New York, NY – Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D/WF-Manhattan) today, during Pride Month announced passage of her bill to designate as gender-neutral all single-use restrooms in all state-owned and operated facilities. The bill now heads to the Governor for his signature, after having passed the State Senate earlier this year.

"Across the country, states are moving to institutionalize discrimination against transgender individuals by blocking their access to restrooms conforming to their gender identity and expression. By passing this bill, New York sends a strong message that we will not tolerate that kind of hateful ignorance. Instead, we send a message that New Yorkers and visitors of all kinds are welcome and more importantly, respected," said Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal.

Once this bill becomes law, facilities like state schools, hospitals, parks, the Legislature and similar state-owned and operated facilities will be required to make their single-stall restrooms gender neutral.

“SAGE applauds the New York State Legislature and commends the leadership of Assemblymember Rosenthal,” said SAGE Chief Officer for External Affairs Lynn Faria. “We know firsthand the profound challenges that transgender elders face with physical and mental health, and know that they are subjected to extreme levels of discrimination, hostility and violence in public places and spaces. Gender-neutral single use bathrooms removes one small but important barrier and improves access to safe restrooms for transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary New Yorkers.”

"We are thrilled that lawmakers have passed legislation to require gender-neutral bathrooms in all state-owned or operated buildings and office space", says Shijuade Kadree, Chief Advocacy Officer at NYC's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center. "This is an important victory because it means that LGBTQ New Yorkers along the gender spectrum will have more spaces where they can be affirmed for who they are."

Sixteen states, most notably North Carolina, have introduced "bathroom bills," designed to block access to public restrooms based on gender identity or expression. Requiring transgender individuals to use restrooms that do not conform to their gender identity or expression is discriminatory, and has the potential to subject transgender people to unwanted public scrutiny and even violence. These policies are difficult to enforce and have had negative economic impacts on the states that have implemented them, with businesses threatening to and actually moving their activity elsewhere as a result.

The bill was sponsored by Julia Salazar in the New York State Senate.

Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal is the Chair of the Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. She represents the 67^th Assembly district, which includes the Upper West Side and parts of the Clinton/ Hell’s Kitchen neighborhoods in Manhattan.