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Six months after the U.S. House of Representatives held hearings on ensuring bathroom equality in government buildings, the lower chamber is now getting its due. They will be converting the space currently used by the Office of the Parliamentarian into a women's restroom.
"According to an announcement from the GOP transition team, the woman's restroom will be adjacent to the House floor to accommodate the 71 female members in the next Congress, something current female members live without."
I'm going to refrain from praising the move, but I'm surprised to find out it hasn't happened yet especially since this incoming House delegation will have 5 less women than the outgoing one.
Oh, and wondering what happened to the other potty parity legislation? Yup, you guessed it. It's stalled.
UPDATE: The bathroom was apparently attempted before but was blocked because of costs. It'll run Congress $200,000.
I should note that is the U.S. House of Representatives' term, not mine. I know it's been a while since I've posted and while I promise to update soon, this hearing was too good to ignore. About a week and half ago, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing on "potty parity" in federal buildings.
I'll admit, while I've brought up this issue in other venues, I've never considered the shortage of women's restrooms a huge problem in office buildings, but hey, it's not the worse use of taxpayer dollars. As one witness put it, it's an issue "near and dear to the hearts and bladders of women and children all across the United States."Not at the top of my action lists, but others might feel differently. If that's the case, it's HR 4869, the Restroom Gender Parity in Federal Buildings Act. What, no funny name?
Again, I don't particularly look for news about bathrooms, but the Times seems to be covering them a lot lately in relationship to new venue openings. Check out this paragraph in the coverage of the opening of the latest Broadway theater: White Way Gets a ‘Green’ Theater
The 50,000-square-foot theater, which includes a spacious women’s restroom with 22 stalls, three times the number required by code, is built behind the preserved and restored neo-Georgian facade of the original 1918 theater.
I'd like to point out that it's progress to note the restroom as part of the viewing experience. The simple idea that not having to wait in line might enhance the performance is a recognition of how a wait could ruin your day.
While I don't actively search out news on bathrooms, I did find these two recent articles worth sharing, especially given the lack of emphasis many places put on making sure bathrooms are available (I've expressed my feelings about one uni-sex stall for a whole restaurant).
The NYTimes article does a great a job of explaining the need for more women's bathrooms and how more are being made available in stadiums, while the Washington Post piece discusses where to find a public restroom in NYC. They point out a popular place has become Crate & Barrel (I think in Soho), though I would still recommend hotels when possible. And I promise if I get to any of the locations, I'll post my findings.
New York Times: New Ballpark Statistic: Stadium’s Toilet Ratio
If nothing else, $2 billion worth of baseball ballparks should buy shorter waits for the restrooms, at least for women...It may be the biggest moment “for potty parity that we have seen, to have two big facilities open at the same time, and all these restrooms open at once,” said Kathryn Anthony, a professor of architecture at the University of Illinois and a board member of the American Restroom Association.
Washington Post: In Need of a Toilet in New York: There's So Much to See, but Where Do You Go?In Times Square, three generations of Louisiana women bemoaned their first day. "We spent five hours walking around," said Whitney Rainwater, "and we only found one bathroom."
UPDATE: Julie Stiles wrote a Wall Street Journal piece about opening day at Citifield, confirming the latest innovation in the women's bathroom: "the only place you'll find a quicker ladies room is at a Rush concert -- I know from experience." So I'm hardly the only one who thinks about these things.
