The City of Brotherly Love just became friendlier to the LGBTQ community with a law that requires gender-neutral restrooms in new and renovated buildings as well as other reforms.
You won’t need to check if the stick figure on the door is wearing a skirt or not anymore—Mayor Michael Nutter of Philadelphia signed a new law last week that requires all new or renovated city-owned buildings to include gender-neutral bathrooms.
Nutter said that he hopes Philadelphia will become “the most LGBT-friendly” city in the world, and this seemingly small piece of legislation is a big step in that direction.
“It can be an awkward and embarrassing situation” for anyone who may “feel more like a woman, but can’t use the women’s room,” said Councilman Jim Kenney, who sponsored the bill in order to afford equal rights to the LGBTQ community in Philly. People who are transgender, gender-queer, or any other gender identity will not be discriminated against, and traditional male and female restrooms will still be available so that anyone of any gender identity will feel safe and respected when it comes to their toilet options.
But it’s more than just having an extra option to do your business: this same law makes Philadelphia the first city in the U.S. to offer tax credits to companies that extend the same health care coverage to LGBT employees’ domestic partners and their children as they do to heterosexual families. It also offers tax credits as a way to encourage transgender-specific health benefits.
“My goal is for Philadelphia to be one of, if not the most, LGBT-friendly cities in the world and a leader on equality issues,” said Nutter. While the new law paves the way for other LGBT-legislation, Pennsylvania still legally defines marriage as between a man and a woman, and neither gay marriage nor civil unions are legal. But Kenney and Nutter want to see that changed.
“Life is hard for everybody and certain obstacles the government puts in the way intentionally or unintentionally make life harder for some more than others,” Kenney said, “and all we’re trying to do is streamline that down.” To do this, the legislation also revises Philadephia’s anti-discrimination law to include transgender people, extends decision-making medical rights to life partners, and changes city forms and websites to offer options for same-sex couples and transgender people.
“This is a city that is truly respecting all its citizens,” said state Representative Brian Sims, a Philadelphia Democrat and the first openly gay candidate to be elected to the Legislature. “It is because of that respect that we are indeed a first-class city and we will continue to shine.”
Photo: genderqueer/tumblr
As long as they’re creating gender neutral bathrooms it’s cool. I have a problem with the laws that allow women to use the men’s room. No one seems to consider that in some bathrooms the urinals are almost totally exposed. Heaven forbid there be a troth. As long as everything is a stall, I have no problems with it. I’m not sure if I’d have a problem if they were to install dividers. Some dividers are really small and others are almost as long as a stall wall. It also probably depends on how far they’re installed from the urinal.… Read more »
You guys are funny. It’s interesting to note that we are now conforming to non-conformists…as the picture clearly indicates these are non-conformist restrooms. Taxes increase for every new public restroom installed and maintained. Corporations are offered tax incentives nonetheless. The taxpayer gets hurt on this piece of legislation.
The real question is, how many transgender people live in Philly anyway to justify that type of action and tax burden?
Furthermore, this is one of the most fiscally and civicly irresponsible pieces of legislation I’ve heard, especially as most states are virtually bankrupt and unemployment rates are still holding at about 7 percent. This should be repealed or this Nutter Mayor should be removed. Simply because he’s gay—that’s his personal agenda and his sexuality shouldn’t be involved so strongly to make Philadelphia the most gay-friendly city. This guy has lost his mind. It is just as absurd as an African-American Mayor installing black-friendly restrooms, because a few African Americans are uncomfortable with white people and he wants to make it… Read more »
I’m not sure I understand this resistance, except for the added cost. These aren’t restrooms that are reserved for transgender people. They are open to everyone regardless of gender. They don’t exclude anyone. That’s the point. It’s not like a restroom reserved for one particular race. These aren’t reserved for “special interest group” users, certainly not any more than a women’s restroom is. As for additional costs to the taxpayer relative to public benefit, I think that is a perfectly valid concern. I’m wondering, though, how much criticism the city would face if it was simply adding another pair of… Read more »
I don’t have personal issue with it, because eveyone must go potty. After being in the military, you learn how to get over your personal hang-ups and go potty right next to the opposite sex…many field toilets don’t even have doors or stalls. Talk about no privacy. I can see creating ‘family’ restrooms because family applies to everyone, like the sign says. IF he makes a unique statement about ‘transgender’ restrooms or non-comformist restrooms or a gay city, and it appears that he is, he may on the fringe of segregating and isolating protected groups, instead of integrating and accepting… Read more »
Well, crap, if I’m a conservative politician cruising for same-sex partners in the restroom, how will I know if the person in the next stall is male? Damned inconvenient, that. I’ll have to do more than just use a wide stance. Perhaps some sort of symbol on my shoes….
Steve, tell me about… What about after a couple of beers? The stick figures are helpful with beer goggles. I’m confused already…
I remember been (almost) completely smashed and standing in front of the restrooms for about 3 minutes. I was having trouble figuring out which one was the men’s room. At least I was sober enough not to take a guess or to simply not care.
Having a gender-neutral option should make it easier, not harder, when you’re drunk. Instead of having a 50-50 chance of walking into the right one, now you have a 2 in 3 chance. You’ve gone from 50% to 66%. I’m assuming if there are three bathrooms the gender-neutral one would be in the middle?
When really, truly in doubt, there’s always the alley out back, which is where a lot of people go anyway.