Legislature approves bill banning gender-specific bathrooms

by Matt Fleming | August 22, 2016 11:09 pm

In what proponents labeled “the nation’s most inclusive restroom access law,” the California Legislature passed a bill on Monday requiring single-occupancy restrooms in businesses, government buildings and places of public accommodation to be open to all genders.

If signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, the ban on gender-specific bathrooms will begin on March 1, 2017, which would be a significant victory in the transgender movement. 

“Restricting access to single use restrooms defies reason,” said Assembly member Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, the bill’s sponsor. “It is a basic necessity of life and everyone should get in and out on the same terms.”

Earlier this year, North Carolina passed the opposite of this bill — a measure requiring people to use public restrooms that correspond to their birth gender. San Francisco, San Jose and Los Angeles are among the U.S. cities that have banned official travel to North Carolina in response to the law.

Source URL: https://calwatchdog.com/2016/08/22/legislature-approves-bill-banning-gender-specific-bathrooms/

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