Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms will soon sign an administrative order directing the city’s Department of Enterprise Assets Management (DEAM) to designate all single-occupancy restrooms within city facilities as gender neutral.
This, according to the order that Bottoms will sign later this month. The Georgia Star News obtained a copy on Friday from Atlanta Director of LGBTQ Affairs Malik Brown.
In her order, Bottoms said she wants city officials to enact these changes no later than June 28, which is the 52nd anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York City. According to History.com, the police in that city raided a gay club on that date. Club patrons retaliated and rampaged against the authorities.
Members of Bottoms’ staff did not return a request for comment Friday. Brown said Bottoms worked on this project with her LGBTQ Advisory Board, the Human Rights Campaign, and Chief Equity Officer Rashad Taylor.
“Every single-occupancy restroom the city owns will have updated signage stating ‘Anyone can use this restroom, regardless of gender identity or expression,’” Brown said in an email.
“Additionally, we will be taking a multilayered approach to continue to educate our City of Atlanta (COA) employees on the importance of this project and respect for gender identity/expression.”
Brown said converting more than 100 city-owned restrooms will likely cost Atlanta taxpayers around $20,000.
Atlanta officials, Brown said, will install the all-gender restrooms at the following locations:
• City Hall (Annex and Tower)
• The Municipal Court of Atlanta
• Public Safety Headquarters
• The Public Safety Annex
• The Department of Watershed Management
• WorkSource Atlanta
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
• The Department of Parks and Recreation
• The At Promise Youth and Community Centers
“In keeping with her vision for One Atlanta, the mayor has prioritized the safety and dignity of our trans and non-binary community, and believes that city facilities should be safe, welcoming spaces for all people,” Brown said.
In her order, Bottoms said “transgender and gender nonconforming individuals still face an increased risk of violence and harassment in everyday life.”
“This risk is often amplified in sex-segregated spaces such as public restrooms,” Bottoms said.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Keisha Lance Bottoms” by Keisha Lance Bottoms.
