In St. Paul, the wait is over.

By resolution of the St. Paul City Council, visitors to city buildings will no longer be expected to wait in line for a single-stall restroom when another single-stall restroom is unoccupied nearby.

The city council on Wednesday voted to move toward becoming a more “welcoming and inclusive city” by expanding gender-neutral restrooms in city-owned and city-operated buildings.

In other words, single-stall restrooms marked “men” and “women” will soon be open to either gender.

The resolution states that “gender-neutral restrooms are valuable and convenient for families with children, those who need assistance, persons with disabilities, transgender individuals and those who do not conform to the gender binary, and others who value privacy or feel vulnerable in shared restroom facilities.”

In contrast, according to the resolution, “gender-specific restrooms result in many people needlessly waiting for a particular restroom to be vacated while another identical restroom is available nearby.”

Council Member Rebecca Noecker, one of the resolution’s six co-sponsors, hailed the decision as a positive local effort in contrast to the disturbing tone of national politics and policies. Related Articles Marchers shut down I-94 through St. Paul to protest Breonna Taylor decision

Metro Transit workers reject contract offer, vote to authorize strike

St. Paul man charged in connection with gang-related drive-by shooting

St. Paul City Council approves $600,000 charge for downtown improvement district

St. Paul schools superintendent gets high marks, but board wants progress on equity, enrollment, student achievement

“This will become a more welcoming city for everyone who is here,” Noecker said.

In addition to rebranding existing restrooms, the resolution calls for city to incorporate at least one gender-neutral restroom in all new city buildings during design and construction. The goal is to plan for gender-neutral restrooms in existing buildings where no current single-user restrooms exist. It also encourages managers of privately-owned buildings to consider the same changes.

Council Member Dan Bostrom, the sole council member who did not co-sponsor the resolution, was absent for the vote.