Since moving to Germany, I've been generally unimpressed by public knowledge regarding the spectrum of genders (and non-genders) that exist beyond Man and Woman. The German language is partially to blame, as there are no easy translations for the gender neutral pronouns "they" or "them". German culture is also to blame, still in many ways steeped in conservative Christian values and traditions.
This is not to say that there aren't efforts being made, some more impressive than others. One of the least impressive efforts I've encountered is the staggeringly sloppy and vague implementation of the asterisk. As in, Women* or Men*. You may be wondering what the asterisk means. I assure you nobody knows.
While some argue that the asterisk as an honest, well-intentioned attempt include non-binary and trans folks, I find it lazy and cowardly. The asterisk has a distinct air of "Women and whoever the fuck else I don't know I'm just tired of getting in trouble with Gen Z microcelebrities sporting hemp tote bags and patchwork tattoos."
Who could possibly authentically feel represented by an asterisk? Its literal purpose is to signal a footnote, an afterthought, a bit of unessential information that only concerns the truly dedicated, of whom you mustn't count yourself. It floats practically undetectibly in the corner at the end of a word, designed not to disrupt the average reader. What a blatant and dehumanizing manifestation of what the non-gender conforming already experience on the daily.
The most impressive gender-inclusive effort I've seen here in Freiburg are bathroom signs in the hip young cool cafés. These cafés have abandoned words entirely, opting for symbols showing what is in the bathrooms instead. For example, one sign has three urinals, one toilet, a sink. The other sign has four toilets and a sink. I apprecite these signs purely on the basis of their humility. These signs don't claim to know who you are or what you might need. All they do is humbly show you what the room before them has to offer, and you have the blessed freedom to choose where you go based on your needs. While I still think the future of gender neutral bathrooms is simply several single bathrooms (also ideal for loud poopers and menstrual cup users), these signs with symbols are a good solution if you don't have it in your budget to completely reconstruct your bathroom configuration. They are also great for anyone who can't read.
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