The topic of gender neutral bathrooms has been especially prevalent lately.

The town of Oxford, Alabama attempted to pass an ordinance making it to where people had to use the same bathroom that matched the gender on their birth certificate. That ordinance was quickly repealed. North Carolina is doing battle with the federal government which says its legislation violates the Civil Rights Act.

In Mobile, the LGBT community is pleased that the retailer Target came out publicly to announce a non-discriminatory bathroom policy.

Other institutions also have non-discriminatory policies such as Apple, run by Alabama native Tim Cook.

The University of South Alabama also employees and non-discriminatory policies.

Under Title IX, the LGBT community is protected from any kind of discrimination meaning they can use whichever bathroom they choose. In the student center, there is already a gender-neutral bathroom.

USA student Anna Van DerWood says in the bathroom legislation isn’t just about who can go where.

She told News 5 that the issue is purely political and that going to the bathroom is a time where everyone should feel safe, including LGBT people.

She also said that crime reports do not support that children are in danger, an argument the American family Association he’s used to garner more than 1 million signatures and a boycott against Target.

Many parents say they fear a male will enter a woman’s bathroom and harm a young girl.

Local LGBT advocate Lane Galbraith said that argument is short-sighted and that many people have been in a bathroom with a transgender person and never even knew it.

Galbraith also said that transgender education would be a positive step forward in educating the public on what it means and the issues that face the LGBT community.

“I’m open to any dialogue,” said Galbraith.