Supervisors vote to require all-gender restrooms in new L.A. County buildings
By Matt Bewig
Updated: Thursday, Sept. 20, 2013, 10:33 p.m.
L.A. County supervisors voted unanimously to require gender-neutral restrooms and locker rooms in new public works buildings, in order to promote gender equality.
The move came a month after an executive order by County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas which required all-gender restrooms to be provided in new county buildings, and in a countywide order by Supervisor Gloria Molina.
The board of supervisors voted 11-0 in favor of the order which would impose a one-year fine on any county agency that does not comply with it.
Under the order, any employee who does not comply with the new standards will be subject to dismissal. It also requires that every new employee entering the county be trained on the new rules.
“I believe in the power of government,” Ridley-Thomas said in a press conference after the vote. “This is how we protect, preserve and promote the fundamental rights of our county citizens.”
The supervisors also voted to approve the purchase of six state-of-the-art all-gender public restroom facilities for the county. The county will spend $20,000 for construction of the new facilities, which were recently funded by the Los Angeles County Transportation Fund.
The county will be investing about $3,000 per year per restroom building, according to the county.
The new restrooms will be located in both buildings on the campus of the College of the Canyons, on La Brea, and West Los Angeles.
The county is also buying six public restroom facilities at the Los Angeles River at MacArthur Park.
Supervisor John Lee’s measure would impose the same requirement on county school sites. The school board has discussed how to accommodate students but has not reached a final decision.
L.A. County Executive Steve Neuhaus announced earlier this year that the county would begin requiring all-gender restrooms on some county facilities.
“I believe every public