(SACRAMENTO, CA) – A bill authored by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) to establish the nation’s most inclusive restroom access law among states passed a key vote in the State Senate. Today’s vote occurred days before the nation’s largest gathering of the LGBT community and its allies at the San Francisco Pride Celebration and Parade.
“This bill sets California apart from the nation, which is now under a wave of intolerance. We are sending a simple message that everyone’s rights must be respected and protected,” said Ting. “Restrooms are a necessity of life so equal access to them is a matter of basic civil rights. Gender segregated access to a solitary restroom defies common sense. This is a fair, convenient, and safe alternative to the hate being legislated in other states.”
Sponsored by Equality California, the Transgender Law Center and California NOW, Assembly Bill (AB) 1732 would require single-occupancy restrooms in California businesses, government buildings and places of public accommodation to be universally accessible and identified as “all gender.” It passed the Senate Committee on Transportation and Housing with a preliminary 8-2 vote and now moves to the Senate Committee on Appropriations for further review.
"More than 200 pieces of anti-LGBT legislation have been introduced in state legislatures across the country this year, many targeting the access of transgender people to bathrooms consistent with their gender identity," said Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California. "Meanwhile, with this bill, California is taking an important step to ensure the safety and basic dignity of transgender people - and everyone else."
“All Californians should have the same freedom to participate in public life, go about their day, and use the bathroom when they need it,” said Kris Hayashi, Executive Director of Transgender Law Center. “By making single-user restrooms accessible to all genders, this law will make life easier for everyone and reduce the harassment regularly experienced by transgender people and others who don’t match people’s stereotypes of what it looks like to be a man or a woman.”
“When nature calls, women frequently have to wait,” said Jerilyn Stapleton, President of California NOW. “We shouldn’t have to wait or postpone having our needs fairly met in public. Everyone should experience equal waiting time. We have universal bathroom access at home and on airplanes so why not require it in public buildings?”
In March, North Carolina enacted HB 2, which requires people to use public restrooms consistent with their birth gender. In April, Mississippi enacted HB 1523, which allows discrimination on the basis of religion. In May, the Obama Administration told U.S. public schools that transgender students must be allowed to use the bathroom corresponding with their gender identity, relying on an interpretation of Title IX, which protects people from discrimination based on sex in education initiatives that receive federal financial assistance. Many states have challenged this guidance in court.
Further information about AB 1732 is available online www.leginfo.ca.gov.