The Potty Parity Act

Back when our country’s stately federal buildings were under construction, architects built the restrooms to accommodate the buildings’ primary inhabitants—men. Times have changed, but old buildings have not. While women are as likely as men to be working in today’s government buildings, they do not necessarily have equal access to the facilities. A bill introduced last Wednesday by Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-NY) would rectify this situation, at least as far as new construction or major renovations are concerned. The Restroom Gender Parity in Federal Buildings Act, HR 4869, affectionately known as The Potty Parity Act, would ensure that “the number of toilets in women’s restrooms will equal or exceed the number of toilets (including urinals) in men’s restrooms.”  As you can image, this bill has spurred waves of commentary, a smattering of which you can read here, here and here.