When a gay man or single dad wants to change his kid’s diaper, he’s often faced with a problem: diaper-changing facilities, if they’re available at all, are often only found in women’s restrooms.

This is certainly the case in California, but now a local politician has launched a bid to change the situation. Democrat Senator Ricardo Lara, who also happens to be gay himself, has tabled the ‘Potty Parity for Parents Act’ (SB 1350). The aim of the act is simple: if a women’s restroom is being fitted with a baby-changing station then the corresponding men’s restroom must also be fitted with one.

‘As the modern American family evolves, men are taking a more proactive role in the rearing of their children and that includes changing their babies’ diapers,’ says Lara, a Senator for the 33rd Senate District. ‘This bill is a reasonable and common sense approach to addressing the problem of unequal access to baby changing facilities in public restrooms. It’s about potty parity for all parents!’

There are approximately 2 million dad-only families in the US, with around 22,500 same-sex male couples with kids in California alone.

‘This is as much an issue for dad’s in opposite-sex households as it is for those in same-sex households,” says Lara. “Every dad or male guardian should have equal access to a clean facility to change their child.’

Senator Lara dropped in on the Aquarium of the Pacific on Long Beach, California to reveal more details about the bill, and posted this cute video online to help spread the message.

