The other evening, we went to see the brilliant performance Tænkepauser: "Duft" at Nørrebro Teater. Just before it began, I slipped out to visit the restroom. One of those quick, practical decisions you make without a second thought - until suddenly, thought is all you have.

What do Danish grammar and modern toilets have in common?

I step inside… and freeze.

Six urinals. No little dress icon. Doors, yes - but none that felt like mine.

Just me. A well-dressed, slightly modest lady. Suddenly overtaken by my amygdala’s survival instincts: freeze first, figure it out later.

Frozen in place, my mind runs a danger analysis:

Threat level? Reward? Escape plan?

I stand there motionless, caught between the cool logic of modern design and my very human longing for a little privacy.

At last, I retreat and ask a member of the staff, "Excuse me… is this the men’s room?"

They smile. "Oh no! It’s unisex!"

Ahh. Unisex.

And just like that, my mind drifts - of all places - to Danish grammar.

Did you know that centuries ago, Danish had three grammatical genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter? Much like many European languages still do today.

Think of German with its der, die, and das, French with its ever-present le and la, or Russian playing the full trio with on (he), ona (she), and ono (it).

But Danish took a different path. Then, sometime around the 14th century, the language decided it had had enough of all that division. Masculine and feminine simply merged into one: common gender (fælleskøn). From then on, it was simpler: just common and neuter. No more debating what belonged where.

Still, in that moment, standing in a doorway full of urinals, I couldn’t help but wish for a little clarity. A simple sign. A small invitation saying, you belong here.

Because even when the world is ready for change, sometimes our comfort zones take just a bit longer to catch up.

It took language a few hundred years to settle into that simplicity. And now, nearly 700 years later, it seems the toilets are finally catching up.

This isn’t just about restrooms. It’s about how our surroundings slowly start to mirror the quiet revolutions in how we think. Danish grammar let go of its rigid categories centuries ago. Now, our public spaces are doing the same - opening up, removing old labels, making room for everyone.