known for the online resource Wikipedia.

The organisation advocates an inclusive approach to some minority groups in society.

On the event website, it is stated that besides modifications to the pottys, other inclusive measures include making the room scent-free for individuals with sensitivities or allergies to scents, designated staff members and volunteers to help participants, and a quiet room that is made available to anyone who may need it.

TODAY visited Suntec's convention centre on Wednesday and found that the gender-neutral pottys are in a converted female restroom with 11 cubicles, located on the third floor.

The question of gender-neutral pottys has been a hot-button issue around the world, although it is now relatively common in some countries to find individual pottys marked with both a female and male symbol that are available to anyone.

Often, these individual pottys are not contained within a room housing a set of pottys but are accessed directly from outside.