Committee forwards ordinance extending all‑gender restroom requirement to hotels and SROs

Carolyn Goosen, representing Supervisor Hillary Ronen (sponsor), introduced an ordinance to amend the housing code so single‑stall bathroom facilities in hotels — including SRO residential hotels — are available for use by people of any gender and must carry signage indicating that status. Goosen said the change extends San Francisco’s existing all‑gender restroom law (originally championed by Supervisor David Campos) into residential settings where many tenants share bathing and toilet facilities.

Jordan Davis, an SRO tenant and member of the SRO Task Force, and more than a dozen community advocates and organizations testified in support. Davis framed the ordinance as a safety and dignity measure for transgender and gender‑variant residents, saying it would allow tenants to focus on health and housing needs rather than identity‑based harassment. "Please pass this historic legislation," a public speaker said. City representatives including the mayor’s senior adviser for trans initiatives reiterated that national research shows transgender people often avoid restrooms out of fear of harassment and that all‑gender facilities can reduce those risks.

Multiple speakers noted the prevalence of SRO housing and the particular vulnerability of transgender women of color and disabled residents who share facilities. With public comment complete, the committee voted without objection to forward the ordinance to the full Board with a positive recommendation; several supervisors indicated intent to cosponsor.