Gender-sensitive restrooms pushed

Manila - A police official urged on Thursday, August 15, all establishments and government offices to put up a gender-sensitive comfort room to promote equality among its clients.

Brigadier General Dennis Siervo, Philippine National Police (PNP) Human Rights Affairs Office (HRAO) chief, said they have designated a gender-sensitive comfort room in their office in Camp Crame in Quezon City.

The office has three comfort rooms - one for male, another for female and a third with the signage “Gender Sensitive Comfort Room, LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) or Guests.”

“May gender-sensitive CR na ba kayo? I encourage everyone, from the private sectors to all government offices, to put up restrooms like this bilang pagrespeto sa karapatan ng bawat isa, anuman ang kaniyang kasarian,” he said.

Siervo made the statement following the confrontation between a janitress and transgender woman Gretchen Custodio Diez on Tuesday, August 13, after she tried to use a women’s restroom in a mall in Cubao, Quezon City.

The incident happened despite the city’s “Gender-Fair City” ordinance, a pioneer legislation in Metro Manila that penalizes discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (Sogie) which was passed in 2014.

Diez will pursue charges against the mall’s management for violating the said ordinance although she dropped charges against the mall’s personnel after an apology.