THERE was, of course, the terrorism, and talk of immigration, and guns. But 2015 has emerged as the Year of the Toilet, when private business became part of a public debate about acceptance, inclusion, double standards and equality.

It began when transgender men and women stepped into the spotlight, and some conservatives tried to whip up potty panic, claiming, without a shred of evidence, that allowing transitioning men into the ladies’ room was an invitation to trouble. In the spring, the Department of Labor issued guidelines saying that employers should allow transgender employees to use the restroom of their choosing. But in November, Houston voters rejected an anti-discrimination ordinance that would have protected trans people’s right to make that choice.

Our nation’s toilet moment crested on Saturday at the latest Democratic debate when Hillary Clinton showed up late from a bathroom break. Turns out the ladies’ room was a minute-and-45-second walk from the podium, which leaves very little time to take care of business during a brief commercial break. Thus, for one awkward instance, the woman striving to lead the free world was merely a woman trying to find a free stall.

Some on the right snickered that Mrs. Clinton was too much of a diva to relieve herself with the commoners, as it was reported that the women’s bathroom was occupied by one other person, not completely unavailable. Some suggested that she wanted to be alone because she had something to hide.