Wayne Mellinger: Santa Barbara’s Bathroom Politics Reveal Who Really Belongs in Public Space

Wayne Mellinger: Santa Barbara’s Bathroom Politics Reveal Who Really Belongs in Public Space

Standing outside a Santa Barbara Starbucks at 6:47 a.m., I watch a man in a sun-faded jacket pause before the glass door. His face reflects back at him, a moment of self-inspection: straighten the collar, brush down the backpack straps, fix the expression to appear “safe.” The barista glances up, meeting his eyes. An almost imperceptible shake of the head. The man doesn’t even reach for the handle. He turns away, searching for another place to r…