Today the Office of Human Rights (OHR) announced a significant step forward for individuals whose identity or behavior differs from stereotypical or traditional gender expectations.

On September 29, 2010, after 5 complaints were filed at OHR against Starbucks locations across the city based on their gender-specific bathroom signage, OHR learned today that Starbucks contracted a vendor to change all of the restroom signs so that they are gender-neutral at all Starbucks locations in the District of Columbia.  The vendor will begin the process on Monday, October 4, 2010, and should have the signs changed in all District Starbucks locations within one month.  This will impact 52 Starbucks locations in the District, taking into account those smaller Starbucks locations that do not have restrooms. 

 

The news today was significant for the GLBT community and part of OHR's ongoing work to enforce the Human Rights Act.  Since the beginning of August 2010, the DC Center for the LGBT Community has filed several complaints with OHR against local establishments that are not in compliance with Title 4, Chapter 8 of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations related to restroom signage.  Specifically, Chapter 8 requires that all public accommodations in the District with single-occupancy restroom facilities use gender-neutral signage for those facilities.  This can be accomplished, for example, by replacing signs that indicate "Men" and "Women" with signs that say "Restroom."  The DC Trans Coalition has also been working with OHR to bring local establishments into compliance with these signage requirements. 

A survey conducted by the DC Trans Coalition in 2008 revealed that transgender people have experienced significant problems with public bathroom facilities. Out of the 93 trans and gender non-conforming DC-area respondents: 70% of respondents reported experiencing problems with gender-segregated public facilities in DC; 68% of respondents have been denied access to, verbally harassed in, and/or physically assaulted in public bathrooms; and 38% of respondents reported avoiding particular public places due to a lack of safe restroom facilities. Requiring that single-occupancy bathrooms be gender-neutral in D.C., we are able to reduce discrimination against and harassment of transgender people seeking to use public facilities. Many other groups, such as parents with children and women, who often must contend with long lines at single-gender bathrooms, also benefit.

The Human Rights Act of 1977 was amended on March 6, 2006 to add "gender identity or expression" to the list of illegal forms of discrimination. Gender identity or expression refers to a gender-related identity, appearance, expression, or behavior of an individual, regardless of the individual's assigned sex at birth. Transgender is an umbrella term that refers to any individual whose identity or behavior differs from stereotypical or traditional gender expectations, including transsexual individuals, cross-dressers, androgynous individuals, and others whose appearance or characteristics are perceived to be gender-atypical. This provision protects individuals from discrimination in the District, and the DC Office of Human Rights enforces this protection so that individuals are treated according to their gender identity and expression and not their presumed or assigned sex.

The DC Office of Human Rights leads the District's efforts to protect the rights of citizens that live, visit or work in the District of Columbia. The work of OHR helps improve the quality of life in the District by promoting and enforcing what is regarded as one of the most comprehensive human rights statutes in the nation - the DC Human Rights Act.

Since August 2010, OHR has received complaints against 26 local establishments, and has followed up with each of them regarding their signage requirements under the law.  To date, at least 12 establishments, in addition to the Starbucks locations, have changed or removed their signage in order to come into compliance.  All public accommodations in the District are subject to the signage requirements for single-stall restroom facilities, thereby protecting against discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression.       

 

Gustavo Velasquez, Director of OHR, urges "the entire business community to learn more about their responsibilities under the Human Rights Act and to become compliant if they have not already done so." 

 

To learn more about the Office of Human Rights, visit www.ohr.dc.gov.

To learn more about Gender Expression and Gender Identity as covered by DC regulations, read the official code online.