“IT’S OPEN!” shouted the students who just dedicated a “new” restroom at West Seattle High School this afternoon. They pitched for an all-gender restroom – and now they have one. Its grand opening was marked with a tissue-cutting ceremony.
We talked with two of the students, who explained this has been in the works since last school year, and they plan to talk with the School Board about making this happen at other schools:
“This is a big deal,” said Brennon Ham, an advocate who works with the Gay Straight Alliance at WSHS, in the note sending us word of the event on the students’ behalf, lauding their work: “They researched, organized, and advocated for their school to have a gender-inclusive restroom available for students of all genders. They recently gave a presentation to their principal and to folks at Seattle Public Schools, garnering support for this special change in the West Seattle community. This is a big deal (and) especially important to highlight in the wake of the terrible things happening in North Carolina. It would be so special to show the world that the youth of West Seattle are doing it right and doing it with love.”
Also at the after-school celebration, WSHS principal Ruth Medsker, who is working to get the retrofitting that is expected to convert the previously unused three-stall restroom into two enclosed stalls.
It wouldn’t have been affected by the new city ordinance requiring that all public single-stall restrooms be labeled “all-gender,” but it’s certainly in the spirit.
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