Charlie Comero is a transgender man who has suffered under the provisions of the House Bill 2 law in North Carolina.

It's a reality of life: you have one too many coffees, and find yourself in search of a public bathroom. It's an act that most of us take for granted; the most pressing concern when out and about is finding a loo that is in an acceptably hygienic state.

For Lauren*, however, using any bathroom outside her own home is fraught with difficulty. The threat of embarrassment - or worse, abuse or harassment - looms large.

"I won't use women's loos unless I absolutely have to and even then I'd rather try and hold it," she said.

SUPPLIED For Trans people, using public toilets is a potential minefield.

The distress she feels is written all over her face.

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"I've had everything from nasty looks to people calling me a pervert, or a f****t, screaming at me... once I got shoved into a block of sinks."

This is because Lauren is a trans woman and some women do not feel like she meets the criteria for womanhood.

"They assume I'm a predator."

This in spite of data that shows not even a single incidence of a trans person assaulting someone in a public bathroom in the United States.

By way of contrast, a report by the UCLA School of Law notes that 70 per cent of trans people have been attacked either verbally or physically while in a public bathroom of their correct gender.

A bill passed into law in North Carolina, USA, requires people to use public toilets that match the sex on their birth certificate rather than their gender identity.

Prominent musicians like Bruce Springsteen and the band Pearl Jam have cancelled concerts in protest and ad hoc economic sanctions have been placed on the state until the bill is rescinded.

Fortunately - though the situation is far from perfect - it is unlikely there will be such a furore here in New Zealand.

Employers in New Zealand are legally required to accommodate the specific needs of trans employees, including in use of the facilities.

The law states that "an employee should be able to use facilities that match their gender identity, for example: trans women should be able to use a women's toilet, and trans men should be able to use a men's toilet".

"While a unisex toilet is a positive way to ensure facilities are inclusive (and may be more comfortable for a trans person early in their transition), a trans employee should not be excluded from using the appropriate single sex toilet."

Of all the businesses we canvassed, only one expressed discomfort at the idea of trans people using bathrooms that aligned with their identity.

Many trans people - including Lauren - prefer to use gender-neutral bathrooms, however, for the purposes of comfort and safety.

She said there are not enough publicly-accessible gender-neutral bathrooms. She also expressed concern with the number of gender-neutral bathrooms at Victoria University in Wellington.

Gender-neutral facilities are only available on Kelburn Campus, the main campus in the heart of the city.

Victoria University released a list of all their gender-neutral bathrooms last year, but many of these bathrooms are not gender-neutral but disabled toilets. This conflation of gender identity with disability is, to Lauren, unacceptable.

"We need a more holistic look at how to solve the issue. There's still a long way to go."

Vice Provost (Academic and Equity) Allison Kirkman, said that the equity and diversity strategy is currently under review, though she could not comment on specifics. She would not comment on how quickly any changes would be implemented.

Lincoln University in Canterbury has gender-neutral bathrooms across both its campuses, and offers general support for trans students.

The University of Canterbury is currently exploring how it might implement gender neutral facilities, and is consulting with the LGBTQ community on campus, a spokesperson said.

The University of Waikato does not have any gender-neutral bathrooms.

Auckland and Otago Universities did not respond to requests for comment.

Lauren notes, however, that greater access to gender-neutral bathrooms is not the be-all and end-all.

"More gender-neutral loos are a great first step, and what we [the trans community] need, but we shouldn't have to use gender-neutral bathrooms to feel safe."

Does she feel like this will happen in her lifetime?

"Absolutely not. Maybe in a hundred years. Maybe in a hundred years it'll be as easy to get transitioning surgery as it is to get a nose-job. I have to live with things the way the are."