SAN DIEGO – In his final days of service on the City Council, San Diego City Councilmember Todd Gloria joined Human Relations Commissioner Nicole Murray Ramirez, Transgender Services Coordinator for the San Diego LGBT Center Connor Maddocks and young transgender community activist Lily Rubenstein Thursday to designate the first official gender-neutral restroom inside a City-owned public facility.
The restroom, located inside the University Heights Public Library, begins the City of San Diego’s official compliance with California State Assembly Bill 1732 which calls for all single-user public toilet facilities to be labeled as “all-gendered” beginning March 1, 2017. Today’s unveiling occurs well in advance of the March 1, 2017 commencement date, as mandated by Assembly Bill 1732, serving as a strong representation of the City of San Diego’s support for its LGBT community.
“Now more than ever, I am proud that the City of San Diego continues to be a leader and a champion for equality and inclusion,” said Councilmember Todd Gloria. “Today’s designation of gender-neutral restrooms demonstrates our City’s unwavering commitment to the basic rights, respect, and dignity of all people. More importantly, from this day forward, all of our public single-user restroom facilities will be more safe and accessible for all people.”
Just last month, the City of San Diego was also recognized for its progressive policies and services that have advanced inclusion and equality when the Human Rights Campaign awarded a perfect score of 100 points as part of their Municipal Equality Index.
At Thursday’s press conference held at the University Heights Public Library, city staff installed the official California Title 24 restroom signs, as articulated in the California Building Standards Code, which designate the library’s restroom facilities as gender-neutral.
