Orlando’s all-user restroom is first for Florida in government building

Orlando is building a multistall restroom at City Hall that can be used by a person of any gender identity, Mayor Buddy Dyer said Tuesday.

The restroom is said to be the state’s first of its kind in a government building, Dyer said, and continues Orlando’s mission of inclusiveness.

“The issue relating to bathrooms has been an issue around the country in different states,” he said at a news conference following his annual State of the City speech at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Arts. “It just sets an example that we’re a welcoming community and we’re going to make everybody feel comfortable and welcome.”

The restroom will have a common area with sinks and a changing station, and be comprised of two single stalls and a third handicapped-accessible stall.

The walls and door will stretch from floor to ceiling,

Dyer said, allowing for a safe, private facility for transgender, genderqueer and gender non-conforming people, as well as families with children and those with disabilities who need assistance.

It will be near the men’s and women’s restrooms on the second floor, which is also home to the city clerk’s office, the City Council chambers and other spaces frequented by the public.

The restroom will open in late August, around the same time sweeping energy-efficient renovations are set to be completed.

Transgender individuals can use any restroom at City Hall, but officials cited a 2015 study by the National Center for Transgender Equality, which found 59 percent of transgender adults avoided using a public restroom in the past year out of fears of confrontations or other problems, while 32 percent limited how much they ate or drank to avoid using the restroom.