Multnomah County is jumping to the forefront of a national debate by becoming one of the first in the country to require single-occupancy, gender-neutral bathrooms in all new construction projects for the county.





The move, coming through an executive order scheduled to be signed this morning by county board Chairman Jeff Cogen, is intended to eliminate stigmas for transgender county employees and visitors using county-owned restrooms.



"There is no doubt that there will be people who will be opposed to this," Cogen said. "But for us, it's all about equity and fairness. It's about us walking our talk."



Cogen's order comes as cities, counties, states and schools across the nation wrestle with issues blending gender identity and access to various public facilities, including bathrooms.



Last month in Arizona, a legislator introduced a bill linking public bathroom use to the gender listed on a person's birth certificate. The bill, which included dressing rooms and locker rooms, proposed a six-month jail term for noncompliance.



Philadelphia went the opposite direction recently when, in a self-proclaimed effort to become "the most LGBT-friendly" city in the world, city leaders passed legislation requiring new or renovated city-owned buildings include gender-neutral bathrooms in addition to traditional men's and women's restrooms.



Multnomah County's initial costs are expected to be minimal, Cogen said, with outlays limited to adding new signs directing people to the locations of the gender-neutral facilities — which will be unchanged from the current single-occupancy restrooms but with no designation for "Men" or "Women."



County personnel will also begin a bathroom inventory of the 120 buildings the county owns or leases. Wherever possible, efforts will be made to designate gender-neutral bathrooms in those locations, as well.



The timing of Cogen's signing was intentionally set to coincide with Pride Month for the LGBTQ community in Multnomah County. Each June, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning/queer communities celebrate with festivals, parades and educational presentations.



But, more significantly, it comes after some transgender county employees complained of feeling uncomfortable using restrooms not suited to their needs and identities, Cogen said.



"Some folks have told us they literally have to wait and go home during the day to go to the bathroom," he said. "Clearly, that is suffering no one should have to endure."



The county's move elicited immediate applause from some groups.



"When it comes down to it, everyone is in the restroom for the same reason," said Tash Shatz, trans justice program manager for Basic Rights Oregon, an organization that fights for equality rights. "All we are looking for is equal access."



Shatz said he and other transgender people frequently encounter harassment or threats when using bathrooms others may not expect them to use, based on their appearance.



"All we are talking about is access to single-occupancy restrooms, which benefit many others, as well," Shatz said. "Whether it's people with disabilities, families needing a diaper-changing room, or moms with breastmilk pumps, this is good for everyone."



Grant High School made a similar conversion earlier this year, when it designated four student bathrooms and two staff bathrooms — all single stalls — as unisex. Now, the 10 Grant students who openly identify as transgender don't have to forgo bathroom use during school hours, as some did before.



That transition may not strike some as significant, but it is, said Barbara McCullough-Jones, executive director of the Portland-based Sexual Minority Youth Resource Center.



"Folks who aren't faced with gender issues don't think twice about which stall they'll walk into to use the bathroom," she said. "For others, unfortunately, just the opposite is true. I can tell you honestly that the county's move is a really important one, and we are really glad to see things come to this point."



-- Dana Tims