Cuomo Signs “Gender-Neutral Bathroom” Bill
Single-occupancy restrooms now open to people of all genders across New York State
BY TAT BELLAMY-WALKER
In an historic victory, Governor
Andrew Cuomo signed
legislation on December
23 making single-use restrooms
statewide open to people of
all genders.
Under the “gender-neutral bathroom”
law, or A.5240/ S.6479, all
public spaces including restaurants,
bars, and schools are required
to remove sex-segregated
signs like “male” and “female” from
single-occupancy restrooms. This
legislation is another move intended
to bring an end discrimination
and harassment against trans
and non-binary people across the
state.
Out gay Assemblymember Daniel
O’Donnell, representing the
69th District on Manhattan’s West
Side, introduced the bill in the lower
chamber in 2017. State Senator
Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the “gender-neutral bathroom” bill into law on December 23.
Julia Salazar of Brooklyn was the
bill’s co-sponsor.
In a tweet, O’Donnell praised
REUTERS/ KEITH BEDFORD
the measure’s enactment, saying
it represents a step forward in improving
the lives of trans and nonbinary
POLITICS
New Yorkers.
“This isn’t just about restrooms,”
O’Donnell wrote in the tweet. “It’s
about transgender, gender nonconforming,
and nonbinary peoples’
right to be themselves anywhere in
New York State.”
A group that endorsed O’Donnell
in past elections also took to Twitter
to offer their support.
“Elections matter,” wrote the
Stonewall Democratic Club of new
York City, a citywide LGBTQ political
club, in a tweet. “The rights
of trans, gender non-conforming,
and non-binary ppl are human
rights. Thank you, Julia and Danny,
for being human rights champions.”
New York now joins several
other states including California
and Illinois, which adopted similar
legislation. The New York City
Council passed a similar mandate
in 2016.
Bill de Blasio
Mayor
Dave A. Chokshi, MD, MSc
Commissioner
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