“For a number of years at my public elementary school in rural Maine, I...” — Nicole Maines Quote

“For a number of years at my public elementary school in rural Maine, I was treated like all the other girls in school. That changed in September 2007 when a male classmate, set on a path by his grandfather, followed me into the girls' restroom. The end result was that I had to use the school's staff bathroom - just me, no one else.”

“It's good to have a free space to laugh and cry and get angry about gender and sexuality. That's one of the things I am the most thankful for from my friends and my family. They've given me the place to freely have gender be a part of our discourse.”

“A new father quickly learns that his child invariably comes to the bathroom at precisely the times when he's in there, as if he needed company. The only way for this father to be certain of bathroom privacy is to shave at the gas station.”

“I have always had a ridiculous fear that I will walk into the bathroom one morning and find a python in my toilet.”

“At the premieres, I always watch the audience. If a child asks to go to the bathroom, I know I've failed.”