Restaurant in Dallas Suburb Gets Side Order Of 'WTF?' After Caitlyn Jenner Washroom Photos Posted

Pushing back against political correctness is one thing. We certainly now live in a world where we now have been thinking a lot more about how we communicate with others. While some might argue increased thoughtfulness is a good thing, there are others who would definitely say that, as a society, we may have become a little too politically correct.

A restaurant outside of Dallas, TX says it's decided to try and push back against the standard of political correctness with something as simple as its bathroom signage, but the problem is, the restaurant has gone a bit too far. Rather than posting the more traditional signage to indicate where men or women should go, Dodie's Place Cajun Bar & Grill instead opted to post a large image of Caitlyn Jenner — taken from her Vanity Fair photo shoot — for the women's facilities and an image of Bruce Jenner taken from his stint in the Olympics for the men's facilities.

While some might expect an apology to be forthcoming from the restaurant, what was instead posted was something that seemed more like a justification for its decision regarding the signage.

“First and foremost, our intention was not to make fun of or offend anyone when we installed the pictures of Bruce and Caitlyn on our bathroom doors. It was merely a lighthearted gesture to push back against the political correctness that seems to have a stranglehold on this country right now. We believe that political correctness has done more to silence rather than encourage important discussions that our society probably needs to have,” the statement from the restaurant reads.

Have we as a western society become more sensitive to the things people say and do? Absolutely — with good reason. We have marginalized various groups for years, whether it's by virtue of their race, where they come from, their hair color, who they choose to love or their gender, and it's neither fair nor right. Being cautious about not offending someone isn't about political correctness. It's about being decent to another member of the human race and no one should be made fun of because of any of the previously mentioned reasons and more.

The restaurant's Facebook page is rife with comments from people who claim that they appreciated the "joke" or the "lighthearted way" in which they have dealt with political correctness, and some have even argued that no one should have a problem with images that Caitlyn Jenner authorized for use. However, Caitlyn Jenner, either pre or post-transition, does not technically own the images used; those images would have been copyrighted, either by the photographer who took them or by the agency who ultimately had the pictures done. The implication from a statement like that would therefore be that even Caitlyn Jenner herself shouldn't have a problem with these images being used to indicate which washrooms to use.

Dallas Morning News writer Dom DiFurio suggests that the signage used by Dodie's is not so much of a pushback against political correctness but a lack of thought that can really cause a great deal of damage to an already vulnerable population.

"It’s time for more of us to start recognizing the damage behind the wink-and-nod jokes that too often occur in everyday activities and places," he wrote. "Like the bathrooms at your local suburban restaurant."

Transphobic or just discriminatory gestures, such as the issue with Dodie's bathroom signage, is not justifiable. Period. We can't hide behind beliefs that we are somehow pushing back against notions of being politically correct when in reality, what's happening is a lack of compassion and kindness. Certainly, in light of Dodie's Texas location, there have been multiple comments made about questionable intelligence or tolerance, but intelligence has nothing to do with what's happened regarding the Caitlyn/Bruce Jenner signage.

We can't do something that is so obviously distasteful, discriminatory or destructive to any group in society and then hide behind a shield of trying to beat back political correctness. New Hope, TX mayor Jess Herbst, who is transgender, perhaps put it best when she suggested to a Twitter user who was struggling with seeing what was offensive about the bathroom signage, "Try to imagine the most embarrassing moment of your life. The way you felt [inside]. That gut crushing feeling. Now post a giant photo of that moment in a very public space."

Certainly, not all people feel the way that those who support the bathroom signage in Dodie's Cajun Bar and Grill do; to assume so is just as dangerous as suggesting that we can't push back against an environment that is so overly politically correct that we cannot engage in respectful discussion regarding the issues that plague our society today. However, we need to be mindful that respectful discussion is one thing; being deliberately unkind is another, and can be incredibly destructive.

As many of our parents have told us in the past, we need to think before we act. In all things.