Yikes
SAWHORSE
Just thought you'd be interested to see that the state of California is proposing to authorize local jurisdictions to require new and renovated public toilet facilities (i.e. accessible to the public, not merely public owned) to be gender neutral. The specifics are shown below.
A local jurisdiction that goes with this can require all new+renovated public toilet facilities to be gender neutral. Specifically, not just a men's room + women's room + an additional gender neutral room, but no more mens and womens restrooms at all.
(It does say that those jurisdictions can make exceptions at their "own discretion".)
The context is that all toilet and urinal stalls must be private compartments, with floor-to-ceiling walls and doors. I believe this means each stall becomes a separate room in context of the building and mechanical codes. Is that correct?
As someone who has previously done extensive design work on emergency shelters for women, I have seen women become "service resistant" when their facilities must be shared with men. Their concerns are often based on past history of sexual assault at enclosed facilities such as toilets when they were enduring life on the streets. I have also seen fully enclosed (floor-to-ceiling) toilet compartments cause other security issues (drug use, sex trade, etc.). I realize that California takes pride in its progressive values and believes that gender-neutral facilities may promote additional safety among non-gender-conforming individuals, but isn't it possible that this safety goal could also be accomplished simply by providing an additional separate gender-neutral restroom, without also eliminating the gender-specific restrooms?
(Also wondering how this will play out for new public toilet rooms at religious facilities such as mosques.)
Here's the text:
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billHistoryClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB1194
Status: out of committee - - ordered to third reading on 6/2/32022.
As Amends the Law Today
A local jurisdiction that goes with this can require all new+renovated public toilet facilities to be gender neutral. Specifically, not just a men's room + women's room + an additional gender neutral room, but no more mens and womens restrooms at all.
(It does say that those jurisdictions can make exceptions at their "own discretion".)
The context is that all toilet and urinal stalls must be private compartments, with floor-to-ceiling walls and doors. I believe this means each stall becomes a separate room in context of the building and mechanical codes. Is that correct?
As someone who has previously done extensive design work on emergency shelters for women, I have seen women become "service resistant" when their facilities must be shared with men. Their concerns are often based on past history of sexual assault at enclosed facilities such as toilets when they were enduring life on the streets. I have also seen fully enclosed (floor-to-ceiling) toilet compartments cause other security issues (drug use, sex trade, etc.). I realize that California takes pride in its progressive values and believes that gender-neutral facilities may promote additional safety among non-gender-conforming individuals, but isn't it possible that this safety goal could also be accomplished simply by providing an additional separate gender-neutral restroom, without also eliminating the gender-specific restrooms?
(Also wondering how this will play out for new public toilet rooms at religious facilities such as mosques.)
Here's the text:
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billHistoryClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB1194
Status: out of committee - - ordered to third reading on 6/2/32022.
As Amends the Law Today
SECTION 1.
Section 118507 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:
118507.
(a) Notwithstanding Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 401.0) of the California Plumbing Code (Part 5 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations), a city, county, or city and county may require new or renovated public toilet facilities within its jurisdiction to be designed, constructed, and identified for use by all genders instead of the design standards for separate facilities for men and women found in the applicable provisions in Chapter 4 of the California Plumbing Code.
(b) If a city, county, or city and county exercises the authority provided in subdivision (a), it may adopt any of the following standards by ordinance or resolution.
(b) If a city, county, or city and county exercises the authority provided in subdivision (a), it may adopt any of the following standards by ordinance or resolution.
(1) For public toilet facilities:
(A) A public toilet facility shall be designed to serve all genders.
(B) The location of the public toilet facility shall be along open circulation paths that will maintain privacy and allow for high visibility of common-use areas for security.
(C) Toilet rooms shall have no more than one water closet or urinal and designated for use by no more than one occupant at a time or for family or assisted use.
(D) Toilet rooms shall be enclosed on all sides by walls or partitions extending from the floor to the ceiling and a door with a locking mechanism controlled by the user enclosing the water closet or urinal for privacy.
(E) Urinals shall be located either in the toilet rooms or in an area visually separated from the remainder of the public toilet facility.
(F) Lavatories shall be located either in toilet rooms or grouped in an immediately adjacent common-use area accessible to all users.
(G) Adequate light and ventilation shall be provided within each toilet room and each area of the public toilet facility.
(H) Signage in compliance with Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations shall identify them for use by all genders.
(2) Single-use toilet facilities shall comply with the requirements of Part 5 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations.
(c) This section does not prohibit a city, county, or city and county that exercises the authority provided in subdivision (a) from adopting, by ordinance or resolution, design standards for single-use, public toilet rooms identified for use by all genders not included in subdivision (b).
(d) Adoption of an ordinance or resolution pursuant to this section shall not be construed as requiring or authorizing either of the following:
(d) Adoption of an ordinance or resolution pursuant to this section shall not be construed as requiring or authorizing either of the following:
(1) A reduction in the total number of plumbing fixtures that are required by Part 5 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations.
(2) A reduction in the number of toilet facilities accessible to persons with disabilities that are otherwise required under either Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations or the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 12101 et seq.).
(e) A city, county, or city and county may, in its discretion, exclude certain occupancies from standards adopted pursuant to this section.