Use of Public Facilities

• Author: Ally Windsor Howell
• Profession: Former practicing lawyer from Alabama
• Pages: 39-44

We live in a binary society; one must be either female or male. Without

getting into a long drawn-out explanation of hermaphroditism and inter-

sexuality, one must say that not everyone  ts into a neat little male or female

box. This binary world naturally extends into the arena of public restrooms.

There are statutes mandating separate restrooms for women and men

in public buildings and facilities, stadiums and arenas,

1

factories and mills,

2

mines,

3

migrant and farm worker camps,

4

railroad cars,

5

almshouses,

6

and

1. See, e.g., C. B. & P. C § 13651, Del. Code Ann. tit. 16 § 7933, Fla. Code

Ann. § 553.86, 60 Ill. Comp. Stat. 1/155-10, 65 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/11-21-2, 410 Ill. Comp. Stat.

35/15, Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 58.200, 8 M. R. S. A. § 161, M. C A. H-

G. § 24-211, W. C A. § 101.128, W. R. C § 70.54.160, T. A. B.

C § 61.43, T. H  S C § 341.068, T. C A. § 68-120-503,

T. C A. § 4-24-301, T. C A. § 4-24-303, N.Y. L L § 381, N.J.

S. A. § 26:4B-1, N.J.S. A. § 34:6-119.2, N. R. S. § 618.720, M. A.

S. § 701.450, C. C  C. P. § 216, C. H  S C § 114276,

R.I. G. L § 11-24-3.1, A. C A. § 17-20-408, T. O. C § 1602.303,

T. L C § 92.024, R.I. G. L § 32-7-11, and R.I. G. L § 16-38-1.1.

2. See, e.g., A. C A. § 11-5-112, S.D. C L § 60-12-7, 43 P. C.

S. § 1, 43 P. C. S. § 109 and N.Y. L L § 295.

3. O. S. tit. 45 § 426.

4. See, e.g., N.Y. L L § 212-d and M. C. L § 286.642.

5. S.C. C A. § 58-15-720.

6. N.J. S. A. § 44:1-69.

39

Use of Public Facilities

CHAPTER 3

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