Gender Neutral Restrooms

It is always a pleasure to find ways to make more people happy without incurring any costs.

Earlier this month, the House passed the Capital Bill, H.446 with a provision that allows people, regardless of gender, to access more restrooms in government buildings, provided that they are single-stall buildings that a person using the restroom can lock from the inside.

At virtually no cost, just by changing door signage, at least three groups of people will benefit:

(a) People needing to assist someone of a different gender, such as a parent of a young child, an adult child of an elderly parent, or someone assisting someone with a disability

(b) People waiting for bathrooms when only an opposite gender bathroom is available, and

(c) Transgender people or people who do not present themselves in typically traditional gender-normed ways and are often at risk for harassment, bullying, and violence.

Thank you to Outright Vermont's Executive Director Melissa Murray, Commissioner of Buildings and General Services Michael Obuchowski and many others for their support on this provision.