West Orange Businesses Must Have ‘Gender-Neutral’ Bathrooms Under New Law

WEST ORANGE, NJ — A local ordinance on “gender-neutral” bathrooms has crossed the finish line in West Orange.

Earlier this week, the West Orange Town Council voted 3-2 to approve an ordinance that requires local businesses to designate all single-occupancy bathrooms as “all gender” – including bathrooms that are only used by employees.

The law will also apply to township-owned buildings and “places of public accommodation.”

Businesses and other impacted facilities will have to replace any existing signs that are gender-specific – such as “men” or “women” – and replace them with signs that don’t indicate a specific gender, such as “bathroom.”

The ordinance received “yes” votes from Asmeret Ghebremicael, Joyce Rudin and Susan Scarpa. It received “no” votes from Michelle Casalino and Joe Krakoviak.

Read the full text of the ordinance here, or view it below.

Ghebremicael said it will be “very simple” for businesses to comply with the new law.

“They can even write it on paper or print it out if they don’t want to buy a plaque,” she said, adding that the sign can just read: “Restroom.”

Watch footage from the April 22 meeting below (video is cued to the public hearing and vote on the bathroom ordinance).

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