“Excuse me sir, but where is the gender neutral bathroom?”
That might be the question business owners with single-stall bathrooms might soon face after Flatlands City Council Member Jumaane Williams said he expected the committee he chairs to send legislation requiring such signage on single-stall bathrooms to the full city council for a vote.
Queens City Council Member Daniel Dromm, who says his Elmhurst and Jackson Heights district has one of the largest transgender populations in the city, introduced the legislation after hearing from constituents saying they were being harassed and in some cases assaulted because of their gender.
Under the measure all businesses with single-stall bathrooms must have at least one that is marked with signage indicating it is a gender neutral.
“No one should ever have to risk harassment or physical harm when using a restroom,” said Dromm. “Sadly, for many transgender and gender non-conforming people, fear of violence is part of their daily routine. I am pleased to be the prime sponsor of Intro 871 which would require single-occupant restrooms to be accessible to all, regardless of gender identity or expression. This legislation will help ensure that these traditionally marginalized communities are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.”
The legislation came before Williams’ Committee on Housing and Buildings yesterday for a hearing, and will likely be approved at the committee’s next meeting after all found the bill reasonable. The legislation duplicates similar legislation that was passed in Philadelphia because of incidents involving transgenders being verbally harassed and physically assaulted for using a single stall bathroom, he said.
“It’s wrong to not provide safe and comfortable restrooms for transgender New Yorkers, who all too often face harassment and discrimination, and this seems to be the most cost efficient way to avoid these type of situations,” said Williams.
“It’s great to have a bathroom where anybody can use it. It’s a win-win to me and it’s single stall so many of the questions people bring up (about sexual preferences and leanings) you don’t have to worry about,” he added.
Sunset Park City Council Member Carlos Menchaca, the first openly gay city council member from Brooklyn, and a co-sponsor of the bill, called the bill a common-sense proposal that will move the city in the direction of lived equality for every single New Yorker.
“Without a doubt, public facilities must be accessible to every single person. In the last year, we’ve seen an orchestrated attack on transgender individuals across the country, and we are saying firmly in New York that there is no space for that hate or bias in our City. This is one piece of a larger policy platform that is going to improve the lives of many people,” said Menchaca.
A source knowledgable about the bill said the exact wording on the signage has not been decided yet, but it must indicate that the bathroom is gender neutral.
