Dozens of ‘all gender toilets’ have been set up in different corners of China’s capital city, a sign of progress for LGBTI rights in the relatively conservative Asian country.

Founded by Martin Yang who works at the Beijing Gender Health Education Institute (BGHEI), Beijing’s first all gender toilet program has connected with over 20 venues, including bars, cafes, and even an international school and Beijing’s office of U.N. Women.

‘Our main goal with this project is to raise public awareness about gender diversity and equality issues,’ said Yang.

Launched in late May, each of the program’s participating locales get an ‘All Gender Toilet’ label for their loo’s door, as well as a spot on BGHEI’s digital map of trans-friendly places.

Yang shared that mistreatment, including being harassed or banned from using public bathrooms, is a common problem for trans people as well as for the broader LGBTI community in the city.

‘It has even happened to me,’ he told journalist . ‘I used to have long hair, and because I’m so petite, when I went to the men’s room guys inside would get visibly uncomfortable and quickly leave.’

Researching for the program took Yang months as he met up with transgender Beijingers to know about their bathroom needs, as well as connected with LGBTI friendly establishments to see what could be done.

Chao Xiao Mi, a friend of Yang, is a trans woman who contributed to his research.

‘I hope everyone can be friendly to trans people,’ she said. ‘I hope that trans people can live proudly like a rainbow under the sun, and have their own toilet, their own work, and their own style.’

She added that she hopes that all locations with transgender friendly toilets will flourish as hot spots for the locals to become better acquainted with one another.

In China, being transgender is still diagnosed as a mental illness under the Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders.

H/t: RICE