Philadelphia City Council unanimously passed a gender-neutral bathroom ordinance at its Oct. 8 meeting. It will take effect 90 days after Mayor Michael Nutter signs it.
Nellie Fitzpatrick, director of the city Office of LGBT Affairs, said the signing is expected to take place before the end of the month.
“It moved through quickly because City Council as a whole recognizes this is an important step to breaking down barriers,” she said.
Supporters say the ordinance will make it easier for transgender and gender-nonconforming people to find a public restroom. It’s also expected to help caretakers with opposite-sex charges and parents with children.
Introduced last month by Councilman Mark Squilla, the ordinance requires retail establishments, city-owned buildings and any entity that owns or leases a structure open to the public to mark all single-use bathrooms with signs that do not specify gender.
Signs could say “Restroom,” “Bathroom” or “Toilet.” Many existing single-use bathrooms in Philadelphia are marked with “W.C.” (water closet), Fitzpatrick said.
The ordinance applies only to facilities with one toilet and sink. Bathrooms with multiple stalls would not be affected.
“We’re talking about private, single-use, closed spaces,” Fitzpatrick said. “It simply allows people to access a necessary space without facing harassment.”
“It prevents society from policing other people’s genders.”
A map of single-use, gender-neutral bathrooms in Philadelphia, created by the Office of LGBT Affairs, is available here: http://ow.ly/S39EM.