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You would think we'd all be accustomed to the idea of different types of bathrooms by now. But noooooo.

I don't know of a single person or family who has home bathrooms labeled only for men, women, children or families. Or for or gay, lesbian, nonbinary or transgender people who might visit them.

Most of us make do with one or two bathrooms at home, or even partial bathrooms. Some are lucky enough to have three of them — and a few can afford four, five, six or more bathrooms.

But I doubt anyone labels them.

These days, bathrooms come with all manner of labels. Men. Men's. Women. Women's. Family. Unisex. All gender. And some with no labels.

At this year's  annual gathering, held in New Orleans earlier this month, some 5,000 administrators, faculty, staff and others discussed ways to make the college experience more inclusive.

That means deep dives into  and organized anti-CRT efforts, how to help transgender students feel safe on campuses, diversity and what it means beyond Black and White, and how we all can work to be more equitable.

, started at the University of Oklahoma, became "the nation's leading forum on race and ethnicity in higher education" before transforming into a conference intentionally inclusive of anyone and everyone interested in an ever-changing, ever-expanding gumbo of people who need acceptance, appreciation and support in higher education.

According to staff at the Riverside Hilton, the host hotel opened some bathrooms to all genders while others remained exclusively for men or women during the conference. Urinals were covered in at least one all-gender bathroom. All gender signs and explanatory notices were posted outside. Anyone could use the all-gender bathrooms.

Someone tore the signs down.

Hilton staff put up more signs.

I don't know if the perpetrator intended emotional injury, but that's what happened. It was painful to watch. 

I saw conference attendees walk by, gasping in shock, hugging each other. Some wept.

NCORE sent an email to conference attendees: "Trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive communities have been and continue to be a key part of liberatory work. We at NCORE denounce and want to name clearly that these actions are unacceptable and not in alignment with NCORE's call to fostering inclusion," it read in part.

An NCORE representative read the official statement in front of hundreds before a scheduled major keynote address. "This place is a refuge for all of us. If we want a new world and a new place, we have to find it here first," he continued to wild, supportive applause as he choked up with emotion. There was such warmth in the huge ballroom, even among strangers.

I attended enough of the NCORE conference that I had occasion to use several men's bathrooms. I also used one of the all-gender bathrooms — twice.

Once I locked the door behind myself, as anyone would have done. Another time I forgot to lock the door. As bad luck would have it, a woman entered a moment or two later. I gasped because I realized I had made a mistake. Fortunately, she was only putting something in the trash.

It was my mistake. I should have locked the door to spare the woman — and myself — the embarrassment.

Or I could've gone to a men's bathroom.

It was a choice — and a lesson.

If you've got to go, go where you're comfortable — and let others go where they're comfortable, too.

Or, just don't go to places where YOU might be uncomfortable or make others feel the same way.