Portland City Council passed an ordinance sponsored by Council President Jamie Dunphy and Councilors Koyoma-Lane and Pirtle-Guiney to improve restroom access for all by requiring All-User, gender-neutral signage for single-occupancy restrooms in places of public accommodation.
This new requirement closes the last gap in requirements regarding single stall restrooms. Changing the sign on gender-specific single-stall restrooms expands access to a wide range of users, including parents with young children, older adults or individuals with a disability with a caregiver or personal attendant, individuals with health-related restroom needs, and members of the transgender, nonbinary, and LGBTQ+ community. This small change is a meaningful statement of Portland's values.
The ordinance builds on Resolution 37175, adopted in 2015 and championed by the late Commissioner Nick Fish, which directed City bureaus to convert all single-user restrooms in City-owned facilities to all-user restrooms. While the City successfully implemented this change internally, the requirement did not extend to private places of public accommodation. The new ordinance closes that gap to ensure consistent access across Portland.
This ordinance does not require construction, remodeling, or the addition of new restrooms. It simply requires updating the signs outside of existing public-facing restrooms, with all-user signs available for as little as $5. The City even intends to mail postcards with all-user signage to businesses they just affix to the restroom door.
"I want to very much thank the administration, Portland Permitting & Development, and the city administrator," Council President Jamie Dunphy said. "We have been working very closely to make sure that we can find the most cost-effective and streamlined way to implement this. l am ongoing committed to seeing this implemented in the most cost effective and efficient way, and to reduce the burden on our businesses wherever possible."
Portland joins a growing list of jurisdictions that have adopted similar policies to ensure restrooms are accessible to all, including the City of Seattle whose work done in partnership with Portland's Office of Equity & Human Rights was pivotal in helping shape this policy.
By standardizing all-user restroom signage, the City aims to promote dignity, safety, and inclusion in public spaces while aligning with national best practices and minimizing impacts on local businesses.
Source: City of Portland