Portland Commissioner Nick Fish to Issue 'All-User Restroom Challenge' Friday

PORTLAND, OR – City Commissioner Nick Fish is pushing local businesses to make more single-stall restrooms gender-neutral in Portland.

In a campaign spearheaded by Fish, the City of Portland converted 600 single-stall city restrooms to 'all-user restrooms' in September 2016 –– accomplishing a mission Fish began December 2015 when he first proposed the idea to the city council.

"The City of Portland successfully converted 600 single-stall restrooms to all-user restrooms. I am formally challenging the business community to meet us, and beat us," Fish said in a statement Tuesday. "The goal is 1,000 all-user restrooms in the next 150 days. The support so far from public-spirited businesses has been overwhelming. I am confident the business community will exceed our expectations."

On Friday, April 7, Fish will join members of Venture Portland, the Portland Business Alliance, the Main Street Alliance, the Portland Area Business Association, Yelp, and the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at The Station, 2703 N.E. Alberta St., where Fish plans to formally issue his challenge.

The Station will reportedly provide an example of how simple the conversion can be by changing its restroom signage during the half-hour meeting.

"(Commissioner Fish) will acknowledge the fact publicly that this could be a mandate … but that we'd rather do this in partnership with the business community," Policy Director Jamie Dunphy told Patch Wednesday. "Members of the community have told (Fish) to mandate the policy, but he believes he doesn't need to mandate people to do the right thing."

It's about removing barriers and creating access for all people, Dunphy explained, adding that Fish admits he's not some kind of bathroom specialist and has asked people who know more about the topic to provide insight and fill in the gaps.

To craft the city policy to convert 600 bathrooms in 2016, for example, Fish sought help from community partners such as Basic Rights Oregon, Elders in Action, and Disability Rights Oregon, among others, Dunphy said.

"We applaud the City for making this a challenge rather than a mandate," said Sandra McDonough, president and CEO of the Portland Business Alliance. "Portland businesses share the city's value of making our community a welcoming place for everyone, and we look forward to working with Commissioner Fish and other members of council to make progress on the goals being announced (Tuesday)."

The 600 converted restrooms can now be used by anyone and everyone, from older adults and parents with young kids to people with caretakers and members of the transgender community.

However, Dunphy continued, the point of the campaign is not to accommodate any one particular group but rather to create access across the whole social strata.

"We're behind the curve nationally," Dunphy said, noting that even Multnomah County joined Seattle and San Francisco years ago in gender-neutralizing its single-stall restrooms. Other cities that have made the change include Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Austin, Texas.

Several Portland area high schools and universities have also taken similar actions to remove barriers to bathroom use, and Dunphy expects the larger businesses that take the challenge will rally smaller businesses to follow suit.

At this point, he said, it just makes sense for more of the city to get on-board.

"When you're presented with an easy opportunity like this –– just changing a sign on a bathroom door –– it's a no-brainer," he said. "When you remove barriers, you increase access and everyone benefits."

For business owners interested in taking Fish's challenge, visit www.PortlandOregon.gov/AllUserChallenge.